# The God Hunters: Compilation



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

The following is a compilation of all the HOES entries I have submitted in relations to the God Hunters and related Characters. Time permitting, I will also add a few longer unique stories to flesh out the tales a bit more.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*The God Hunters*

Nemreth surveyed the desolate area as he advanced cautiously. One hand held his Warscythe at the constant ready, while the other rested on the small cube like artefact at his waist. It was around here somewhere, of this he was certain. With a quick series of thought impulses, the necrontyr god hunter made contact with the rest of his party. Socous and Arakyr acknowledged, signalling that they were in position. 
God hunter. The title was almost ludicrous, yet that was what Nemreth and his last surviving subjects had become known as. In a rare moment of laxity, Nemreth lapsed back into the past, the tragic tale of betrayal that had started this all coming to the fore of his mind...

_...The time of ascendancy. The gifts of the gods whereupon the weak flesh had been cast aside to be replaced by undying metal. Many had embraced the change, but many more had not. Though Nemreth was willingly given to immortality, his wife was not and as such the treatment given her was unlike the favours granted to the willing. Nemreth had not realized until it was too late, and when at last he found her, she was not his wife anymore, she was a machine slaved to the will of an uncaring phaeron. 
He had sworn vengeance, despite being utterly powerless to resist at the time. His standing within the court was not something to be proud of, having barely a dozen officials at his command..._

A sound nearby brought Nemreth back to focus. The presumably once populace streets of the city had been reduced to a smouldering remnant of what they once were. That had changed when a creature of some incredible power had shown up. Its words had twisted the mind of the planet`s leaders and set about a chain of events that saw this city`s demise. Nemreth was not given to making predictions, but as soon as he had received this report he had but one thought; a shard of the Deceiver had turned up on this human word and fed upon the weak minded inhabitants. 

‘I think I see it...’ Socous said, his voice transmitting across dimensions. It was no guarantee that hiding would be enough, but it was slightly safer to hope that the shard`s senses were limited enough to make it worthwhile. 

‘Confirmed.’ Arakyr agreed. ‘The bait is taken. Nemreth, it`s headed straight for you.’ 

‘Very well.’ Nemreth said. He scanned the rubble constantly as his grip tightened on his Warscythe in both hands. Within moments he saw it, the shimmering form of the godling entity weaving through the destroyed buildings and headed straight for him. It still wore the same form it had in its entirety, a golden horned figure of majestic stature that dwarfed the defiant Necron before it. 
‘Anytime now!’ Nemreth called as he raised his Warscythe to parry the initial attack. It was going to be exceedingly difficult to land a telling strike against it, but fortunately that was not required... 

_’Moreena?’ Nemreth said, his metal voice almost comical in the emotion it was trying to convey. ‘Can you hear me? Can you speak?’ 
The skull faced visage stared blankly back at him, no signs of any recognition, joy nor sorrow. Moreena had become a soulless automaton devoid of any semblance of life. Such was the fate of those who defied the will of the star gods. Such was the fate of his wife. 
‘Do not forget me, wherever you are.’ He spoke now, as much to himself as to her. ‘I will see them pay for this, every last one of them. Even if I must fight alone.’_

Fortunately however, Nemreth was never forced to fight alone. As the Deceiver shard rained a quick flurry of blows down upon his metal form sending sparks flying with every deflection of his blade, Socous opened fire. The modified synaptic disintegrator carried by the former Deathmark fired a beam of energy that disrupted the gods own. Nemreth leaped back and released the fastenings that held the cube to his waist. As the god recovered from Socous` shot, Nemreth raised the cube above his head. 

‘Are you ready to meet your fate?’ He bellowed. 

‘Never!’ The shard snarled. ‘I will annihilate you, upstart.’ The shard advanced cautiously. It was wary of the cube, and wary still of the hidden sniper lining up another shot. But it had no inkling that there may be more Necrons yet. Which was a good sign. C`tan shards were limited in their power and perceptions, and this one was seemingly unable to see into the pocket dimension that Socous and Arakyr were using.

