Hi fellows,

I have the opportunity for a little Deathwatch Campaign since my players where quite intrigued by my introduction mission: They were in search for a potential member of the secret organization 'Children of Achilus' just find out, that the officer was in search for a hidden Eldar placed in an ancient Word Bearer (pre Horus Heresy) outpost. After fighting back an upcoming Tyranid incursion, the players encountered a heavy attack craft of the Word Bearers entering the system and had quickly to decide what to do with the Eldar, held in stasis. They decided to destroy the outpost to not let the mysterious Eldar fall into the hands of the Word Bearers.

After that orbital bombardment, the players chose to quickly escape from the system and were called - I love cliches - by the Word Bearers: A Dark Apostel, with a Darl Eldar standing behind him, told the Marines that their action has been a dire mistake!

Now I am looking forward how to proceed.

At first, I need a Meta Plot for this mini campaign: What does a Dark Apostel of the Word Bearers want? My first guess would be something within the Omega Vault. But to reach this goal he has prepare his way into the Watch Fortress. At first, he has to find something within other pre Heresy outposts and second he has to find a way into the Watch Fortress.

I think it is very fitting to place further ancient outposts within the Cellebos Warzone, since the Stigmartus would be eager to follow such near divine beings as the Word Bearers.

But how to add a little more spice? What role does the Inquisition play? Is there an Inquisitor who is in search for the same device as the Dark Apostel? Is there a prophecy some Eldar are following? How about the Imperial forces? How do they react if a Kill Team comes and does not support any pleas for reinforcments? Or if the Kill Team spontanously helps the local troops, will the Word Bearers proceed without any hindrance?

I am open for any suggestions you veterans of the WH40k universe.

Cheers,

-- TechVoid.

In my personal opinion, I would focus more on individual craftworlds that were under Eldar jurisdiction many centuries before then using the Omega Vault. It was the birth of Slaneesh that the Eldar carry around with them waystones so that their spirit can be saved from the impending doom of the warp and the intermixed agents of daemons and other baddies. It seems your on the right path when there was a battle over an outpost of the Word Bearers. Now if you know about Eldar is that Khaine their god of war was defeated by Slaneesh long before the Imperium settled most of their tithed planets now. Basically what I'm trying to say is that the Eldar were there first and now the Word Bearers have treaded on the Eldar territory. This much we know. So now I would focus on the Eldar trying to raise an Avatar of Khaine on your craftworld of choice. Throw a few horde battles, some mass combat on an Apocalyptic scale using Tome of Blood Supplement and pick up the Kornous Bestiary if you do not already have it. They give a lot of goodies for fighting Eldar. I don't know how pre horus heresy your talking but if it's right before then you have a little more breathing room. Maybe the Word Bearers fell to the grandiose of Slaneesh and the Eldar found this to be quite disturbing and wanted to fight. Whatever the case, Word Bearers are known for their devious plots no matter the alegience of a dark god, sometimes perhaps their own machinations.

These are quite astonishing information.

Well, the thing with the Eldar and the Word Bearers is the following:

As far as I understand the Word Bearers before the Heresy, they were the Legion which needed to believe. They were faithful and wanted to praise a higher being, a god. The problem was, that the Emperor with his Truth did not allow it. Thus the Word Bearers were searching for 'real' higher powers and ended up with the Dark Gods.

From my point of view, the Eldar have Gods which they worship. For that reason I decided that a Word Bearer expedition came into the Jericho Reach and made contact with the Eldar. They wanted to learn what it means to worship a 'real god'.

This is why the Kill Team found an Eldar held in Statis in a former Word Bearers outpost. The Space Marines wanted to study the Xenos and learn everything from this high ranking priest, using the description of old terran religions.

The more interesting question is now: The Eldar in Statis is separated from his Spirit Stone, which is part of his armoury. The curious Dark Angel Player took the Eldar Armour for further studies with him while they destroyed the outpust via orbital bombardment. Now, might it happen that - despite the long distance from planet to orbit - fragments of the soul reach the Spirit Stone in the armour after the Eldar dies? I think this might put the Dark Angel in a very intersting situation: Having a Spirit Stone containing a shattered mind of an ancient and powerfull Eldar?

Does the Deathwatch know about Spirit Stones? My Player wants to make the first step to enter the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels to further learn about the Eldar. This could become … complicated?

Cheers,

-- TechVoid