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-----MORDANT BACKGROUND-----

Mordant Prime is a world situated to the galactic north of the
Eye of Terror, and is known for the mining of bioluminescent
bacteria from which a highly corrosive acid is extracted.

Mordant is classed by the Adeptus Terra as a night world, and
its surface is a barren wasteland, totally unfit for human
habitation. The only reason Humanity exists at all on the
world is to mines the strains of luminescent bacteria that grow
beneath the surface. These strains live off the phosphorite
content in the rock, secreting a corrosive acid that breaks
down the rock into a digestible form. Over the millennia, this
process has formed a vast chain of caverns and tunnels that
connect across the entire world. Within these tunnels mining
clans extract the bacteria, culturing it in vast cavern-vats, to
bleed off most of the corrosive acids known to the Imperium.
These extracts are shipped to Forge Worlds across the sector,
where they find uses in all manner of esoteric purposes.

The peoples of Mordant can be split into two broad
categories: the acid miners, and everyone else. The miners are
organized into an ancient clan structure, and have total control
over their business. They exploit cheap local labor; paying the
workers barely enough to survive in the run down shantycaverns
they call home. Many of the disenfranchised citizens
of Mordant turn to life of organized crime, and gang violence
is the only authority acknowledged by many of the deeper
settlements.

The Imperial Guard regiments drawn from Mordant are raised
from amongst those citizens disaffected with life on their
world. They cannot live on the pittance paid by the mining
clans, and will not sink so low as to leech off their people like
the gangs do. Mordant regiments are often fielded on night
worlds, and are known to make excellent tunnel fighters when
the need arises.

Excerpt from Tactica Imperialis:
A History of the Later Imperial Crusades
by Andy Hoare


-----CAMPAIGN BACKGROUND-----

We pick up the epic saga of the Mordant 13th two years after we left them, on the war-torn wasteland of Bonner’s Reach, a desolate
planet that houses a very dark secret. Through exhaustive excavation efforts and tenuous alliances with the Eldar and other xenos
experts, the Imperial forces uncovered an ancient stone edifice buried beneath the surface of Bonner’s Reach that resonates
with the evil influence of the Dark Gods. This antediluvian device was once used to collect and magnify the anguish and
rage of an entire planet’s populace, driven to the edge of sanity by the unspeakable acts of their Daemonic
oppressors . Recognizing the catastrophic potential of such a weapon, the Imperial
forces dutifully defended this massive artifact from the insidious forces that would
reclaim it to once again awaken its dormant power.

The resulting campaign was a tremendous allocation of Imperial resources. Titan
Legions strode across the battlefields supported by scores of super heavy tanks. The
loyal forces of the Adeptus Astartes made surgical strikes where the enemy was
weakened, supported by the efforts of xenos allies and their powerful, alien
technology. In the end, the Mordant 13th provided the implacable center of the
Imperial offensive, and through their unquestioned loyalty and endless courage,
the Imperial forces claimed victory over an evil alliance of Chaos Space Marines,
Orks, Daemons and other ruthless mercenaries. The planet of Bonner’s Reach is
now securely in Imperial control, and an orbital defense force defends the planet
while an Imperial research detachment studies the ruins in an effort to learn new
ways to combat the forces of the Dark Gods.

Flashing forward two years, the Mordant 13th prepare for the next chapter of their
glorious existence. Planets on the fringes of the system have been under siege of
a new Ork Waaagh, rumoured to be orchestrated by the nefarious Orkimedes, the
intellectual power behind Ghazghkull Thraka’s infamous attacks on the planet of
Armageddon. In his absence, Orkimedes has no doubt been busy designing new
technological weaponry that even now redefines how the Orks wage war.
Utilizing teleportation technology previously thought unattainable by the
greenskins, massive Ork war parties are making planetfall without having to contend
with Imperial planetary defenses. Waves of teleportation beacons housed inside
asteroids fall to the planet in the guise of a mundane meteor storm, and within hours of
the asteroid’s landing, the “tellyportas” inside brought scores of greenskins to the
planet’s surface, surging forth behind enemy lines. What makes this advancement in
Ork technology all the more terrifying is that there seems to be no limit on the size of
what can teleported, and even the massive forms of Ork Stompas, Battlewagons,
Skullhammas and other potent engines of war have suddenly materialized out of thin
air, scattering whatever meager defenses the Imperial forces could muster!