Suddenly it seized its chance and darted forward. Nemreth swung his blade to deflect, but the shard had learned his technique and dodged, getting inside his guard. It hammered a powerful fist into the Necron hunter`s chest, severing power cables and fluid lines before delivering a second blow to his side which obliterated his weapon and severed his arm. 

‘Now!’ Nemreth shouted, thumbing the glyph on the cube with his free hand. Not for the first time had he been grateful for the fractured thought patterns of the C’tan shards. This ne knew that the cube was a threat, and yet its flawed logic had still driven it to destroy his weapon first... 

‘NO!’ The shard screamed and immediately fled, bolting directly away from Nemreth in its haste to escape. Nemreth, mangled and barely functional as he fell to the ground, laughed and brought the cube close to his chest. 

The Deceiver shard saw this, and halted its retreat as the cube emitted an energy unexpectedly. It saw Nemreth`s fractured form slowly begin to re-knit itself, and realized in anger that it had been deceived. 

It did not however, see the Necron hunter stepping from the veil of dimensions behind it. 

‘GRAAAGH!’ It screamed as a blade pierced its back and protruded from its shimmering chest. Its look of irritation turned to one of horror as it noticed the cube like device nestled between the blades. ‘No, No! NO!’ 

Arakyr laughed as the godling vanished over the course of a minute. When the creature was contained, he approached Nemreth. Socous had come down from his vantage point to assist in the last minute repairs. 

Nemreth took the tesseract labyrinth and walked forth, back towards the location of their ship. As the other two followed behind, discussing which phaeron best to sell it to, Nemreth repeated the vow he had made countless times before. 

_For you Moreena, I will overcome the gods themselves._


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Another chance...*

HOES Winner: 12:01 

--- --- ---

‘Start again.’ The command came, flat and emotionless as it had always been. Row upon row of gleaming metal lychguard followed through their attack pattern in perfect unison, Warscythes rising and falling with unrivalled precision and unity. 

Alkvar nodded in satisfaction. The Master of the Lychguard gestured for the elite warriors to continue even as the telltale footsteps of an approaching individual sounded. He turned on one foot and dropped into a bow. His Phaeron, the once renowned King Mithrahc, bade him rise without a word. 

‘They are performing quite well.’ Mithrahc nodded, as ever impressed by his bodyguard’s diligence.

‘Only the best, to serve you My King.’ Alkvar replied. ‘Have you need of my services?’ His grip tightened on his own warscythe, a habit from the time of flesh and blood. 

‘Yes.’ Mithrahc answered. ‘Select two of your finest and come with me. We have visitors.’ 


Mithrahc’s palace was a stark reminder of what it meant to be one of the Necrons. Alkvar noted every detail as he led the way back to the main throne room and audience chamber. His Master had refrained from providing further details and as such he employed his own judgement. Behind him strode Mithrahc with his own staff flanked by the two Alkvar had selected to accompany him. 

Time seemed meaningless, and after however long it had been they arrived at the throne room, entering from the western wing. Alkvar quickly broke into a longer stride, tensing as he noted everyone in the large room. The indentured cryptek Seprin stood off to the far right, and the subdued flayer Re’kyt shambled around in the shadows. 

There were three visitors, one had the look of a noble, or if he had to guess, a former noble. The second one had the air of a lychguard except for his poorly kept weapon, and the third was clearly a Deathmark. The sniper was immediately the greatest threat, but Alkvar did not discount the other two, nor the familiar cube like object in the grip of the would be lychguard. All this he had surmised in moments, coming to rest in position even as Mithrahc seated himself. 

‘Welcome guests.’ Mithrahc spoke. ‘It is good to see others of our kind survived the great sleep. So tell me, what brings you to my doorstep?’ 

The noble stepped forth. ‘Great King. I am Lord Nemreth. As you know the Necron dynasties are divided and spread far, and in this vacuum many of the young races have filled the void. As a result, our grip on the stars has loosened and the threat of the C’tan breaking free has increased.’ 

‘Indeed.’ Mithrahc replied. ‘I once had several such creatures in my possession, whereas now I have none.’ 

