... Meanwhile, in Commorragh...

[ThePenitentOne]

The Ascension of Sykil Draeven, the Daemonslayer

 

Sykil, the sixth Trueborn son of House Draven, was among thousands of spectators at the Crucibael on the night that Yvraine the Daughter of Shades challenged Lelith Hesperax to a duel that would change Commorragh forever. During that fated single combat, a shard of Ynnead's consciousness awakened within Yvraine, and a thousand shrieking Daemons of Slaanesh tore their way into Commorragh. In the chaos that followed, only the combat training he had received as an heir to his House allowed Draeven to escape the carnage.

 

Upon his return to the Draevenspire, Sykil found that the incursion had outpaced him, and his famil's legacy was beseiged. The families of House Draeven set aside their intrigues and schemes to mount a coordinated defense and containment operation. Sykil took up arms with an elite team of special operatives known as the Enigma Killers. In the battles that followed, Sykil and the Enigma Killers would distinguish themselves in several critical battles to push the Daemons back. When the last abomination was crushed beneath their heels and the Draevenspire was reclaimed, Sykil was promoted to the rank of Archon. As the first trial of his esteemed rank, Draeven was given the task to assemble an army and reclaim the Fractured Spiral, a splinter realm belonging to one of house Draeven's closest allies, the Lord Haemonculus, Vypus the Pale.

 

 

 

 

Dawn of the Splintered Enigma

 

Three of Draeven's closest teammates, including two Trueborn warriors, left the Enigma Killers to join him. They named their nascent Kabal the Splintered Enigma, to honour the Enigma Killers who had brought them together and trained them. Draeven's companions recruited a team from across the Draevenspire to complete their unit.  Known as the Deathsight, they serve as both Sykil's Hand, and the preeminent unit within his army. In addition to the three former members of the Enigma Killers, the team includes  both weapon specialists and agents chosen for their knowledge of the Fractured Spiral, which will provide an opportunity for Draeven to capture key territories early in the campaign.

 

The Deathsight

 

 

From left to right:

 

Aetheria Destra, Dark Lance (Heavy Gunner)

Notes: The first of Draeven's Trueborn Enigma Killers, Destra is the preeminent weapons tech of the Deathsight. In addition to her intimate knowledge of Drukhari technology, she has also studied the tech of the various other slave races and horrors of the forty-first millennium. She has no intention to seek a greater leadership role within the growing Kabal.

 

Rayna Mallifex, Splinter Cannon (Heavy Gunner)

Notes: Rayna apprenticed under the Lhamaean, Skythia Vesh at a Toxin Distillery before joining the Deathsight, and her knowledge of poisoncraft rivals her skill with the Heavy Splinter Cannon. Well trained, Rayna lacks the battle experience of many of her companions, and has formed a particular bond with Destra, who trades the secrets of weapon tech in exchange for greater knowledge of poisoncraft.

 

Evarra Myrillian, Sybarite: Blast Pistol, Power Sword, Phantasm Grenade Launcher

Notes: Evarra is as skilled with melee weapons as ranged, and is a disciple of terror tactics and spycraft. She is Draeven's closest friend, and a Trueborn Enigma Killer who expects to one day grow the Deathsight into a full Splinter of Draeven's Kabal, which she would rule as an Archon in her own right.

 

Laeryl Absynthia, Shredder (Gunner)

Notes: Laeryl is the principle torturer of the Deathsight, having worked as a personal bodyguard to Vypus the Pale. She delights in the flensing of those deemed unworthy of slavery and delights in the trauma caused by the shredder she carries into combat.

 

Lothos Saerrin, Blaster (Gunner)

Notes: Draeven's final Enigma Killer, Lothos is a skilled pilot in addition to his role within the Deathsight. He has contracts among the Corsairs and has visited many of the landing facilities within the Fractured Spiral. He has detailed knowledge of the security protocols for these territories.

 

 

 

Front:

 

Kinael Darrow, Splinter Rifle with straight blade bayonet (Standard Operative)

J'Kael Darrow, Splinter Rifle with drop blade bayonet (Standard Operative)

Notes: J'Kael and his brother Kinael are interested in honing their close combat skills, and often occupy the forward positions when the Deathsight deploys in order to receive the brunt of those who would dare to charge the unit. Both have visited the Wych Cult Arenas of the Fractured Spiral, and they are enthusiast of both gladitorial arts and the accompanying combat drugs.

