Thorn Moons Crusade, 7th Moon: Wolves at the Gates, Part I

by FPOA

We are the wolf that stalks
The stars in the sky

And swallows the star-fire

We hide amongst the night
When light is gone

The Light is within us

We run the ruin of Fire
In the darkness

Foes burn in our passing

Litany of the Space Wolves – From ‘Book of the Astronomican’

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It came rolling in from the west. With the speed of running wolves clouds grey as iron covered the boreal world of Lintear, 7th Moon, with a blanket of darkness that turned day into night and the still, bio-mechanical forest into a storm ridden cacaphony of shredded branches laying bare the biomechanical nature of what seemed at first sight to be completely natural forest habitats. The day-night brought with it the dread sound of wolves. It rose above the sound of iron sleet in the pitch black overstory of the forest canopy.

Then they came.

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Like gods of war the grey giants exploded out of the other-worldly darkness. Bare headed and with glistening canine teeth, the Space Wolves led the first assault on the Thorn Moons, deep-striking directly into the densely covered surface of Lintear, 7th Moon, with a ferocity like no other the Thorn Moons had witnessed in ten Millenia. Not even the Aether Storms, which ravaged many of the northern Moons during the Years of the Ever-Darkness, had hit with such force.

Finally, winter had come to the Thorn Moons.

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Thurisaz, Thorn Maker, Lord of Lintear, 7th Moon, urging Theron the Grim and his defending Thorn Guards forward towards the oncoming onslaught of the Space Wolves in the distance.
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But like a strike of lightning in the still night the Space Wolves exploded from the understory and led the attack on the beleaguered Crataegus Legionnaires and Green Mechanicvm.
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The Storm Caller directing his wild hunters from the background while searching for the Renegade Witch…
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…and Satyrian Court Guardians join the defense from their lofty courts high above!
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The Green Guardians and Theron the Grim are quickly surrounded on all sides by the Wild Hunt and the Mad Wulfen in their defense of Lintear, 7th Moon.
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But to no awail, even with the psychic assistance of Thurisaz the Witchlord. The Wild Hunt utterly destroyed the defending guardians and quickly reached Thurisaz…

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…who fought valiantly in a final Psychic battle with the Storm Caller to keep the secrets of how to access the boreal underworlds of the Thorn Moons from getting into the hands of the enemies.
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The psychic fight continued for what seemed like hours and hours while the world around the two mages stood still. Only the shifting lights of the Aether flickered in the bio-mechanical understory before the Green Gates.
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The power of the grey Warrior Gods where to much for Thurisaz, Lord of Lintear, 7th Moon, who succumbed to the onslaught and had to realize that the knowledge about the Green Gates and how to access the underworlds of the Thorn Moons were now in the hands of the enemies…

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The first battles were fought as smaller skirmish games of 40K to reflect the first sporadic encounters on a variety of moons. This is the first part of the attack on Lintear, 7th Moon. Some unexpected allies and adversaries will appear in the second part of this fight.

All games were fought using the new 8th edition with its mightily improved rules and game flow, which allow for quick and entertaining fights!

FPOA

On a pilgrimage into the weathered worlds of Warhammer 40K. Exploring texture, narrative and atmosphere in miniature form.

9 thoughts on “Thorn Moons Crusade, 7th Moon: Wolves at the Gates, Part I”

  5. This is by far my favorite 40k project ever. Ever. So impressive. The miniatures is actually the smallest part of it for me. The narrative and backstories are so rich and so interesting.

    Have you considered putting all this together into an actual book? There is more than enough in your narrative to make a truly spectacular story, and I bet there are several people (myself included, author of a book published by Dark Horse, hint hint) who would be more than happy to put something like that together.

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  7. Pingback: Thorn Moons Crusade, 7th Moon: Wolves at the Gates, Part II – IRON SLEET

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