‘That is why we have come to you.’ Nemreth nodded. ‘Your time is well remembered, and I for one would rejoice in seeing you returned to power. I have come here to propose an alliance of mutual benefit.’ 

Mithrahc was visibly intrigued. Alkvar and the other lychguards flinched slightly as Nemreth took the cube from his own servant and approached the throne. At a thought link command from their ruler, they stood down yet remained alert. 

‘We recently acquired this one.’ Nemreth explained. ‘A shard of the Deceiver Mephet`ran.’ 

Mithrahc took the cube and examined it. The power fluctuating within indicated that indeed it contained a shard of a star god. ‘You captured this. The three of you?’ It seemed unbelievable that such a feat could be achieved by so few so ill equipped. 

‘Yes.’ Nemreth explained. ‘We searched long and far before coming here, Great King Mithrahc. The other lords hand Phaerons have forgotten the lessons learned long ago. They have become arrogant and complacent. And so, I sought to find you.’ 

‘And so, with my support and backing, you could capture... more of these?’ Mithrahc could already see the benefits of such an alliance. 

‘Indeed.’ Nemreth answered. ‘But as you can see, we are in dire need of essential maintenance, both to ourselves and our equipment. In addition, I would require your cryptek to fashion us some more of these tesseract labyrinths.’ 

Mithrahc looked at Seprin without a word. Seprin simply nodded and left the room. 

‘It will be done.’ Mithrahc said. ‘Alkvar, let it be known that our guests are to be accommodated. Have the Lychguards form an escort and take them to the canoptek chambers. You and I will see to the necessary arrangements with the cryptek court.’ 

‘Your graciousness is much appreciated Great King.’ Nemreth bowed as Mithrahc returned the gesture before filing out of the room with Alkvar close behind. The remaining two lychguards stepped forward to escort the trio to the repair bays. 

‘May we have a moment?’ Nemreth’s guard spoke up, acting in a curt manner that they felt compelled to respect. Giving them a respectful berth yet staying within sight, they allowed the guests a moment of privacy. 


‘Are you sure you wish to do this Nemreth?’ Arakyr asked. ‘We would, lose all freedom we once had.’

‘Our freedom has not kept us well equipped.’ Socous interjected, his gaze not having moved from the flayer lurking in the shadows. ‘We need support, and Lord Mithrahc is willing to provide.’ 

‘Socous is right.’ Nemreth said. ‘We can provide what Mithrahc wants, and he can provide what we need. It is logical, it will serve us all.’ 

‘Forgive me.’ Arakyr bowed. ‘I am once again humbled by your wisdom.’ 

‘That’s the way of it all.’ A rasping voice sounded, and the three of them turned to behold the flayer, standing in a mockery of its former glory. Tattered skin of some unfortunate was draped around it in shambling imitation of royal garb, and it took a single further step, its bladed hands flensing silently the whole time. 

‘What?’ Arakyr growled, levelling his weapon at the flayer and drawing a stern look from the two escorts. 

‘Warriors one and all.’ The flayer rambled. ‘Always you look to see an ending. Always you look to see a result. And when it is not the result you sought, you feel cheated?’

‘Make sense.’ Arakyr demanded. His temper was all but gone. 

‘You see a result. A conclusion.’ The flayer giggled, before darting back to the darkness. ‘Silly warrior...’ 

‘I see what it means.’ Nemreth nodded. ‘This is not just the result of our labour. This is, a completely new opportunity to rebuild what we once had. This, my friends, is our true beginning.’ 

With a new outlook, a new purpose, the trio followed the lychguards into the tomb...


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*A Different Life, A Different Time...*

‘Are you sure?’ Seprin asked. Though his face was a blank metal mask his voice conveyed confusion and even a hint of concern. 

‘I am.’ Nemreth replied. ‘This decision has been some time coming now. I cannot continue as I have been. You are a psychomancer correct? What I ask is within your power.’ 

‘Indeed.’ Seprin replied, turning his head to glance at the glyph adorning his staff. ‘But you must realize what this entails. And further, you must understand that this is something I cannot reverse. The gift of the Forgotten God is a fickle one.’ 