 

Vyrtek Krael, Splinter Rifle (Standard Operative)

Notes: Vyrtek distinguished himself battling the Daemonic hordes despite his relatively low status prior to the incursion. It is said that he possesses on unassailable will which insulates him against the siren song and soporific musk Slaaneshi Daemonkin.

 

Ophidian Jarell, Splinter Rifle (Standard Operative)

Notes: Ophidian is a tracker who worked as a bounty hunter prior to the Daemonic Incursion. He is comfortable navigating the slums, including those of the Fractured Spiral, and his familiarity with the terrain and the denizens of these territories are as much an asset to the Deathsight as his skill as a marksman.

 

Janex Daeridian, Splinter Rifle (Standard Operative)

Notes: Janex is a student of esoteric lore, and one who has risked proximity to Aelindrach to seek the counsel of Mandrakes and other denizens of the shadowrealm. He is known for his grim resolve at fraying of reality when the tide of chaos is at hand.

 

Skythia Xesh

 

 

With his Hand assembled, he began to seek support from the allies of his House. The first to volunteer her services was one of his family's most trusted retainers- a Lhamaean known as Skythia Xesh. Unlike many of her kind, who are content with serving in the retinue of a promising Archon, Xesh manages several poison distilleries among the familes of House Draeven, and she has built a network of spies and allies of her own. While she is careful to maintain direct control over these assets, she is willing to use them in the service of the Splintered Enigma, provided she is given exclusive domain over any of the Factured Spiral's Poison Distilleries as they are recovered. 

 

The Wych Cults

 

With the aid of the Deathsight and Skythia Xesh, Draeven began planning his first raid into the Fractured Spiral. Their point of entry would be the celebrated arena Mesmoria. Skythia suggested that it would be wise to bring a team of Wyches, and offered up five of the Faceless Sons, a Cult that she had recruited into her personal guard. Draeven, in turn scoured the arenas of the Draevenspire for five Wyches of his own, with the intent of shaping them into a new Cult.

 

The Faceless Sons

 

 

 

The Wyches of Skythia's guard belong to an established Cult known as the Faceless Sons due to the prevalence of male gladiators. Three of the Wyches contributed to the raid are masked men- the Cult's namesake. Unlike other gladiators, the Faceless Sons are known by a singular name to distance themselves from House affiliations who may not approve of their commitments to the Arenas.

 

From left to right:

 

Irithax- A direct disciple of the founder of the Faceless Sons, for Irithrax, the success of his cult is a political agenda. He hopes to prove the Faceless Sons against the Dravaenblades to secure a place at his side in a Realspace Raid. He believes that reclaiming the Fractured Spiral will raise the the profile of not only the Faceless Sons, but all the men of the arena.

 

Jadelyth Minyx- For Jadelyth, the Faceless Sons are means to an end. She recognizes that the Cult seeks to improve the profile of male Wyches, and while she believes there is an important role for men in the arenas, she also knows that in order to achieve their goals it will also always be necessary for the men of the Cult to outside their female counterparts.

 

Shotokann- Shotokann is a proficient poisoner who learned his craft under the tutelage of Skythia Xesh. He sees himself as a successor to Yaelindra through Xesh's intercession, and is as fascinated by poison as the arena.

 

Shalassa Viderran- Shalassa is Shotokann's sister, though this bond can never be acknowledged without revealing his family identity. She supports his efforts within the Cult, but also encourages his study of poisons as the path of the poisoner would allow him open access to the resources of House Viderran in a way that the Cult does not.

 

Myrro- Myrro is heavily addicted to combat drugs, and he works closely with a circle of Elixicants who supply the Faceless Sons. He hopes to join the ranks of the Elixicants himself, and he intends to expand distribution as the Faceless Sons sworn to the Splinter Enigma continues to attract additional  recruits.

 

The Draevenblades

 

 

 

While the Wyches gathered by Draeven are not yet a cult, they have trained together as the Draevenblades. Should they prove successful in the arena, they will become a Wych Cult in their own right, with a new name to be chosen when one amongst them attains the rank of Succubus.