The Mordant 13th now scramble to intercept the mounting Ork invasion before all
is lost. It will be up to this hardened regiment and the coordinated efforts of their
allies to drive this alien threat back into the darkness from whence it came!

Forward Observation Post:

Col. Demask lowered his field glasses and shook his head.

“There must be nearly half a dozen of those teleporter beacons down there. We’re going to be running the gauntlet on this one,” he said.

“Why don’t we just order in airstrikes to take them out? Or destroy them with artillery?” Lt. Rikun asked.

“Our mission is to secure them, not destroy them, unfortunately. The worshipers of the Machine God want to pull them apart, try and figure out how to counter them,” Col. Demask responded.

“So in come the guard to do the fighting and dying while those tech priests fiddle with their damned machines,” Lt. Rikun asked.

“You know your duty, Lt. The Mecahnicus need to understand how these blasted things work so that we can stop them. If we destroy these, the Orks will just send more down. We have to learn how to prevent them from teleporting in, otherwise we are stuck in a game of destroy all the beacons faster than the Orks can drop them. That is a game we will not win, and we are not in the business of losing,” Col. Demask said. “The tech priests have promised us that if we can capture enough of these things, they will have a disrupter for us as early as the next battle. That is a tool that could win us this war.”

“I understand, sir. I will obey and perform my duty in the name of the Emperor,” Lt. Rikun responded. “I just wish there were an easier way.”

“As do I, son. But we aren’t alone on this one; the Space marines will be joining us. One of them is worth a dozen greenskins.”

“Aye to that, Col. But they will have to fight for all they are worth to beat us to the prize!”

“That’s the kind of fighting spirit I like to hear in my officers, son,” Col. Demask responded.

“Thank you , sir,” Lt. Rikun responded, smiling.

“We may also be aided by some Xenos mercenaries from what I have been told.”

Lt. Rikun’s smile quickly fell into a frown. “Xenos, sir? When does the finest fighting force in the Imperium turn to Xenos scum for support?”

“I understand your feelings, Lt. and share them, but the coming battle will be fierce and we will need every tool we can muster in order to win. And remember, every Xeno that falls in battle is a comrade in arms that will live in his stead,” Col. Demask replied.

Lt. Rikun’s smile came back, “Excellent point sir, we will drown the Orks in the blood of our enemies. A victory on two fronts! What is our plan for the battle?”

“We will secure that point there,” Col. Demask said, pointing to a bombed out building, “and use it as our field HQ. From that point, we will deploy our forces to secure the objectives and then hold off any Orks or their allies that came to take them back.”

“A simple plan, but an effective one. I will prepare the troops for combat, sir,” Lt. Rikun said.

“Very well,” Col. Demask replied, “For the Emperor.”

“For the Emperor,” Lt. Rikun responded as he left.

______________________________________________________________________________

Aboard the Killkrooza, Oomie Blasta

“Awright, listen up ya gits!” Warboss Grotsnog Groin Stompa shouted at the assembled Boyz, “We’se gonna jump in dis ere tellyporta when Orkimedes gives us da signal. Den we’se gonna tellyport down to da Oomie planet and crump anyfing dat we see!”

“Dat’s a right cunnin plan, Boss,” Nob Burnbo Bone Breaker said.

“Of course it is, dat’s why I’m da boss, see? I’m da cunninest and da stompiest Ork around!” Groin Stompa said as he fired several rounds of his shoota into the air for effect. “But dat’s not all of me plan, the cunninest part is comin up next,” he said conspiratorially.

All of the assembled boyz nudged each other and smiled, rubbing their hands together in anticipation. They leaned closer to hear what they knew would be an especially cunning and sneaky plan.

“I knows where da Oomie base is, see. We’se got a tellyporta beacon hidin where da Oomies don’t see it, right near der base. So we’se gonna sneak in da back, and then smash all da stoopid Oomies when dey isn’t lookin!”

