Necromunda Backdrop 2.0 (WIP Part I)

 

Greetings Hivers!

A couple of years ago (Yikes! It turns out it was five years ago!) I built a backdrop to be used for photographing our gangs and as a small scenery piece for our Black Legacy Campaign (which turned out to be a good 5 years before GW released the Secundas Campaign 😜). We enjoyed using it in our campaign and the idea of creating a much larger version popped into my head and I filed the idea away under the Random Necromunda Ideas™  part of my brain. After extensive searches for a suitable box...one that wouldn't cost a kidney to buy or the need to complete an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker to build...I pretty much gave up on the idea of ever finding one...

Rise of the Regulators - Unwilling Informant

 

"Helmawr's Teeth! What is she doing here?" Cursed Oberon as he lowered his scope.

"You know her?" Asked Brigitte.

The Delaque Psy-Gheist nodded slowly, looking visibly paler than usual at the sight of her.

"She is known to us" he replied, "Her name is Scrutinator Primus Servalen. She is a soulless abomination...the lapdog of the Provost Marshall."

"The Provost Marshall of Hive Primus who reports only to Lord Helmawr himself?" Interrupted WR-41-TH.

"Unless you know of another Provost Marshall? Then yes." Replied Oberon, regaining some of his composure at the shock of seeing her.

"We're a long way from Primus, are you sure it's her?" Asked Brigitte.

"Helmawr's reach is long" replied Oberon "And I can feel her...or the lack of her, when I look upon her obscene visage."

Brigitte lifted her scope to look again at the Scrutinator. She noticed the way that the rest of her Enforcer entourage kept their distance. 'More through fear than just allowing her room to inspect the work that had been carried out' she mused. 'Whatever she was doing this far from Hive Primus she was sure to know more than the local Enforcers did.'

"Grab your gear" ordered Brigitte. "It's time we introduced ourselves to Scrutinator Primus Servalen!...And I want her taken alive"

The Rise of the Regulators - Death at Tumbledown Rise

 

"We're all clear on what we need to do then? Asked the Escher leader.

"We get the Dredger into the Sump and cover him while he searches the depths." Intoned the rest of the Regulators drearily.

Brigitte nodded adding "Once he's completed his survey we haul him out and get back to Sanctuary. Now gear up and let's move out."

Howling Mad Mave donned her Hazard Suit before WR-41-TH helped her into her Jump Booster.

"Hey Ludwig! How come ya don't bother with any armour? Inquired the Orlock Prospect.

"Because he's a fool" mumbled Oberon.

"I walk in His divine shadow...Something the Witch would know nothing of!" replied the Redemptionist glaring at the Psy-Gheist. "I could walk naked through a hail of fire with only my faith to protect me and emerge untouched."

"Think I'll stick with me Hazard Suit, if that's ok with you? Grinned Mave.

"His will is known to me!" Continued Ludwig. "He has spoken to me... He said I would be shown my destiny...by a painted woman." His words echoed off of the walls, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

'He's quite the sense of theatre.' Thought Brigitte 'I suppose all Redemptionists do.'

"He told me the time, and the place, and the manner of my death. He whispered it, and made me swear to keep it a secret. So I cannot tell you where it will be, but it is not here, and it is not now."

"Well this painted woman says enough with the sermon and let's get our arses to Tumbledown Rise and find out what these components are for!" interrupted Brigitte...

The Rise of the Regulators - Caravan Heist

This close to the Hive shell the settlement was deserted. The Authorities had evacuated the area claiming the settlement was unsound after the Hive Quakes started but judging by the bullet holes and blood stains the 'evacuation' hadn't been entirely voluntary. 

Reluctant to break the eerie silence Brigitte merely nodded as each of the Regulators moved into position and readied themselves for the ambush. The atmosphere had grown grim as they had moved through the settlement. Howling Mad Mave's usual exuberance had ebbed away with each passing minute. Ludwig sat crossed-legged, eyes closed, craddling his Chainaxe, his lips silently moving offering up prayer. Even Grimy had lost his usual bravado although Brigitte wasn't sure if it was because he was still recovering from his injuries or it was the pervading atmosphere.  

'I've seen more life in a Corpse Starch processing plant' thought Brigitte. 'Is this the route they will take? Is this the time? Have they realised we've been listening in on them...'

The unmistakable sound of an approaching vehicle shattered the silence along with the Escher leader's doubts. A grin spread across her face 'The waiting is always the hardest part.' 

The Rise of the Regulators - Intelligence Gathering

 

WR-41-TH slid the Pict-Still across the table in front of the Tech-Monkey. 

After several minutes of scrutinising the map he nodded in a sagely manner.

"Yeah, that's the place" he declared, evidently proud of himself that he recognised it.

WR-41-TH let out a short squeal of binary code and glared at him.

"We know that's the place!" Said the Ad-Mech Specialist as he struggled to regain his composure. "What we want to know is where did you fit the communication network nodes so that we can hack them and listen in."

"Oh right, why didn't ya say say so?"

WR-41-TH continued to glare at him by way of reply.

"Here...Here...Here...err...Here...And Here" he said stabbing at the Pict-Still with his grubby finger.

"You're sure?" Inquired WR-41-TH looking at the dirty smudges smeared over the Pict-Still.

"Sure as my name's Greasy Joe" he replied with a grin.

The Rise of the Regulators - Sanctuary (Part II)

A shudder ran down Brigitte's spine as the blood curdling shriek assaulted her ears once more.

'I know that sound' she thought as she looked at the grimacing faces around her. 'I hoped never to hear that vile noise again. Perhaps we should find another place from the prying eyes of the Enforcers?'

"What now?" Inquired Ludwig

The Cawdor Redemptionist was interrupted by a more immediate concern as another mutant threatened the Regulators. Howling Mad Mave reacted with impressive speed as she plunged her Chainsword through the mutant's chest, showering the area in gore. 

"We press forward" Replied Brigitte.

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.