 

From left to right:

 

Therogar Mirothex- Intrigued by the potential of the Faceless Sons, Therogar is loyal to his team but only to a point. He is the only male Wych on his team, and while he was prepared to walk in the shadows of his team mates, he does wonder if the Faceless Sons offer a better future.

 

Myrae Lirieth- A student of arcane Lore, Myrae serves as a source of knowledge for her team mates. She joined Draeven's fledgling cult as much for the chance to explore the Fractured Spiral as to fight in the Arenas. She has been preparing most of her life to join a realspace raid, and is hopeful that Draeven will offer her an opportunity.

 

Syndaera Thraxis- In addition to her considerable combat skills, Syndaera is also a strategist and leader with an interest in achieving the title of Succubus. She is grateful to Draeven for gathering the Wyches and providing this opportunity; she sees the Faceless Sons as an aberration, and hopes to defeat them in the arena to maintain the Matriarchy of Commorragh's Wych Cults.

 

Kyriel Illanyr- Kyriel is Syndaera's closest ally- the two found each other after being expelled from their houses to fend for themselves among the nightmare city of Commorragh, and only that partnership has kept them alive. Kyriel would be more likely to support Syndaera's bid for leadership rather than launch her own.

 

Janivyr Kadence- An Impaler and Shardnet specialist, Janivyr is a born duelist. She has no interest in leadership- only a consuming passion for weaponcraft; her expertise with arena weapons, even those outside her specialization is unmatched among her team mates.

 

Vivithrax the Boneweaver

 

 

Vivithrax was an apprentice to Vypus the Pale, and fought in the defense of the Fractured Spiral before it was captured by the Thirsting Minions of Slaanesh. He alone is aware of the Oubliette beneath Mesmoria's Alpha Floor. He hopes to be the puppet master behind Draeven, guiding his efforts to reclaim the Fractured Spiral for maximum personal advantage.

 

The Bonewoven

 

 

 

Rear, flanking Vivithrax:

 

Karyx the Acothyst: Hexrifle

Karyx is the only minion that survived the fall of the Fractured Spiral. It is fiercely loyal to its Master, and capable of both leadership and independence. It is obsessed with capturing additional specimens so that the Master may replace the forces lost to the fall.

 

Syralex the Venomous, Stinger Pistol

In addition to wielding the unit's Stinger Pistol, Syralex is a test subject for the poisons he employs. This prolonged exposure has created a poison tolerance greater than that of its peers.

 

Front, left to right:

 

Jarek the Bonesinger, Ossefactor

As the operator of the unit's Ossefactor, Jarek is a direct apprentice to Vivithrax. It sees its arcane weapon as more of a tool, and it takes great care to craft only those extrusions of bone that best prolong the suffering of its victims.

 

Malyketh the Inevitable, Wrack blades

This one is known for its ability to maintain a withering hail of blows despite the most determined of defenses or counterattacks, wearing down its opponents until they are no longer capable of defending themselves

 

Ophyrum the Emulsifier, Liquifier Gun

It is Ophyrum's task to dispose of those enemies deemed insufficient for reclamation by the Master. Other more suitable specimens are left to its companions. Of all of the Bonewoven, this one is the most committed to the utter destruction of its foes.

 

The Shadowthralls of Netherweir

 

 

These Mandrakes are young, and have not yet carved identities and roles for themselves, and as such have not earned names. If the group has a leader at all, it is the Thrall who carries the sickle. These Thralls have been sent to Mesmoria to learn about those who seek to reclaim the Fractured Spiral, as they may be useful in the conquest and expansion of the other Shadow Districts.

 

 

 

Edited September 29 by ThePenitentOne

[ThePenitentOne]

An Alliance with the Shattered Sky Pirates

 

Before Draeven's Raid into the Fractured Spiral began in earnest, Xesh offered one more asset to the cause: a meeting with Felarch Varithander Xeres of the Shattered Sky Pirates, a fleet of Corsairs that she employs to sell her poisons beyond the boundaries of Commorragh. The Shattered Sky Pirates relat more closely to their dark kin than the Craftworlders, and they are infamous for their extensive use of Drukhari Aircraft. Draeven knows that air support could lend him an edge, both in Realspace Raids and the recovery of Docks territories in Commorragh. After extensive negotiations, the Corsairs agree to support Draeven's Crusade in exchange for his assistance with data retrieval from an ancient Space Hulk that has recently emerged in the Pacificus Sector. Xeres is willing to provide aircaft and infantry in exchange for any information regarding the movements of Aeldari Craftworlds, fleets... Or even individual voidcaft.