‘I am aware.’ Nemreth nodded. ‘But it must be done.’ The two Necrons were silent for a few moments following this, before Seprin moved across the dark chamber to where his artefacts were being stored. Canoptek spyders watched his every move passively from the shadows.

‘You do not make use of wraith constructs I’ve noticed.’ Nemreth observed. ‘Why is that?’ 

‘Bad memories.’ Seprin replied. ‘Have you heard the tale of Shadow? The First Wraith?’ 

‘I confess I have not.’ Nemreth answered, still standing exactly where he had been. ‘Should I have? Or is it something I am better to avoid in conversation with our master?’ 

Seprin chuckled a coarse metallic laugh before replying. ‘The First Wraith, curse his name, was once one of out greatest allies. A true champion who carried the favour of Aza’gorod and the Forgotten itself. He was a fickle ally at best. We don’t know if it was the gods meddling with his mind or not, but we no longer count him among those we can trust.’ 

‘I see.’ Nemreth nodded, though truthfully deeming it irrelevant. 

‘Remain here and prepare yourself for the procedure.’ Seprin ordered the noble before him as he carried several cubic devices towards the chamber exit. ‘I will furnish your servants with the tesseract labyrinths you require and return to you in a short while.’ 


‘Is he going to go through with it?’ Arakyr asked, taking the cube shaped devices from the cryptek’s hand and giving one to Socous at his side. 

‘He is indeed.’ Seprin confirmed. ‘It will be difficult for both of us, but if it leads to benefit I will repeat this process.’

‘Repeat?’ Arakyr enquired. 

‘I...’ Seprin hesitated for a moment. ‘I used this procedure once before on Lord Mithrahc. He has become quite a different individual since then. To lose so much of what was your driving force. His purpose will remain, but his reasoning will be hazy for some time. Guard him well lychguard, for this will be difficult time for all concerned.’ 

‘As you say, cryptek.’ Arakyr replied. He turned to Socous who, typically, had not deemed the conversation in need of his input.


Thousands of warriors died in an instant as the first blasts of energy washed over them. The devastating psychic attack from the great serpent like creature at the head of the lesser saurid attackers could not be resisted and Nemesor Nemreth was forced to watch as his army suffered a grievous blow in one swift stroke. He cried out in anger and despair. His own son was among those that lay dead. With the serpent alien’s power temporarily exhausted, he ordered the charge continue. He was fighting a losing battle, but worse would be the wrath of his king should he fail... 

Necrontyr soldiers died in droves, yet their casualties were equalled by their reptilian opponents. The large serpentine leader remained motionless, gathering his strength for the second shockwave that would finish Nemreth’s already diminished forces. It was through his own tenacity and the skill of his bodyguard unit led by the ever blade savvy Arakyr that he managed to bring the creature down before it could decimate the remainder of his army. 

He returned victorious, but without his son and with his army all but destroyed. The title of Nemesor was stripped from him and he was reduced to the role of an administrator. Thus began Nemreth’s fall... 


He was an unstoppable warrior now, freed from the shackles of mortality and the weakness of flesh. He had become what he was always destined to be, a leader and a general, a Nemesor without peer. But the cost had been great. Even as the biotransference took place, he and the others could feel their lives becoming hollow. Their souls had been all but erased, and only the memory of this betrayal remained. The gods had fooled them, and the uncaring whims of the higher royalty had seen many unfortunates left to suffer the mass transference that would deny them even their own memories. 

Nemreth’s wife was such an individual. Not deemed important enough to serve a prominent role in the upcoming wars, she had been claimed by the ghost arks shortly after Nemreth’s ascension. By the time he had found her empty vessel, it was too late. She had lost all semblance of memory and her life force had been drained to feed the hunger of an uncaring god. He cursed Szarek’s name with every fibre of his being, but at the same time shared the Silent King’s own lament. 


Stepping back from the kneeling still form of Nemreth, Seprin looked upon the noble with a new sense of understanding. Nemreth was not like Mithrahc or Nayten. He was not a deposed phaeron looking for a way to reclaim a throne. Yet what he was about to do could change that. It could transform the lord into a being as power hungry as the legendary Imotekh himself. 

