Rise of the Regulators - Sanctuary (Part I)

"Shush!" whispered Old Jeb as the Goliath Bully banged on the door. 

"We've been walking for hours in this stinking hole and this is the first door that we've come across" replied Grimy. 

"The door is barred from the other side. If you break it down you risk bringing the whole hive down on us....or worse."

The old prospector stopped before an arch panelled wall and deftly ran his hand along the crumbling and rotten plaster. "Now, just where are you hiding" he mumbled to himself.

'The old prospector's drunk one too many bottles of Second Best' thought Brigitte. 

There was an audible CLICK.

And nothing happened.

'That's it then, we go no further' thought the Escher leader. Then an answering echo came from deep within.

CLICK.

Brigitte felt her face twitch in sympathy with the sound. 'Did I imagine it?'

CLICK.

Again 'No mistake.' And now, before her disbelieving eyes, the wall begin to sink into the ground.

CLICK.

Floor tiles slid across to cover the walls retreat. 'It was if the wall had never been there.'

"Now that" said WR-41-TH softly "is craftmanship."

No fetid wind spilled out, no stench of rot or decay, no sign of long years passed, only a waft of cool, dry air. 'And yet the feeling is of opening a coffin.' thought Brigitte as they stepped into the gloom.

The Regulators involuntarily reached for their weapons as the shadows suddenly retreated from the glaring light that assaulted them.

"It's been a few years since I last visited" said Old Jeb "it's good to see that the generators still work. Each section of the complex has it's own generator and it is a simple enough action to activate them." 

The Regulators nodded as the prospector showed them how to activate it.

"Of course, who knows what might be disturbed when each generator comes on line."

As the regulators opened the door and moved into the complex they became aware of scuttling noises in the gloom.

Grimy moved into the complex and immediately spotted a Tunnel Web Spider. The Goliath blasted it apart with his Stub Gun but another Tunnel Web scuttled forwards to replace it. Howling Mad Mave ran forward to quickly take the Spider out of action with her Sawn off Shotgun.

Yet another Spider scuttled towards them and Brigitte gunned the creature down with her Bolter.

As the Regulators moved into the complex, yet more Tunnel Webs rushed towards them.

Howling Mad Mave charged into one and the Orlock Wrecker hacked it apart with her Chainsword. Brigitte targeted the other but the round flew wide and her Bolter jammed.

The Tunnel Web charged into Brigitte but she parried one attack and stepped aside the other. Her Stiletto Sword plunged into the Spider's eyes to finish the immediate threat.

Grimy moved into the complex's compound and activated its generator. As the generator started up a blood curdling roar echoed from behind them.

As the lights came on-line a mutant blasted the Goliath from the gloom. Three shots slammed into the Grimy but all of them failed to wound him. The Golaith's Nerves of Steel saw him withstand the fusillade and he dropped the Mutant scum with his Stub Gun.  

Near the entrance to the complex, Ludwig levelled his grenade Launcher at the ground in an attempt to catch the last remaining Tunnel Web Spider with a Frag round. 

Unfortunately the grenade scattered back 6" towards the Regulators and caught WR-41-TH and Ludwig in the blast! The Spider charged into Ludwig but the Cawdor Redemptionist made amends for his error and cut it down. 

Grimy charged another Mutant and quickly took it out of action as Brigitte moved up to activate a third generator. 

As the Regulators consolidated their positions Brigitte reloaded her Boltgun... 

...before leading the Goliath Bully into another section of the complex.

With the lights shining like a beacon in the dark, more mutants arrived.

WR-41-TH charged into the one them in an attempt to protect the fugitives but failed to wound him. The Mutants companion counter charged and caused a flesh wound on the Ad-Mech Specialist.

Howling Mad Mave charged in to help out her beleaguered comrade and hacked one down with her Chainsword. The other Mutant struck back at WR-41-TH and reduced the Ad-Mech Specialist down to toughness 1. WR-41-TH struck back and finished the Mutant off but he with blood and oil seeping into the ground the Ad-Mech Specialist was in dire straits. 

