Curse of the Alabaster: Game 1B - Secure the Alabaster

The Alabaster still has more lives to take.

While the Cursed Isle game for the Curse of the Alabaster event was taking place, another game was being played at the main, larger table, called Secure the Alabaster.  This game included the Arbites that Adam built and painted!

Like the first game, Shibboleth wrote some background to set the scene:

It's been 47 days since the Alabaster emerged into realspace within the Tarantus Hive, unleashing devastation in its wake. Distress calls have been received far & wide, and with it, the vultures seeking to profit and benefit from the rare anomaly.

Forces descend into the lowest reaches of the industrial hivespire hoping to gain an upperhand all while dealing with the madness of the local populace. 

A piece of the tortured wreck of the Alabaster occupies the center of the game board.

The game had 4 main player factions, along with a 5th NPC faction consisting of a host of mutants.

Adeptus Arbites Infiltration Team - by Adam Wier.  In a joint venture between the Adeptus Arbites and the Administratum of Tarantus, an elite team of Arbitrators were sent into the ruined hive to install a collection of powerful psychic nullification generators, with the hopes of establishing some order around the wreck of the Alabaster.

Explorator Clade Xerxes-4 - by Ant. Magos Dominus Xerxes-4 is directing his forces into the wreck of the Alabaster to recover the Machine Saint Baltus Roch and to purge the ruins of any heretical technology that lingers.

An Inquisitor of the Ordo Chronos - by ClassicLevine.  A glimpse of the future reveals that the Alabaster’s crash, if allowed to fester, will give the Inquisition probable cause to enact Exterminatus and remove the blighted world from the Imperium forever.  Therefore, the Inquisitor’s goal is to foment chaos, including stopping the Arbites from setting up their null generators.

Space Wolf Astartes Legionnaire and retainers - by WolfLordKejl. The warriors from Fenris are stalking the ruins of the Alabaster in hunt of the incorporeal Pyremaster that haunts its sundered remains.

A horde of mutants and daemons well up from the areas surrounding the wreck, ready to punish anyone encroaching on their domain.  They also wish to scale the wreck of the Alabaster and perform a fell ritual to solidify Chaos’ hold on the planet - NPC faction.

The Pyremaster radiates unholy warp energies from atop the smoldering ruin of the Alabaster, as local mutants from the Sump rally around it as a beacon of a new brighter future.

The forces of Ordo Chronos advance steadily, with their attention directed upon the Adeptus Mechanicus war-maniple and the Adeptus Arbites.

The Wolf pack begins their long hunt for the Pyremaster, loping along on long strides combing the ruins of the Alabaster.

The Ordo Chronos advances on the wreck from the south-west under the shadow of a giant crane.  The Space Wolf Legionnaire and his retainers descend on the Alabaster from the north-west, while the Adeptus Mechanicus approach from the east.

The Arbites enter into the field unseen, wading through the polluted Sump.

The mutants shamble forward, intent on claiming the Alabaster for themselves.

Explorator Clade Xerxes-4 quickly finds itself amidst a cohort of inhospitable mutants.

The Ordo Chronos’ servo skulls prowl forward, searching for targets to douse in purifying flame.

The Ordo Chronos weapon emplacement fires a Hallucinogenic grenade into the midst of Xerxes-4's cohort, but it is ineffective.  Being more machine than man has its benefits.

The Inquisitor of the Ordo Chronos takes aim at the Adeptus Arbites as they begin to advance out of the polluted Sump.

As her companions come under fire from the Ordo Chronos, Ada Fortescue takes up position in a derelict spire to provide covering fire for the advance of her fellow Adeptus Arbites.

Skitarii Ranger Dar-Morr-17 fires off a succession of shots, but is not able to bring down any targets.

A daemonic presence materializes in the industrial crane and attempts to batter unsuspecting individuals with an industrial hook.

Harried by fire from the forces of the Inquisition, the Arbites move between scattered points of cover, getting ever closer to the ruined Alabaster.

The Ordo Chronos advances, pouring firepower down on the Mechanicus and mutant forces alike.

Severely out of position, the Space Wolf Hunting party continue to sprint along the rusting docks of the Sump.

An uneasy alliance is formed between the mutants and the Mechanicus Explorators as they ascend the wreck of the Alabaster.

Heavy fire from the Ordo Chronos forces the Arbites to take cover, still quite a distance from the ruins of the Alabaster.

Several members of the Space Wolf hunting party are forced to stay behind to fend off the encroaching mutant and daemon presence in the Sump.

As the Ordo Chronos gets closer to the Alabaster, mutants swarm them, not wishing anyone to get between them and their prize.

The Mutant King was able to reach the top of the Alabaster and complete a daemonic ritual, heralding in a new reign of Chaos.

On the verge of retrieving Machine Saint Baltus Roch, Magos Dominus Xerxes-4 turns on the mutants, slaughtering leagues of them.

After proving nearly impervious to small arms fire, the Tech-assassin Caliope-17 charges into combat with the Ordo Chronos Inquisitor.

The Space Wolves arrive at the Alabaster too late to make much of a difference, but they still set about killing a score of mutants and daemons.

The Adeptus Mechanicus make way to the Alabaster to protect Magos Dominus Xerxes-4 from the vicious Mutant King.

Despite their best efforts to reach their master, the Mechanicum warriors were unable to reach Magos Dominus Xerxes-4 before he is laid low by the Mutant King.

The game ends with Hara Taa of the Adeptus Arbites successfully deploying the second Null generator, which begins to quell the warp instability around the Alabaster and dampens the daemonic incursion brought about by the Mutants’ ritual.

And thus ended the second Alabaster game.  No satisfying conclusion, just misery and bloodshed.  While the null generators helped repress the warp energies swelling around the Alabaster, they were not enough to halt an incursion of the denizens of the Warp…  And that leads to the final battle of the Alabaster event!  Rest assured, we will have coverage of the conclusion soon!

- Greg Wier