It was a risk. But it was not Seprin’s place to deny the noble his request. He had glimpsed the memories of the lord through the link he had established. Now, as he activated an arcane piece of technology built into his staff, he prepared for the next step. To remove these memories required the cryptek to experience them himself first hand. Steeling his resolve, he opened his mind and advanced headlong into the fires of the god hunter’s turbulent mind... 


Several days passed. Following his own preparations, Arakyr waited patiently at the chamber doorway. When the pair finally rose from their knees, he stood to attention as Nemreth approached. 

‘My Lord?’ Arakyr asked. ‘Are you well? Do the memories still plague you?’ 

‘What are you babbling about Arakyr?’ Nemreth asked in response. ‘Come, we petition Lord Mithrahc for an expeditionary force immediately. We have a god to hunt.’ 

Rising to his feet on eerily shaky servos, the cryptek wondered if he done the right thing, or created a monster from the flames of Nemreth’s memories...


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Old Acquaintances*

As the army slowly awoke beneath Mithrahc’s decrepit palace, the cryptek Seprin made his way deeper into the underground labyrinth than even the spyders knew to tread. Here he had buried long ago his most precious of prizes; the last of Mithrahc’s “servants” still to hold loyalty to him. Seprin was under no illusions that the coming of Nemreth had tipped the odds firmly against him. If the cryptek was ever to take his vengeance on the old phaeron, he would need the support of those he could count on. Even though Mithrahc had not ordered the awakening of the other two crypteks, Seprin could easily claim a misinterpretation of the order. 

Once Lirac and Neka were awakened, there would be little the old fool could do. He passed through an archway barely remembered in his crystalline circuitry and walked a corridor utterly devoid of light or ornament. His eyes saw not the physical walls of this pathway but instead the layout of the complex before him. He navigated by a projected map on his senses, the absolute dark having rendered him all but blind. 

Finally he reached the chamber his circuits told him was his destination. With a hard to recall thought command, the large room illuminated. A dim green glow revealed the details and contents that Seprin had all but forgotten over the long sleep. Innocuous cabling was scattered about, simple glyphs adorning the walls in ancient script, and in the centre of the room lay two sarcophagi that were twins to each other in every way. 

If Seprin could smile, he would have as he prepared to return this place to awakening... 

* * *

With Alkvar to one side and Nemreth and Arakyr to the other, Mithrahc watched as his legions rose from their tombs by the dozen. Adding to the lychguard and immortals that had already stirred, uncountable Necron warriors emerged from their alcoves and fell into marching order, overseen by clusters of Canoptek Spyders and nanoscarabs. Adding to their ranks were the ponderous Ghost Arks and Annihilation Barges, supported from behind by the lethal Doomsday Arks and Monoliths. 

‘This day, has been too long in coming.’ Mithrahc spoke with an air of nostalgia. ‘And now we finally prepare for our return to power.’ 

‘Indeed my lord.’ Nemreth added. ‘With what we have here, capturing the god shard I reported will be within our means. With it in our control, few will be able to stand between us and our victory.’ 

Gibbering laughter could be heard as somewhere out of sight, the Flayer Re’kyt responded gleefully to the newly arrived of his own kind. Drawn by the mobilization and the promise of blood, more flayers had begun to gather and instinctively sought out the former noble as a dominant and cunning leader. 

‘Brothers and sisters come to me!’ The deranged killer bellowed with a cackle of ecstasy. ‘We will feast tonight!’ 

His ramblings were largely ignored by the nobles except for a slight chuckle by Mithrahc himself. This would indeed be a day to remember. 

* * *

All had gone well so far. Despite the ages and the barely generated power being sent here, the two sleeping crypteks had survived stasis intact. As Seprin watched the final stages of revivification playing out, he could barely contain his anticipation. On the left, one of the vibrating sarcophagi finally cracked as its occupant sought release into the world. 

‘Lirac, step forth my able apprentice.’ Seprin called. 