All of the Boyz looked up in awe at their Boss. He truly was a fearsome intellect in addition to being a peerless Stomper of Groins.

“Boss, youse a genius,” Burnbo said.

Groin Stompa laughed a very evil laugh, “Yeah, I am, ain’t I?”

The assembled Boyz laughed along with their Boss.

“Awright, dat’s enough with da laughin, let’s get ready ta do some stompin,” Groin Stompa said.

“Hey Boss, what about dem Spikey boyz and da uver boyz dats gonna be fightin wiv us?” asked Burnbo.

“We’se gonna send them gits in first,” Groin Stompa said. All of the assembled Boyz recoiled as if acid had been thrown on them.

“Boss, youse gonna let dem uver boyz get into da scrape before us?” Burnbo asked in pained tones.

“Har, har! I got ya, ya dumb gits!” Groin Stompa laughed, “No way dem Spikey boyz and uver boyz is gonna get into da fight before us. Wese gonna send dem in last sose dey can see how real Boyz does fings!”

The assembled Boys all burst into laughs and cheers, some firing their shootas into the air, or into the back of the Ork in front of them.

“When we win dis battle, ladz, Orkimedes is gonna build us a whatzit dat can stop da Oomies from using any kind of sneaky tricks to get around us. Deys gonna have to fight us square, da Orky way!”

“But Boss, if we use a sneaky trick to get around da Oomies, don’t dat mean wese fightin in a unOrky way?” Brunbo said.

Warboss Groin Stompa frowned at Nob Burnbo, “you sayin my plan aint Orky?”

Burnbo fumbled for words before sputtering out, “no Boss, it’s just dat you said dat if da Oomies did what wese doin, it wouldn’t be fightin da Orky way.”

Groin Stompa shot Brunbo in the face with his shoota. Burnbo’s head exploded in a spray of green pulp.

“Dat’s because dey aint Orks, ya dumb git!” Groin Stompa shouted at Burnbo’s twitching body.

All of the assembled Boyz burst into laughter, slapping each other on the back.

“Alright, ladz. Whose ready for a WAAAGH!!!!!!???”

The assembled boyz all threw their heads back and shouted, “WAAAGH!!!!!!!!”

The Story So Far - As the Orks made planetfall in an uncharacteristically coordinated attack that spanned several planets, the Imperial forces were forced to mount a desperate defense. It was evident that the Orks and their allies sought to control the Comm Stations on the outskirts of the system, hoping to suppress word of their offensive as they pressed further into Imperial-controlled space. War was waged on many fronts, bringing a motley assortment of enemies of the Imperium together under a unified front. Despite the overwhelming odds, Forces of the Adeptus Astartes and Adeptus Sororitas responded with precision and blinding speed to support their beleagured brethren, and after a series of tactical retreats, the Imperial forces regrouped and stood firm against their attackers.

Supported by Fighta Bommas striking at key defensive emplacements, the green tide closed the gap to the Imperial lines largely in-tact. A kill team of Ork Kommandos led by the nefarious Boss Snikrot rose from their hiding places to sow havoc wherever they tread. Ammo and promethium depots erupted in towering plumes of flame as the Kommandos made surgical strikes on Imperial resources, unseen and unheard until it was too late. Similar tactics were used by the Imperials, as the one man army known as Sly Marbo affixed demo charges to the vulnerable parts of towering Ork machines of war, only to melt back into the shadows as the explosions sounded. Blessed by protection of the Emperor, a battery of Adeptas Sororitas Exorcists endured crippling explosions and returned fire with a smoke-tailed curtain of missles that bathed the field of battle in an ominous fog. The salvoes, directed at the heart of the Ork armored column, struck home and in one instance, started a chain reaction of explosions that flung far and wide the charred bodies of greenskins and guardsmen alike.