The Regulators moved into position to deal with the Coarseman known as Cerberax, who had been stalking the corridor trying to sniff out the interlopers. Ludwig edged into the corridor and fired a Krak grenade into the lumbering brute. The shot struck true and stripped two wounds from the Coarseman leader.

Grimy and Brigitte added their fire power but both failed to wound him.

Howling Mad Mave ran forward and blasted the monstrosity with her Sawn off Shotgun and although three hits found their mark, all of them failed to wound.

Cereberax howled in anger and climbed to his feet. The coarseman leader levelled his Heavy Stubber at the Orlock Wrecker and unloaded into her, blasting her off of her feet and Seriously Injuring her! 

Brigitte moved forward to help her injured prospect and levelled her Boltgun at the abomination. Three rounds struck home and Cereberax was finally brought down!

As the Regulators dealt with Cerberax, a mutant doused the Fugitives with burning promethium, wounding Old Jeb and setting him ablaze. Worse still the Sump Diver was taken out of action.

The Regulators rushed to their aid. Brigitte shot at the offending scum but only succeeded in wounding him and her Bolter once again jammed up.

Howling Mad Mave charged in and quickly took him out of action.

The Orlock Wrecker didn't have time to celebrate her kill however, as another Mutant blasted her off of her feet with his reclaimed Autogun. Fortunately she was merely pinned.

Ludwig was drawn away from his comrades by the sound of shambling feet. A Mutant with an evil looking club lurched towards him. The Redemptionist hurried his shot and his Frag grenade flew wide.

The Mutant charged into Ludwig and a flurry of blows saw the Deacon take a wound before he hacked it apart with his Chainaxe.

Grimy came under fire from another Mutant but as the rounds bounced off of his Furniss Plate he calmly raised his Stub Gun and mercilessly gunned him down. Brigitte desperately tried to reload her Bolter as a Giant Millisaur cast its ravenous eyes upon her.

As the Millisaur drew closer Ludwig stepped forward and launched a Krak Grenade at it but the shot flew wide.

Brigitte gave up trying to reload her Bolter and charged the monstrosity instead but the Millisaur's chitin armour turned aside the thrusts from her Stiletto sword. 

The creature lashed out and stripped a wound from the Escher leader.

Grimy charged in inflicting a wound and easily avoided the creature's distracted strikes.

Bellowing his fury Ludwig charged into the fray and in a frenzy of attacks hacked the Millisaur apart with his Chainaxe.

With the immediate threats eliminated the Regulators took stock of their situation.
Brigitte winced as she leaned gingerly against the compound wall 

'I've suffered worse than this' she thought but it still didn't lessen the pain she was in. She looked sideways at Ludwig and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I feel positively fine, especially when I look at the state that WR-41-TH is in" said the Redemptionist by way of reply.

Brigitte looked across at the Ad-Mech Specialist. Blood and various fluids had seeped through his tattered garments and showed little sign of slowing.

"Efficiency is currently at 33.333 percent" said WR-41-TH in his usual monotone manner.

Brigitte smiled at the Ad-Mech's response 'Is that his idea of a joke, or is he simply telling me that one more hit and he's done?'

Only Howling Mad Mave and Grimy were unharmed and that was despite the Orlock Wrecker recovering from a serious injury earlier on.

'Ah, the resilience of youth, if only I could bottle it, I could retire Uphive! Perhaps I should have a word with the Clan Chymists when...if I get back.

Well, what're we waiting for?" bellowed Grimy impatiently. "Only five more sections to clear and then I can have me self some tasty Millisaur!"

A collective groan was his only reply.

"Come on...We've dealt with the worst now" enthused the Goliath Bully "It'll be easy from here on in!"

A piercing shriek echoed throughout the complex by way of reply.....

And that is where we had to leave. All being well, we will finish the game next week.
With only 4 sections cleared and the Regulators limping along already, we're a little unsure how this is going to play out. One things for sure, it's bound to be a bloody affair 😈

Until next time....May the Hive Spirits watch over you 😉