 

In truth, Xeres is following rumours about a particular vessel: The Eye of Vect- an experimental stealth ship stolen from the Dark Muse himself by a notorious pirate known as Veth Rayden... But Xeres has deemed it safer to keep the true objective a secret from his Drukhari companions.

 

Meta Notes:

 

Back in June (2025), I was offered an opportunity to play in a Boarding Action League in my local store. I decided to take the plunge because I really needed to get playing. I decided to use my Drukhari army, hoping that playing them would motivate me to finish painting them so that I could finally start my Commorragh campaign. And it worked! All the models pictured above form my Space Lane Raider army (the Lhamaean is a proxy for the Succubus until I get around to fighting my Arena battle to determine what the REAL Succubus will look like). So far, I have fought three games- One in July, one in September and I just finished the third game tonight (October 7, 2025). For the first two games, my models were not fully painted, and in the first game, they weren't even fully assembled. I kept painting though, finishing my Kabalites, which I had pledged for 12 Months of Hobby in March (of 2023!), and then the Haemonculus, Wracks, Mandrakes and Court for Call to Arms 2025, which completed on time. 

 

Due to the poor paint jobs in those first two games, I didn't take great notes or photos. The games are also NOT actually Crusade games, though I have played Agendas that didn't interfere with the game play, and I did track the XP. Before I was able to post anything about those games here, I suffered a massive computer failure that wiped out the few records I did keep. I've been able to reconstruct the first two games- particularly the post-game progression, and the third game is still fresh in my memory.

 

The First Encounter- Pain and Pestilence

 

Draeven's Spacelane Raiders boarded the Hulk through a webway portal from a Shattered Sky scout vessel. It didn't take long to find a section of the massive amalgam of fused voidcraft with functioning power systems sufficient to support data archives. Both the Draeven Blades and the Faceless Sons secured an archive and began downloading any files that might be of use to the Shattered Sky. It soon became evident that the Drukhari were not alone. Foul Marines of Nurgle ambushed the Raiders as they spread out in search of additional archives.

 

The Drukhari were able to inflict casualties upon several of Nurgles putrid minions, but found themselves incapable of eliminating full units. The Wyches, under the guidance of a Mercenary Succubus known as Derrida Apex, maintained their control over the archive, but the Deathguard prevented Draeven's Raiders from engaging any of the additional archives.

 

The Raiders were forced to retreat, and Derrida Apex was killed in battle. All was not lost however: Vivithrax and the Bonewoven were able to harvest a chaos spawn, whose flesh they intend to shape into their first Talos, and the data that they were able to retrieve was valuable enough to the Shattered Sky that the Pirates have agreed to commit a single Razorwing Fighter to Draeven's army.

 

Post-Game:

 

The Army earned a Requisition point for the game, but failed to acquire any Raid Spoils. Each unit in the game received an experience point for playing, but with no Kill Points for anyone, NO ONE met the conditions to complete the Demonstrate Superiority Agenda. I marked the Wyches for greatness, as they earned the only Victory Points I was able to score by maintaining control of their objective for the entire game via the Secure Objective Maneuver. Finally, Derrida Apex was removed from the roster- I had only intended to use this character once: she was an unpainted Witch-Elf model used as a proxy until I fight the Arena Battle that will determine who the actual Succubus will be. So at the end of the battle, the army looks like this:

 

Requisition Points: 1                                                  Raid Spoils: 1                                           Supply Limit: 500 Points

 

Sykil Draeven: 1XP                                                     Derrida Apex: Deceased                           Vivithithrax the Boneweaver: 1XP

The Deathsight: 1XP                                                  Wyches: 4XP                                             The Bonewoven: 1XP

                                                                                                                                                    The Shadowthralls: 1XP

 

I will post the results of battles two and three tomorrow; when I started this post, I though I could get it all done in one night, but it's midnight and I'm tired. Suffice it to say for now that Sykil's luck is about to turn, as the next two battles are victories with some pretty spectacular Agenda results.

 

Edited Wednesday at 04:01 AM by ThePenitentOne