On another planetary front, a dormant brood of Tyranids resurfaced from their subterranian lair, chasing towering Trygons as they erupted onto the planet's surface. A chittering wave of Genestealers, Gaunts and other unnamed monstrosities surged forth with a terrifying hunger yet-unsatisfied. This sudden threat threw organized battle plans and tactical approach by the wayside as both Orks and Imperials were beset upon from the West by gnashing teeth and serrated talons. A massive rent in the earth heralded something huge, and the ground underfoot shook as a group of Carnifexes tore their way from the darkness toward the Imperial lines. Recognizing the threat, an Imperial Warhound Titan leveled its Turbo Laser at the mass and let fly, leaving behind a gory aftermath of bone, flesh and ichor. Three more Warhounds strode forward, securing the Ork teleport beacons and laying waste to any threats materializing nearby. When the towering form of a Tyranid Bio-Titan crested the horizon, a crack team of Storm Troopers armed with melta weaponry raced to intercept the alien threat aboard their Valkyrie transports. Desperate to halt the encroachment of the Tyranids on an already stressed Imperial front, The Imperials utilized the staggering power of a vortex grenade against the towering behemoth. The resulting warp anomaly vaporized half of the creature in an instant, crippling the beast beyond recovery and showering the Stormtroopers underfoot in an unspeakable torrent of gore and filth. A psychic backlash resounded through the Hive Mind and the Tyranid forces withdrew to the shadows. With the Tyranid threat temporarily neutralized, the Imperials turned their attention back to the Greenskins and their allies, who had reached the Aegis Defense Line that marked the Comm Station's perimeter.

Seizing the opportunity amidst the assault, Chaos Renegades in a makeshift alliance with the Orks used their manipulation of the Warp to teleport a sizeable strikeforce planetside. Forces of the Salamanders and Space Wolves joined battle against the superior numbers of the Ruinous Powers. The elite of either side met in a bloody melee while the arcing fire of Defilers and Thunderfire Cannons sailed overhead. Wolf Guard Terminators materialized behind a Chaos Titan, thunderhammers at the ready. The fearless units battered the legs and feet the the Titan, shattering servos and pistons with their unrelenting blows. The massive form of the Chaos Titan listed uneasily as its legs gave way underneath it's staggering weight, and its immense bulk crashed to the ground with such titanic force that it compromised the reactor housed inside. The resulting explosion sent a ripppling shockwave that could be felt for miles and anything remotely nearby was wholly consumed in a blinding flash, the intensity of which rivaled a solar flare. Amidst the carnage, the Chaos Lord Rhashkill raised his demon weapon in a plea for strength and was left wanting. Khorne, displeased with the toll of skulls yet reaped, turned the Bloodthirster inside Rhashkill's weapon against his faithful. A bloody toll was paid by any within striking distance, and before succumbing to the power of the demon in the blade, Rhashkill slew half a score of his own Berserkers in a frothing, hate-fueled rage. When Salamander reinforcements arrived via drop pods backed up by pin-point teleportation of a host of Grey Knights onto key objectives on the battlefield, the forces of Chaos withdrew to regroup and gather their strength for the next assault.

After several days of perilous conflict, the Imperial forces successfully defended their position and stalled the momentum of the assault. This has bought them valuable time to bolster their defenses, redeploy, and prepare for what will undoubtedly be a swift and merciless retaliation from threats looming on the horizon.

CHAPTER 3: "THE EAGLE'S NEST" IS COMING TO A LOCAL HOBBYCENTER OR INDEPENDENT RETAILER ON JULY 18th!

The Story So Far - After successfully repelling the initial Ork planetfall, the Mordant 13th and their allies were able to retrench, and the Imperial hold on the planets outlying Bonner's Reach seemed secure. When the maniac Orkimedes launched his second wave of attacks, however, it was with a ferocity the first onslaught had not hinted at. While Imperial forces held at a number of critical fortified junctures the pattern of the Disorder attack was revealed in the aftermath, as virtually all of the Imperial communications infrastructure, targeted without success in the Orks' original planetstrike, was annihilated in this subsequent offensive.

The Ork hordes were uncharacteristically quiet in the initial stages of the conflict thus allowing the Imperials and their allies to be caught completely unprepared for the combined assaults of the Archenemy and the Hive mind. The ground quaked and rolled as massive bio-constructs and their smaller brethren were shielded by the advance of an armored column of the Ruinous Powers. The Imperials braced themselves for the advancing horde, now too pre-occupied to notice the lack of greenskins in the oncoming assault.

