CXCIII. Cerulean Gate

Back home from the neighbouring Serbia, where I took part in Cerulean Gate: an INQ28 game organised at a Belgrade convention by my friend Vladimir Matić-Kurylev. Apart from the two of us, there were four more participants in the game: local players who were interested in trying this kind of gaming. Thanks for inviting me, organising everything, and making me feel welcome in your city!

MY WARBAND

My warband consisted of Inquisitor Morbray and her two henchmen: Vygotsky and Jonas. I was going to bring a Sister of Battle as well, but unfortunately the model I ordered failed to turn up in time. So Rosanda's warband got the aid of two NPCs: her colleague Inquisitor Sava the Black and his guard Alex Van Der Zint.  

 

 

Little is known about Inquisitor Morbray, but there are rumours abound. She speaks little, in an electronic, robotic voice; and never reveals her face. The latter inspired a variety of stories to explain what's hiding behind that veil. Some say she was a noblewoman, and her face was horribly scarred with a knife. Others will insist that she was burnt in a fire as a child, or that she was born disfigured: without a nose or ears, and her parents put her in a monastery to hide her away... But all agree that her sinister act makes their skin crawl. It is quite likely many of the rumours actually came from Rosanda herself. Inquisitor Morbray does not usually keep her henchmen with her for long. This is partly since she obviously tries very hard to keep an aura of mystery and fear around herself, and partly because she very easily sacrifices the lives of those in her service.

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OTHER WARBANDS AND NPCs

Inquisitor Chrissmin Kincaide and retinue, by Vladimir Matić-Kurylev.

Inquisitor Dominica Eldridge and retinue, by Miloš Maksimović.

Lodge of the Seven Pillars, by Miloš Petrik.

Inquisitor Rathbone and retinue, by Bojan Kavedžić.

Rogue Trader Imad Gar-Noolein and company, by Dorian Mogoš.

 

Alex Van Der Zint, Vsevold Khirzig and Sava the Black, NPCs, by Vladimir Matić-Kurylev.

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THE GAME

Rosanda Morbray first became aware of, and interested in, the Cerulean Gate when she heard Inquisitor Chrissmin Kincaide might be having some heretical intentions with it. Eager to investigate, and possibly have another clash with the daemonic, she headed straight to the Gate's remote location. She joined forces with Inquisitor Sava the Black, who was better acquainted with Kincaide. However, ne did not know either exactly what the nature of his business with the Gate artifact was.

As Morbray approaced the tall concrete structure holding the Gate, she saw she was not alone there. In the decaying ruins of machinery and abandoned slums surrounding the structure, other groups of warriors were closing in. And high up, at the Gate itself, there were people moving about. Morbray proceeded cautiously, using the ruins, and her henchmen, as cover. 
 

 

Someone managed to scale the Gate structure's side and begin banging on the blue door. The figures around the Gate reacted with alarm. Some of them started descending slightly, and as Morbray and her men came closer Sava recognised Kincaide's armour-clad form. A winged mechanical creature swooped down, and was seen claiming a finely crafted case from the group of green-robed monks on Morbray's right flank. The winged thing proceeded to fly the case up to the gate, where it was received by Kincaide's henchmen.  Attempts to establish communication with them were unsuccessful. The others present proceeded to fire at each other as Morbray's retinue made for the stairs of the Gate structure. 

 

 

  
The ascent was tedious, but no fire was coming directly at them, and it seemed all who were on the stairs were eager to get out of the way. Brother Jonas was at the vanguard clearing the path, and Vygotsky covered the rear, scanning the battlefield and ready to shoot at any threat to the Inquisitors.

The Commotion from above and the strange feeling that enveloped everyone gave Morbray a hint that the gate might have been pulled open. As the fighters from several present factions simultaneously reached the Gate's level, they saw that was true. A swirling, shimmering tear in reality. A carved wand, which was clearly the contents of the mysterious case the monks were carrying, was in the hands of Kincaide's doctor. Sava demanded explanation from Kincaide, at which he revealed that he was in fact holding a Daemon inside of him, and was clearly intending to somehow banish it into the Cerulean Gate. 

 

Sava and Rosanda used their psychic powers to incapacitate Kincaide and the remaining resistance from his retinue. 

"We should just toss him in...," Inquisitor Morbray said. 

There were no objections.
 

  
As the Gate was once again closed, and the present parties agreed on a ceasefire, the Inquisitors started the debate on the site's fate. Should we secure and fortify it? Or destroy it forever?

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The Daemon we did not allow to manifest.

The rules we used were modified Kill Team, and all the models' stats were custom. No points cost, minis came first and the rules were made to match the minis best as we could. The game took a whole afternoon. Vlad's board was really nice, and packed with scenery. All the above photos were shot after the game; looks like Vlad accepted my approach to this - only he hired a professional photographer, which I think was a great idea.  But just for the sake of completion, here are some of my pictures from the game itself, shot with a potato (much of this was already on Instagram on Saturday).