‘Sixty million years... And still am I beholden to you?’ Came the answer as Lirac stepped forth. She had been not long out of childhood when biotransference had been instigated and only her status as a cryptek allowed her mind to remain intact. It was unusual for a woman to hold a title of importance in necrontyr society, yet Seprin had taken it upon himself to tutor two female apprentices, the second of whom even now stepped forth from her own erstwhile bed. 

‘It is our place.’ Neka said, speaking to Lirac. Both of them spoke with a metallic tinge of a typical Necron, made eerie by the feminine tinge they both carried. 

Neka’s form was one of a multi-limbed goddess, slender and seeming to lack physical presence. Her two legs were reverse jointed like a swift running beast of old times and her six arms rested in a myriad of peacock-like patterns, framing her teardrop shaped death mask. 

Lirac by contrast was an intimidating figure, appearing as a simple mask and spine surrounded by a swarm of nanoscarabs that constituted her body and limbs. Neither one had been designed with combat in mind, but in the past when needs were dire, both had proven themselves capable of massive devastation. Neka wielded raw energy and plied her craft as a plasmancer, while Lirac was far more subtle and employed the craft of an ethermancer to destroy her foes from afar. 

Seprin laughed. It had been too long since he had enjoyed the company of his most able servants. Mithrahc feared what they could accomplished and had barred Seprin from both awakening them and from wearing the true body he had crafted for himself. But that time would come, and when it did his rebirth would be complete. For now, this small victory would be enough. 

* * *

‘If I could feel...’ Mithrahc began, speaking to the many thousands of Necrons marching before him. ‘I would feel reborn. I would feel the power of millennia coursing through embattled veins. I would feel the promise of conquest and glory waiting to be seized by my own gauntleted fist!’ 

Countless empty eyes stared back, utterly uncomprehending of what their king spoke. From his Command Barge above the throng marching through the main assembly chamber he watched. It was a massive and vast room that would fit his legion fully one and a half times over, stretching several kilometres in all directions. 

‘Instead...’ Mithrahc continued. ‘I feel nothing. I have no joy in this. I have no anticipation of what we will accomplish...’ 

Of course you don’t. Seprin sniggered from afar as he listened via the Tomb Matrix. Your emotions belong to me now you senile old fool. 

‘But even so.’ Mithrahc concluded. ‘We will conquer everything. We will re-capture the gods themselves and bring the upstart young races to their knees. They will serve us as is their place! And we will reign supreme forever. My legions...’ 

Silence pervaded the vast chamber as Mithrahc slowly raised his arms above his head. 

‘ONWARDS MY CHILDREN, TO CONQUEST!’


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## VixusKragov (Feb 21, 2012)

Very interesting read, for all of them. It's a shame you only won with one! 

*Eagerly awaits the mentioned unique stories*


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*To Face such a Beast*

It was one thing to know when a foe had been defeated. But it was another to insist that the process be seen through to its extremes. Following Mithrahc’s order, the Necron legions had been sent to the planet once known as Kathaakras, a once luxurious world that formed the hub of entertainment for the nobility of the necrontyr. Following the Immortalization process it had been rendered into neutral territory where negotiations had taken place. When the great sleep had been initiated, the world had been abandoned altogether. 

Until this day. Nemreth felt the presence of several thousand Necron minds tied to his own as he ordered the descent to the planet’s surface. Behind the Fleet, the Dolmen Gate shuddered and screamed at the unwilling transgression of the unloving aliens but the intrusion could not be halted. With the Phaeron’s authority, Nemeth would scour the krork colonies that had taken up living here, and he would capture the creature that dwelt among them. The C’tan shard that posed as a warboss in order to escape the clutches of god hunters. 

‘Begin landing.’ Nemreth ordered. ‘Deploy beacons at the co-ordinates to follow.’ He initialized a scan of the world beneath, locating the hub of krork activity. With a malevolent chuckle, he transmitted the co-ordinates to the several dozen ships behind him, and looked down upon the doomed world in anticipation. The Flayers would be down there in moments, that lunatic Re-Kyt among them. 

‘We’ve been sighted.’ Arakyr said at his side, looking to an outer orbit where several junk heaps had begun to move in their direction. Nemreth had to look twice to make sure the hulks of random scrap were in fact space faring vessels. 