The Imperial trenches were manned by both the Adeptus Astartes and Imperial Guard units and the combined firepower of these forces laid many of the largest foes low in the opening salvos. The situation looked manageable, but as quickly as a feeling of relief was established it faded to nothingness as the ground began to rumble and the air vibrated with a massive Waaaauuuggggh reverberating over the horizon! Thick plumes of oily smoke billowed forth and suddenly the battle was joined by more Stompas and Skullhammas than most guardsmen would see in a lifetime.

The Orks wasted no time assaulting the lines already in disarray as they sent forth their most potent engines of war. One of the massive Ork constructs used its Lifta Droppa to hurl a Tau Hammerhead into a formation of supporting Eldar skimmers, the catastrophic explosion engulfed all six vehicles, destroying them in the aftermath of a seemingly casual gesture.
On the Eastern flank, the servants of Chaos would not be denied and feverishly advanced with Plague Towers supported by waves of Khornate Slaughterfiends. One section of the Imperial lines was annihilated when it met Kharn the Betrayer and a retinue of Khorne Berzerkers at the fore of the assault. The only thing that kept the lines from completely breaking was the heroic (but ultimately suicidal) attack on the last Plague Tower by a unit of allied Fire Dragons. The Eldar brought the Tower down in a close quarters assault, but their overzealous efforts caused a cataclysmic explosion, vaporizing the foul machination of Chaos and the martyred Fire Dragons in a blinding flash.

Unknowingly, the frothing bloodlust of Kharn the Betrayer worked to the advantage of the allies when a massive Ork formation attempted to charge the breach made by the followers of the Blood God. Pressing too close to the blood slaked killer, the Orks were turned upon and ushered into oblivion by sweeping arcs of Kharn's fearsome weapon, Gorechild.

The Imperials and their allies fought valiantly against the waves of pressing assailants, like when Col. Jago Kallowen of the Mordant 13th fearlessly charged and felled a towering Tyranid Heirodule; crushing the monster's frontal cortex with desperate powerfist attacks.The Inqusition gave good accounting for themselves when Inquisitor Lord Rhomdruil and his retinue threw back wave after wave of Ahriman's Thousand Sons. As exchanged curtains of fire continued to hold each side immobile, night began to fall on a beleagured Imperial front.

Ultimately, even with the valiant defense and insane acts of courage demonstrated by the Imperials and their allies, the defenders were forced to displace and regroup, thus leaving the fields of battle firmly in the grip of the FORCES OF DISORDER!

Now the battered defenders find themselves cut off, isolated, without voice to direct support or summon reinforcement. In a desperate bid to regather the scattered Imperial forces into a unified defense, Colonel Kallowen has drafted his command orders, transferred them to as many dataslates as can be laid hands on, and dispatched courier Valkyries on emergency flights across the defense perimeter to deliver them. Orkimedes in turn has launched new assaults on every key Imperial landing site, with every resource at hand--be it his own Ork forces or the various other predatory armies which have descended upon the planetary chaos, allies either by form or convenience--to see this thin aerial line of Imperial communication permanently sundered.
Will the tide continue to turn increasingly green--or will Kallowen's orders get through?

CHAPTER 4: "THE TABLES TURN" IS COMING TO A LOCAL HOBBY CENTER ORINDEPENDENT RETAILER ON AUGUST 22nd!

The Story So Far - The battle weary Imperial forces have been repeatedly forced back selling their lives at great cost to the invading Ork hordes and their allies. In a desperate gamble Colonel Kallowen had attempted to unify the defenders into a coherent unit as opposed to the disorganized rabble that they were in risk of becoming. He attempted to do this by dispatching his orders via Valkyrie to all the remaining command post to avoid interception by the enemy. Fortune was not with the imperials this time as the dispatches left Col. Kallowens Commad HQ, Orkimedes launched a simultaneous assault on all of the exposed imperial landing pads in an attempt to cut off air support or evacuation.

