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View Full Version : Narrative Apocalypse Battle Report - Sisters of Battle Vs. Orks



mrjjourden
10-13-2009, 11:08 AM
Hello everyone...We had a massive Apocolypse game this summer and are working on a thorough battle report which includes the below short story.

I would love to hear your comments and thoughts regarding the story.

I had a "secret objective" to hold an Imperial building and ensure that no Orks ended the game within the perimeter of the building's footprint. Unbeknownst to me, the Ork player's secret objective was to clear all imperial troops from the building and have at least one model within the perimeter of the building.

On the final turn of the game, there were nearly 100 orks desending on the building from all sides and I decided to charge out with three understrength Battle Sister Squads and meet them head on (all had suffered heavy casualties throughout the battle but miraculously regrouped). They were supported by Sister Superior Lupe Mariana's Retributor Squad with one Heavy Bolter and one Multi-Melta who were entrenched within the Imperial building and had excellent fields of fire and Sister Superior Delilah Altagracias' Retributor Squad of four Heavy Bolters in the building immediately south of their position.


Here is what happened...


The rising sun's golden beams were streaked with blood red as dawn's first rays of light crested the polluted horizon. The noxious fumes of battle mixed with the prevalent stench of death on the air - if you would even call this foetid miasma air at all. But the foulest stench came from the endless tide of Greenskins just outside of the virtually destroyed city. After two days of fierce battle and vicious close combat, it seemed as if the hulking orks died only to be replaced by dozens more of the foul breathed xenos.

On the third day, Sister Superior Lupe Mariana surveyed her six remaining battle sisters with grim admiration and hard earned respect. The Sanctum Basilicum they were tasked to defend was still intact after suffering the relentless onslaught of artillery and small arms fire. Blessed be the Emperor whose eternal presence still endured on this war-torn planet in the form of this blessed building. A massive wrecking ball, swung by a mechanical Ork abomination that stood three stories higher than the sacred Aquila atop the Basilica's tower, merely bounced off the adamantium and plasteel walls before the Stompa was finally destroyed in a bone jarring cataclysmic explosion. Many Battle Sisters and Imperial Fist Space Marines had sacrificed their lives in the name of the Emperor before the lumbering behemoth finally fell.

Sister Amanda's gauntlets were still steaming over three hours after the last superheated Multi-Melta blast destroyed a lumbering dreadnought a scant 20 meters from her firing position, halting an Ork advance. She picked up the heavy weapon after an impossibly accurate Ork artillery shell exploded sending shrapnel through the window used by Sister Isabella, killing her instantly as her helmeted head vanished from her shoulders in a bloody rain of brains and skull fragments. Sister Lupe wondered whether the young Sister would need her arms replaced with bionics as she was certain the flesh and bones beneath her gauntlets were cooked by the heat. Only her unquestionable faith allowed her to ignore the pain and continue fighting.

Sister Alexandra was cleaning and blessing her bolt pistol and chainsword. During the fighting, her bolter overheated and exploded in her hands, the shock wave hurled her off of her feet, but the blast was absorbed by her blessed armor and only scratched the paint and ignited the purity seals adorning her breastplate. Lying on her back, Sister Alexander felt the world around her slow down and heard a desperate cry for aid from Squad Melinda holding the building across the alley. She jumped up and grabbed a handful of frag grenades, running up to the second story of the Basilica. After tossing the frag grenades into a squad of Orks taking cover in the neighboring building, she leaped out of the second story window into their midst and slew three of the surviving and disoriented xenos with her bare hands.

After the smoke cleared and the adrenaline faded, she noticed the bodies of Squad Melinda littering the rubble. The Orks had defeated her fellow Battle Sisters and were planning to assault the Basilica from their concealed position. Had she not heard the call from her imperiled Sister over the din of battle and roar of gunfire, Squad Lupe would have met the same fate. Grabbing the first available weapons she could find, she picked up Sister Superior Melinda's bolt pistol and chainsword, gently removed the ammunition belt from around her torso and returned to the Basilica, reporting her grave discovery to Sister Superior Lupe.

Sister Louise, who joined the squad only three months ago, was praying at a small altar in the back of the Basilica. Her bravery and courage far outweighed the soft lines around her eyes and easy smile that framed her face while her boltgun rained blessed ammunition into the hordes of xenos approaching the sanctified soil. She seemed to dance between firing points confusing the orks with a relentless barrage of accurate firepower. If another Sister paused to reload, she would instantly appear at their side continuing the fusillade. Sister Superior Lupe would recommend her for indoctrination into the elite Seraphim squads if they made it through the day.

Sister Carmina had established her heavy bolter in the corner of the Basilica providing the pivot point around which all other firing points rotated. She hadn't slept for two days and was now standing on a two-foot high mountain of spent casings. The second senior of the squad, she always was the foundation around which the remaining Retributor Squad members were built. Her quiet demeanor and thunderous heavy bolter were a contrasting yet perfectly suited lethal combination. Countless Ork bodies littered her field of fire for two hundred meters in front of the Basilica.

