Artellus Numeon - The Clutches of the Neverborn: The Necrotor’s destruction, while celebrated as a small victory, was more importantly a spiritual rebirth for the warriors of the Pyre. However,unknown the Salamanders, the Necrotor’s destruction also heralded the Charybdis’ darkest hour. Recognition would soon dawn upon the Salamanders -- the enemy wore many faces and disguises, and they had only seen the most human of it.Prior to its destruction, the Death Guard ship had informed its choleric master of its attempt to destroy the Battle Barge, thus keeping Maelig Laestygon updated to the Salamanders' position. Worse yet, the baleful warleader of the Death Guard was in league with the Dark Apostle Quor Gallek, which had also been following the Charybdis’ trace - even within the Warp. The vile rites conducted by Xenut Sul and his dark master had created an untraceable psychic bond between Quor Gallek and Artellus Numeon, the valiant captain becoming a beacon for the Word Bearers to follow. Through other rituals and the sacrifice of many prisoners, Quor Gallek succeeded in invoking apparitions aboard the Charybdis which soon began to manifest themselves in greater numbers. Only when these apparitions began to massacre the human crew and sow fear amongst them was the threat fully acknowledged as a true attack. Quor Gallek fully knew that the Salamanders' honorable nature would compel them to act -- to try to protect their human serfs and those refugees they had taken aboard, thus dispersing their already meagre fighting force. With search-parties patrolling the ship's innards, the Dark Apostle would then be able to infiltrate the Charybdis and reach their objectives. The Dark Apostle patiently awaited for the Charybdis to reenter the Warp before springing his trap.As always, when not pressed by urgent matters, Artellus Numeon was meditating over the Primarch's casket. Chaplain Var'kir interrupted Numeon's meditations, curious about the previous miracle that had occurred, when Vulkan's Sigil had enabled Numeon to vanquish a Terminator-armoured foe, and thus save his and the Primarch's lives. Despite this miracle, Var'kir still doubted that Vulkan truly lived, and Numeon's unshakable faith in the contrary rested ill with him. Departing from Vulkan's funerary chamber, Numeon headed for the bridge to join the search parties, leaving Ran'd and Orhn, two battle-brothers of the Firedrakes to stand vigil over their Primarch's body. The search-effort had been coordinated by Sergeant Zytos, despatching teams of Fireborns to the Charybdis’ cursives, but it would be Techmarine Far'kor Zonn and Legionary Igen Gargo that would first encounter one of these apparitions. Overseeing the Charybdis’ workcrews repairing the ship, they were alerted by the discomfort of the human serfs and set out to track what they tentatively identified as "ghosts." As reports came in, it soon appeared that the ghost being tracked by Zonn and Gargo was not the only warp manifestation aboard the Charybdis. One of these ghosts had attempted to kill Chaplain Var'kir during his divinations, trying to push the Chaplain into the flames. The attempt on Var'kir's life had only been thwarted thanks to the timely intervention of Kaspian Hecht. Meanwhile the search team consisting of the few remaining Pyroclasts was also assailed by one of these ghosts which altered the mind of Pyroclast Sergeant Xathen, leading him to attack and kill two of his companions. Other apparitions were also reported from the ships lower decks until one of these ghosts manifested itself on the bridge.As the apparitions grew more powerful and manifested themselves as true daemons, the Salamanders tried to fight back, preferring hand-to-hand combat, as Kaspian Hecht had warned them that their Bolters would be quite useless against these creatures of the Immaterium. With the comms falling silent, Zytos and Numeon rushed to the bridge, only to discover the slaughtered remains of the bridge crew. The bridge had become a abattoir, with dead crew members hanging from the ceiling by the ropes of their own intestines. One of the daemons still lingered there. It manifested itself in the form of a human female child wearing a pristine white dress and oily black hair that covered her face, "You shouldn't be here," she teased the Astrtes, using the voice of the dead crewmen. She mocked Numeon about his misplaced faith in Vulkan's rebirth but quickly vanish without engaging in combat. The only survivor of the bridge crew confirmed that the Charybdis’ captain, Solon Adyssian, had left the bridge earlier, but was nowhere to be found. The shipmaster had also pursued one of the apparitions, believing her to be the ghost of his dead daughter. Upon suspecting the truth, Adyssian had fled, which probably saved his life. Fortunately for him, his panicked flight had led him straight into Epistolary Ushaman, whose psychic abilities were the best weapons against the Neverborn.With the warriors of the Pyre dispersed among the Charybdis’ corridors and cursives, the Word Bearers struck; their ship -- the Monarchia -- emerged from the Ruinstorm alongside the Salamanders' vessel. Chaplain Var'kir sought to confront them, but being unable to raise the ship's complement of armsmen on the vox, the Salamanders were woefully outgunned. Yet the Word Bearers did not press their advantage, retreating along the corridors, keen to avoid prolonged firefights. It would be the Knight Errant, Hecht, that would recognize the Word Bearers true intent -- to destroy