All at once the Battle was joined by massive waves of Orkimedes finest Stompas bent on crushing the last of Imperial resistance on the line. The finest armor the imperials had left fought a valiant delaying action as the infantry reinforced by the Astartes regrouped at their rally points. Dozens of Leman Russ tanks and chimeras littered the battlefield as the Imperials fell back into their new positions. A grim silence came over the battlefield as the Stompas backed by hordes of Chaos beasts and Marines bore down on the Imperial line. Then without warning the lead Stompa slowed, belched smoke and suddenly exploded and a shower of flame and debris, this was followed by another and another and a massive roar erupted from the Imperial defenders as the Titans from Legio Magna Joined the fray accounting for 9 Ork Stompa Kills in as many minutes.

The Imperials now saw their opportunity to capitalize on the confusion in the enemies' ranks. The Dark Angels of the Astartes accounted for the kill of a Corrupted Warhound Titan that was maneuvering amongst the carnage by deploying a Vortex grenade engulfing its possessed head. In a last ditch effort to reclaim the Day the fell powers oened a massive warp rift in the middle of the battlefield allowing both lesser and greater Daemons into our realm. This time the Grey Knights of the Ordo Malleus were prepared for this tactic and immediately deployed Squads to intercept and destroy the foul host.

The battle raged with neither side giving or asking for quarter and many thousands died in the hours that followed the arrival of the Stompas and Titans. Eventually the Orks and their allies broke realizing that the day could not be won. Unfortunately the Reaver Titan Bellatrix Imperious was the last to fall when Snikrot and his Kommandos planted charges that dropped the Ancient Engine of War as they made their retreat causing the critical overload of her reactor. Although the Imperials took the battle, they did so at tremendous cost in both life and material.

CHAPTER 5: "ROLLING THUNDER" IS COMING TO A LOCAL HOBBY CENTER OR INDEPENDENT RETAILER ON SEPTEMBER 26TH!

The Story So Far - With the battle for control ebbing and flowing with neither side gaining a distinct advantage, both sides have committed to diminishing enemy Morale by striking at weak points in the enemy line. Elite, reserve units have been deployed against overwhelming odds in an attempt to deal decisive blows to the heart of the enemy command.
The Hive Mind never rests, and in the early hours of what would be another long day of conflict, a coordinated Tyranid assault began to unfold. Discord was sown behind Imperial lines by a host of Lictors and skulking Genestealers, though this maneuver proved to be a distraction from a much more pressing threat. While the Eldar and Imperials focused on the Tyranid attack, an enormous WAAAAGGGGHHHHH was heard over the revving of hundreds of smoke-belching engines. This distant rumble heralded the arrival of Wazdakka Gutzmek and his Speed Freeks leading an Ork mechanized assault of such magnitude that the earth trembled underfoot and the sky was darkened with rolling plumes of black smoke.
The impact of the Orks and their allies splintered the Imperial lines instantly, forcing the Imperial Guard and even the vaunted Adeptus Astartes to fight a delaying action as they gave ground in an attempt to regroup. The only thing that saved the Imperials from utter decimation was a pin-point teleport attack of 50 Deathwing Terminators from the storied Dark Angels space marine chapter. The confusion among the Ork and Tyranid was almost instantaneous, as 50 of Mankind's most elite, bedecked in massive, bone-colored suits of Terminator armor, appeared and instantly began cutting a swathe through the encroaching horde.
In the moments that followed this auspicious arrival, hundreds of Orks and Tyranids were struck down and ripped to pieces by lightning claw, thunder hammer, assault cannon and storm bolter. Though the death toll was remarkable, this respite was short lived, as the full weight of the attacking lines turned and fell upon the Terminators, engulfing them in a tide of gnashing teeth and chitinous bone.

Though the price was staggering, the sacrifice of the Dark Angels allowed the Imperials to fall back to their rally points and establish a new set of hastily constructed defenses. The Orks and their allies suffered horrendous losses in the fight, and after the sudden assault from the Deathwing, their remaining forces were scattered too far and wide to press their advance without regrouping.
Now, in the days afterward, both sides have pulled back and established bastions for their artillery. Covert teams of artillery spotters have moved to forward positions, using stealth to attain any vantage point where they can guide the earth shattering ordnance looming on the horizon to good effect.