The Search For Festus - The Fate of a Nurgle Lord

The Warpsmith punched in the access code leading to the armoury and beckoned Tosis to follow.
"The artefact is more than just a badge of, office my lord" he croaked.
"I have told you before Seradis, don't call me that.....not yet."
Seradis was about to incline his head then thought better of it.
"Indeed, the true value lies with the manner of its... requisition!" Continued the Warpsmith.
"I am aware of its original owner's misfortune, I was there at the Champions of Chaos trial after all.
We only narrowly avoided Sladic's fate ourselves, Festus' bumbling attempts at glory left us all exposed. It is only through sheer luck that it is the Lord of the Red Tide who resides in the god's Gilded Cage and not Lord Festus!"
"He is ill suited to lead us lor...Tosis, why do you insist on bending your knee to him?"
"While he lives he is our lord and all efforts must be made to save him, I would expect no less, the grandfather see's all Seradis.....he will not find me lacking faith."

They reached the armoury chamber and struck the rune of entry.
Putrid, shrunken heads adorned the walls, casting a sickly green light from orb less eye sockets. At the far end of the reliquary hung a baroque flamer of exquisite workmanship. The sharp jagged filigree of the casing and the daemonic muzzle (that of a rabid wild dog) were the work of a master artificer.

"The World Eaters would expend much blood to reclaim the burning brand were they to learn of its location," said the Warpsmith, "Lord Sladic's penitence within the Gilded Cage is almost at an end...."
"One problem at a time Seradis interrupted Tosis.
"Prime Lord Festus' trophy...I shall take it to him!

The Search for Festus - Into The Sorcerers Lair

"How much longer, Mo'reau?" Asked Chiron.
The Fleshsmith, lost in his grisly work, had almost forgotten that Chiron was standing there watching his every move.
"Soon...." replied the Fleshsmith without looking up from his administrations, "....providing there are no further interruptions."
Dulcet laughter resonated from behind Chiron's faceplate, causing the Fleshsmith to look up from his gruesome task.
"Ah, forgive me, my young acolyte. I sometimes forget how enthralling the art of flesh crafting can be. Alas, my days of sculpting flesh are behind me Mo'reau, and these poor old limbs are incapable of such dexterity." Continued Chiron as he picked up an inert servitor in his mighty fist.
"Fortunately, these poor old limbs still have their uses, eh Mo'reau?" emphasising the point by crushing the hapless servitor.
"My apologies, Lord Chiron," stammered the Fleshsmith. "I forget myself when I'm immersed in my work....I meant no disrespect."
Mo'reau looked on in horror as Chiron's Multi-melta powered up. The Dreadnought's knowledge of flesh crafting was unsurpassed, but his behaviour since he had been interred was becoming more and more erratic and often proved fatal to those who displeased him.
"Continue with your work Fleshsmith. The Death Guard have come for your patient....I shall see to it personally that you receive no further interruptions!"

Tosis descent.

In the void of chaos there lies endless opportunity and variety along side eternal damnation. to this end it is ordained the use of some.....less usual protagonists be appointed. Diversity and stagnation coexist in strange embrace, man and daemon become one a balance is struck and a whole world trembles!

T'Ba-gur 'the peddler' Herald of nurgle.

Whatever your buying the peddler can produce from his voluminous robes his buyers unaware the bargain he brokers comes with a price they can scarce afford. The gaudy trinkets he deals in soon tarnish and corrode along with the vitality of the owner leaving them with only despair and loss. This anguish soon pales as T'ba-gur returns to seek his remuneration. The dept collected swiftly, he reaps the reward of his bargaining. Another mortal soul bound for Nurgles eternal enjoyment.

The Search for Festus - Buying Time

The assault on Bastion 12 had taken longer than Tosis had expected. What had meant to be a lightning strike had turned into a protracted fire fight and close quarter grind.
The screech of tortured metal and the thrumming sound of promethium engines heralded the imminent arrival of the Castigators' inevitable reinforcements. Clouds of pulverised rockcrete dust swirled around in the distance, creating eddies in the smog thick atmosphere betraying considerable troop movements, making it all but impossible to discern exactly how many and what type of forces were arrayed against him. Though it was clear he was badly out numbered Tosis had a solid exit strategy. 
Locating Festus was, however, proving problematic in the vast underground labyrinth of the bunker and scouts had been deployed to ensure they wouldn't be walking into a dead end.
All they needed to do was hold out until one of the scouts returned with a definite location...or (as more and more of the Castigators loomed out of the smog) maybe just a rough location would suffice!
Tosis would need to be capricious in his defensive strategy if he was to be successful in buying more time for the search party.

Path to glory 'Rictus' Raptor champion of Chaos

A shadow passed across the ground causing the streaming light to flicker it was the only thing betraying the swift arrival of Rictus on his Deamonic leathery wings. 'lord Nalax' He hailed, his voice reverberating through the leering grin of his helm. 'It appears our forces have been scattered. I have contacted several cult members and individuals from a number of units, they march to our location now!'

Lord Kithel Nalax the corpulent turned to his trusted champion and nodded 'Good good we must locate the rest of their units as soon as we have consolidated, I sense the wolf is not far from our door... We must be ready!

The Fleshsmith will you see you now.

"Oh, hush now, We've barely begun."
"Sometimes, we think that our work is not appreciated."
"Do you know just how much work we've done restoring your dulled nerve endings?"
"We don't do this for our benefit you know?"
"Well....perhaps we do enjoy our work, but one must be happy in their work, mustn't one?"
"Be still now, we wouldn't want to make a mistake at this stage."
"The first injection is the worst, but once you've recovered you'll be surprised just how much you crave more."
"You'll feel so much better when we've finished."
"Now this may sting a little!"