Hello all!

I'm a GM running a fairly new campaign, and I'm currently reading my way through the Achilus Assault. First off, this book is a freaking gold mine of adventure ideas and setting fluff. Pure awesomesauce.

One planet in particular caught my attention though, and I wanted to reach out to my fellow GMs to discuss it. Page 108 describes a planet called Scansion Beta in the Canis Salient. The world is described as a dead world, no life and no major natural resources. The intriguing thing about the world is that it is currently being extensively scouted by a host of Tyranid Vanguard organisms (Lictors and Genestealers, I would imagine), AND it is being explored at the same time by Tau Pathfinders and other stealth units.

I love the idea of dropping my players' Kill Team in the middle of that mess and have them mix it up with both the Tau and the Tyranids while exploring the world and trying to figure out what these two very different xenos races want there. I am giving it some thought and trying to come up with ideas, and I would love to hear some possibilities from all of you regarding what could possibly be on this strange world that the Tau and Tyranids are both after?

Thanks all for your help!

The Tau managed to capture (insert-big-brain-hive-mind-bug-here) and are experimenting/reasearching it at a hidden instalation. The Tau are unaware that the brain bug has sent out a call for help that was answered.

Whoever drew the Nids to Avalos used the same means to draw the Nids there?

Alex

Given that the Dark Mechanicus of Samech, or at least those of the Irradial Forge, were using genestealers as bioweapons in TEP I am inclined to make them responsible for trying to direct the attack on Avalos as well. Throwing in an entire side show with cameos from The Radical's Handbook is quite tempting however, and I am considering making up a suitable Isstavaanian or other crazy to be behind some of the Tyranid manipulation. The fact that the Tyranids seem to have hit the Tau and the IMperium both more than the Chaos worlds of the Acherus Salient makes the Samech explanation seem logical and perhaps sinister and sweeping in a diabolical plan sorta way.

If this is the case perhaps the Tyranids and the Tau are both looking for the big bad Samech secret lab of genestealer/lictor breeding that they run for the purposes of producing their bioweapon. The Tyranids could have been drawn by the very presence of the bred scout bioforms, perhaps because the Samech DM adepts got carried away with producing too many at once, or because some escaped and are wreaking havoc Aliens style. Meanwhile, perhaps the Tau have figured out some of what is happening and are sending their own well armed team to put an end to this bio-weapon threat, or worse, to study the DM breeding/stasis/delivery systems and try to adapt them for their own use against that pesky human crusade.

Alternately, if a radical is responsible the facility aforementioned could as easily belong to him, perhaps even staffed by unwitting dupes who believe they are working for the Imperium at the command of an Inquisitor even as their efforts contribute to the madman's radical agenda.

There is a stable webgate opened between that world and another world at the edge of the sector (the oen where it says there where spotted there but where close.

Thi sleads to a network of webportas akin to the giant one found (the warp gate), but not tottaly the same. they allow transport between a range of planet from inscription in the hidden temple/structure.

The nids have found it, they are bale to move through this gate as it is permanently open, but the hive mind as not figured out how to dial anywhere else.

The Tau know how to dial but not where are any of the gates (they suspect one is there and are lookign for it.

This planet happens to be a nexus for the gates in this sector, it gives access to an wide arrway of gates, yet even the Tau information proves useless to dial the gates, there seams to be between 1 and 5000 thounsands gates in the room. Distance and space is weird in the room as time pockets too...

Pictures point to a second nexus, where is the middle fo the Hadex Anomaly...

The facility is infected with a virus that slowly brakes appart the brain functions of anyone entering the gate room. Yet everyone on the planet is infected but only when entering the room is the virus activated. There is one brain dead Hive Tyrant in the room, all the animalistic one are well and unaffected.

The virus is a nano mechanical defence weapon against living being using the gate...

Necron teleportation portal used by the enslaver as a staging gate to invade more worlds, there is another link to the big space hulk where tyranids and enlsaver wage a war.

the shamec are under control of the enslaver giving this a weird twist, especially whne the necrons awake too...

These are all great ideas guys, thanks all! You guys got me thinking. If anyone else has any cool ideas to throw out there, please feel free, this is all great stuff!

It could be possible to view the situation as if the Tau are the aggressors, maybe the Nids killed an Ethereal and the Tau want revenge? Just a suggestion.