‘Good.’ Nemreth nodded. ‘If they come to us, we can eliminate them that much faster. Order all craft to return fire and prepare a mass teleport to the surface.’ 

‘Yes My Lord.’ The Lychguard replied. 

* * *​
Leaving the battle in space to the ship commanders, Nemreth joined the teleportation attack. One moment he was surrounded by Lychguard, including Arakyr, and the next he was amid a sea of green skinned savages. Their ferocity was seemingly undimmed by the hordes of Skin flayers already running rampant among them, but bravado alone was not enough to stay the Necron attack. As the freshly teleported warriors and immortals began to open fire upon the krork, metallic cries of anger and frustration could be heard from the flayers as their potential trophies were reduced to subatomic ash before they could be harvested. 

_‘Lord Nemreth, I believe I have a lead.’_ The familiar voice of Socous sounded over the Tomb matrix, and the acting Nemesor reacted immediately. 

‘Report!’ He ordered, ignoring the carnage around him as his guars fought doubly hard to keep the roaring greenskins from reaching their charge. 

_‘It is just as we thought.’_ The Deathmark relayed his report from out of phase, where he scoured the battlefield completely unmolested by the barbarians that infested this rock. _‘It is a C’tan shard, posing as the krork warlord and manipulating them to its own will. I will attempt to identify it... and...’ _

‘Socous!’ Nemreth bellowed. ‘Report! Report at once!’ 

It was too late. _‘It has... seen me...’_ A garbled though escaped the assassin’s mind. A sheer malevolent force momentarily disrupted the entire Necron assault. Across the battlefield, Necron screams of pain and fear could be heard as a force like no other attacked the Tomb Matrix directly. Nemreth fell to his knees, his bodyguard doing likewise. One of the Lychguard was cut down in the moment of weakness, a crude metal axe separating head from torso in a hail of sparks. Nemreth tried vainly to resist the onslaught but was as powerless to resist as even the lowliest Necron warrior. 

Then suddenly the pain stopped. Through it all Socous had been doing everything he could to sever himself from the others, to allow himself to perish alone without being responsible for the doom of an entire Legion. Nemreth was stunned into inactivity for almost a full ten seconds as he slowly rose to his feet. Socous... He had been a loyal servant of Nemreth for millennia now. Even the creed of the Deathmarks he had cast aside in fealty to the Lord he had deemed worthy of exclusive service. 

It had been so long since Nemreth had felt an emotion such as this. What was it? Sadness? Certainly not. Regret? Possibly. But one thing was undeniable, the burning desire he felt to imprison this foul creature was now strengthened a hundred fold. 

‘Forward.’ He uttered simply. Without a word, his legion complied. Across the entire ork settlement, glittering Necron warriors scythed down krork brawlers without mercy. Flayers tore the flesh from those that tried to flee. Enormous Monoliths and ponderous Doomsday Arks unleashed utter destruction upon the war machines and structures of the crude city. Little by little, they grew closer to the target that lay in the city centre.

Nemreth knew who it was now. There was only one C’tan who was so well versed in the laws of the materium, able to bend every facet of the physical universe to its whim. Only one C’tan had ever been able to exert such a degree of control over the most minute functions of technology and machines. And when it had been shattered alongside its brethren, each and every shard had inherited this insidious power. 

The Beast of the Void... Mag’ladroth... The Void Dragon.

Socous had looked into the mind of this creature. And he had suffered the ultimate price for such a transgression. The once feared assassin had been taken apart at more levels than could be understood by a creature born of the universe itself. But even knowing what he faced would not dissuade Nemreth from taking vengeance for his fallen comrade. Vengeance for... 

...

Had there been another reason? 

It didn’t matter. His warscythe cut a bloody path through the krork as the structure that housed the Dragon Shard came into view. He rested one hand on the cubic device at his waist and paused for a moment to reaffirm his grip on the situation at hand. He was facing down a Star God. 

_Only a shard,_ he reminded himself. ‘All Necron units, prepare to move in.’


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