Sisters Rebeka and Barbara - twins from a rugged industrial planet on the outer reaches of the Imperial fold - had just returned from a daring supply run further into the city to secure ammunition, medical supplies, water and rations. The much needed adamantium tipped rounds were a welcomed sight. Each sister was down to her final two magazines, and Sister Carmina's heavy bolter canister was below 50%. Now they had enough ammunition to last another two days, Emperor willing.

The twins were discovered by Inquisitor Valerie Amelianus who was purging a planet of a Slaaneshi cult. The two young girls armed with only makeshift Aquilas, holy censers, litanies of faith and their own righteous fury were standing in the entrance to a similar Sanctum Basilicum they were now entrusted to defend. A horde of advancing cultists saw the two young women as perfect orgiastic morsels to be devoured in the name of Slaanesh and were fixated on their innocent eyes and pale virgin flesh. The distraction was enough for Inquisitor Valerie and her retinue to advance on the rear of the mob and immolate the blasphemous hoard with gouts of holy promethium. Each cultist writhing in the ******ic pleasure of eternal pain as their flesh melted and their bodily fluids boiled.

Once the smoke had cleared and a deathly smog lay over the courtyard, Inquisitor Valerie saw a glowing light shining behind the two young girls and took this as the Emperor's Blessing to bring the twins into the service of the Emperor. Aboard her strike cruiser, Emperors Anvil, she rigorously inspected the twins for any taint of Chaos and eventually found their souls as pure as Saint Celestine, Blessed be her name. Shortly thereafter, they were sent to the Sororitas to begin training as a Battle Sister of the Order of the Crimson Passion.

They were all that remained of their Retributor Squad. Sister Isabella, Sister Agnes, Sister Penelope and Sister Portia have fallen in the name of The Emporer and are now under His protection.

Sister Superior Lupe gathered her squad around Sister Carmina's overwatch position and led a Prayer of Deliverance. The look of calm serenity radiated from each gaze as she looked her fellow sisters in their eyes. "In nomine Imperator...." After the prayer concluded, she could feel the determination displayed by how Sister Carmina held her heavy bolter; how Sisters Rebeka and Barbara slowly oiled their boltguns; how Sister Amanda bit her lip to fight the pain in her ruined arms; how Sister Alexandra held her razor-sharp chainsword confidently over her shoulder; and how Sister Louise smiled in rapturous pride knowing that if she died, she would do so in His service. Sister Superior Lupe knew at that moment, that the Imperium would carry the day and the Emperor would shelter them with his Divine Guidance.

Just as she turned to take her position near the ruined door, the shock wave from a nearby thunderous explosion forced her down to one knee. She looked outside to see a squad of Ork Nobs in Mega Armor supported by half a dozen Killer Kans and dozens of crazed Ork Boyz advancing upon the Basilica. Sister Superior Delilah Altagracias' Retributor Squad opened fire from the Administratum behind the Basilica cutting down the lightly armored Greenskins in a furious hail of Bolter and Heavy Bolter shells. Squad Lupe answered the call with a short burst of fire from their own guns shredding even more of the foul xenos.

Three remaining sisters from Squad Delacruz sprinted out of a neighboring building to the east as even more Mega Armored Orks attacked from the flank forcing the depleted squad to fall back. They met five battle sisters of Squad Angelica falling back from the north and quickly established a hasty perimeter outside of the Basilica's northeast corner. The melta gun of Squad Monica made short work of one of the massive Killer Kans while Sister Superior Angelica's plasma pistol vaporized the armor of not one, but two Orks in Heavy Armor in a dazzling shower of sparks and ichor. Concentrated bolter fire brought down another dozen Greenskins in the blink of an eye, but more were rapidly advancing on their position. The sisters dug into the rubble and prepared to make the Orks pay dearly for every meter they advanced - for every sister who died.

Through the haze, a streaking shadow dodged bolter shells, crude Ork projectiles, exploding shrapnel and flying rubble to penetrate the Ork lines. The shadow was none other than a Callidus Assassin of the Officio Assassinorium. The sleek outline of its olive green armor cloaked its skin with an impenetrable layer of protection from the Ork guns. Such was her camouflage, that from ten meters away the Sisters could hardly distinguish the Assassin from any of the attacking invaders. She was a blur of movement, a shimmer in the haze of battle leaving death and destruction in her wake. A huge Warboss three times the size of any Battle Sister was swinging a massive Axe one moment, only to discover he could not finish the blow because his head was rolling from his shoulders the next. Her movements were an intricate ballet of doom, a tempest of death, a cyclone of destruction, a hurricane of razor sharp fury. Each step leaving limbs, heads and souls vanquished in the name of the Emperor.

The Assassin's elegant dance inspired the Battle Sisters to greater feats of heroism and Squad Lupe rushed out of the Basilica to lend their weight of fire in a heavenly display of their Faith. Bullets bounced harmlessly off their armor, shrapnel rained from the sky in torrents of fire, but the sheer Faith in Him provided an impenetrable blanket of spiritual armor that no steel projectile could soil. As the last sister left the holy building, the Basilica lit up from within with a blinding light that stunned the attacking Orks. Two huge Trukks carrying another 40 Orks into the gap created by the Assassin careened out of control as their drivers became disoriented. The trukks crashed into each other, launching their cargo into the melee, right into the flashing blades of the Callidus.