the Geller Field generators and simply overrun the Charybdis with daemons. But the Word Bearers' haste was for another reason. Quor Gallek, who personally led the assault, could feel it quite distinctively -- something was approaching through the Warp -- something big and powerful, but more importantly, something he had not summoned.In another part of the ship, Numeon and Zytos were following another apparition, yet one they had not anticipated -- Vulkan was walking the decks of the Charybdis! Mesmerized, both Salamanders followed their would-be Primarch, convinced that the miracle of Macragge had finally occurred yet again. Yet something bothered Numeon... Zytos simply murmured, "It's not possible," before hurrying after Vulkan. But still, something didn't sit quite right with Numeon -- a strange smell, like that of burning metal. Considering the apparition of Vulkan more carefully, Numeon discovered that the fulgurite stone was missing -- a small detail Zytos had missed. As Numeon's doubts increased, he noticed that the smell was coming from his own armour. Vulkan's Sigil was blazing hot, burning his armour's paint. This made Numeon stop, just as the vision changed. Vulkan was no longer standing alone in the corridor, but another figure stood behind him -- his tormentor, Konrad Curze, the bloody-handed Primarch of the Night Lords. Distressed, Zytos began to run, shouting Vulkan's name to warn his father of the looming danger. Meanwhile Numeon's fingers brushed the Sigil and the lie unravelled. Numeon grasped Basilysk and let loose a triple spread of bolts, but before the detonations brought Zytos back to his senses, Vulkan's expression changed from one of beckoning to one of fearful dread. Instantly Zytos slowed down, before Numeon's volley made him stop entirely, barely avoiding falling into a gaping chasm in the corridor's floor. Looking up from the trap, Zytos saw that Vukan had vanished, replaced by the apparition of a giggling girl -- the very ghost they had been tracking. He quickly recognised the enemy for what it was -- a daemon. Tapping into the vox-network, Numeon and Zytos learned of the search for Solon Adyssian and quickly joined the search effort. Still unaware of the Word Bearers' presence aboard the Charybdis, Numeon and Zytos headed out.Meanwhile, in yet another part of the ship, Techmarine Zonn and his companion Igen Gargo tenaciously defended the Geller Fields generatoria against the approaching Word Bearers. Led by Quor Gallek himself, and his right-hand -- Master-of-Arms Degat -- the Word Bearers, vastly superior in number, kept pushing ever forwards. Unable to collapse the corridor behind them, the two Salamanders both fought tooth and nail. One Word Bearer succumbed to their defensive fire, but quickly the Salamander's ammo count was running out, and bloody hand-to-hand skirmishes soon erupted. Many Word Bearers were killed by the two valiant Fireborn. For a moment, it seemed that the Salamanders might hold the generatoria, but then another fighter emerged from the crimson-clad throng. Master-of-Arms Degat -- a giant of a warrior that had fought and been bloodied in the World Eaters' fighting pits -- attacked Igen Gargo, causing the loss of his shooting arm. With his bionic arm, however, Gargo successfully pressed the Word Bearers officer back, shattering his breastplate, and giving Far'kir Zonn ample opportunity to step in. The Techmarine and officer continued to duel, but despite his enhanced resilience, Zonn simply was no match for Degat. When Fa'rkir Zonn's plasma cutter refused to fire, his fate was sealed, and the victorious Degat soon brandished Zonn's severed head as another grisly trophy. With only Igen Gargo remaining, the Word Bearer’s victory seemed assured, until a high precision shot blew out a Word Bearers Astartes' head. Kaspian Hecht had successfully retraced his step and found an alternate route to the generatoria to help Zonn and Gargo.Not far from there, Zytos and Numeon’s timely arrival saved Adyssan’s life, blasting at the daemon with their Bolters. In vain Adyssan had tried to protect the unconscious form of Epistolary Ushamann, reciting passages of the Lectitio Divinitatus to keep the daemon at bay. Fortunately for him Numeon and Zytos had not come alone but was leading a congregation of four Salamanders including Zytos. The daemon quickly disappeared, leaving the mortals and Astartes alone. Mindful of Adyssan’s security, Numeon decided to pursue Ushaman’s original plan, to bring the captain to the Epistolary’s sanctum where protective wards would hopefully keep the daemons at bay. Suddenly the vox-network came back to life and contact reestablished with Chaplain Var’kir, who quickly informed Numeon of the Word Bearers’ attack and the dire situation the Charbydis was now in. Hecht’s intervention had given the Salamanders the time needed to gather fresh forces. By now Pyroclasts were engaging the Word Bearers, but as Igen Gargo dragged himself out of harm’s way, a small detail sprang to his eyes; the Preacher leading the assault was nowhere to be seen. Quor Gallek had discreetly left his warriors and made his way to Vulkan’s funerary chamber. His plan was to retrieve the fulgurite stone - the Emperor’s power made manifest - which was still embedded in the Primarch’s chest. Where Artellus Numeon had failed, Quor Gallek was sure to succeed, for he had in his possession a weapon of terrible power: the Asirnoth Blade - fashionned from the bones of the slain Primarch of the Iron Hands, Ferrus Manus.