Just as suddenly as the light appeared, it was gone. Replaced by an inky blackness that filled the Orks with blinding terror. Out of the Basilica leaps another Assassin, this one of the Culexus shrine who cast an aura of impending doom wherever his gaze pointed. As quick as he appeared, he attacked the Mega Armored Nobs lumbering from the west flank in an acrobatic whirlwind of sprinting destruction. The Assassin targeted the largest of the Nobs and leaped right onto his chest, shattering the creatures soul with his deathly gaze. The last of his psychic attack spent, the Culexus leaped free just as the Armored Nob exploded in a flash of putrid flesh and lethal shrapnel disintegrating three other nobs in a hail of spikes and razor sharp steel.

The Culexus landed as four other Armored Nobs tried to seize him with the clumsy power klaws. He anticipated their attack and armed a melta bomb while vaulting over the smallest of the massive xenos. With a feather touch, the Culexus attached the melta bomb to the Ork's rear armor just as two other Nobs opened fire at the Culexus with their big shootas, but he vanished in a cloaking device before the first shells exploded into the rear of their fellow Ork detonating the melta bomb in an explosion rivaling a planetstrike. The ensuing flash resembled a small nuclear reaction claiming the life of the Assassin and the six other Mega Armored Nobs, as well as two dozen Boyz who ventured into the killing radius.

Overhead, a Novamarine Thunderhawk screamed by dropping its deadly cargo of twenty Assault Marines led by Chaplain Gavius into the rear of the xenos attack. It's Heavy bolters smothering the Ork mob with lethal adamantium shells. Lascannons cutting the fragile Trukks in half, igniting fuel tanks and burning the blasphemous xenos cargo. The main battle cannon thundering as a projectile weighing three tons slammed into a rampaging Ork Stompa. But even that could not stop the mighty behemoth. Two hellstrike missiles leapt forward as the Novamarine gunners targeted a Fighta Bomma. The missiles detonated upon impact sending the flyer into a fiery tailspin crashing into a building overrun with the Green Tide. The Orks, forced to deal with this new threat, divided their mob and were forced to fight on two fronts. Deeming that the pitiful amount of Battle Sisters posed a lesser threat, the majority of the Ork Boyz ran off to be cut down by the righteous fury of the Emperor's finest Warriors.

There were still more than enough Orks to deal with the Sisters, and after finally dispatching the Callidus Assassin by tearing her limb by limb, they surged forward to the shrinking perimeter of the Sisters defense line. The Callidus lay in pieces on top of a mound of over 300 dismembered and decapitated enemy bodies.

Three Killer Kans, two Armored Mega Nobz, several Trukks loaded with vicious Orks, and over 100 Ork Boyz descended on their hopeless position. but the Sisters were not to be denied. An Imperial Fist devastator squad led their superior firepower to the Sister's defense and quickly destroyed one of the remaining Kans and one of the Trukks. Moments later, the Ork line met the Sister's in a clash of steel, flesh, and roaring guns.

The Sisters prayed for His might and He blessed every round of fire, every swing of their weapons, every cry on their lips. Soon the sisters were singing a Litany of Faith asking for Divine Guidance and Praising His name in an inspiring display of courage and honor. Each Sister fighting to protect the sister to her right and left. Two sisters fell, then three, then four, but still they fought on. The Orks numbers weighing upon them, forcing them closer together into a tighter circle. Just when they were about to be overwhelmed, the last note on the Sisters' Holy Prayer leaving their lips, the Miracle of the Sanctum Basilicum occurred.

A shrieking siren wailed from the Basilica deafening the unprotected Ork ears. Foul mucus colored blood poured from eyes, mouths, nostrils and ears. Orks tried to block out the sound to no avail and started rampaging in confusion, trying to escape the Emperors Divine Intervention. The Sisters counter-attacked with all of His wrath cutting down the disorganized enemy quickly turning the battlefield into a slaughter.

He heard their prayer. He answered their call. He accepted their worship. He bolstered their Faith. He strengthened their vows. He led their charge. He inspired their courage. He blessed their weapons. He through which miracles are possible protected His flock and defended His sacred ground.

The Orks were routed. The Basilica remained pure. Eleven of the Battle Sisters lived to Praise his name another day. Sister Superior Lupe Mariana fell to her knees and wept as she felt the lingering touch of the Emperor's blessing.

Duke
10-14-2009, 01:36 PM
great narrative, Could you say what happened in game terms asa well?


Duke

MarshalAdamar
10-19-2009, 04:48 PM
Nice story, I liked it. I would like to see the regular battle report as well!

Thanks

mrjjourden
10-20-2009, 10:33 AM
The Imperium carried the day of course!

It was a brutal battle but the Sisters held the objective as well as denying the Orks their objective of having at least one model in the footprint of the building.

Thanks for your comments!