Recaps

After reaching one hundred shared kills, Lin En drew the purple Temporary Shield trait, which could block a powerful attack for three seconds. As he and Cecilia and Iron Hammer emerged from a cave, a huge force of Chaos Cultists surrounded them and forced them to flee toward Iron Hammer’s spaceship.

• Lin En learned that kills by party members counted toward his total and reached one hundred kills.
• Lin En drew the purple Temporary Shield trait, which could block one moderate-intensity physical or psychic attack for three seconds.
• Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer left the burned-out cave and discovered a vast horde of Chaos Cultists approaching from every direction.
• Cecilia ordered the group to run, then carried Iron Hammer when he fell behind as cultists on motorcycles closed in and fired at them.
• Iron Hammer said the spaceship was less than one kilometer away while the group continued fleeing through gunfire.

Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer were trapped between cultists and found Iron Hammer's Prospecting Station surrounded. Lin En drew the ambushers away so Cecilia and Iron Hammer could escape and seek rescue within thirty days.

• Cecilia carried Lin En and Iron Hammer toward Iron Hammer's Prospecting Station as cultists closed in around them.
• Cecilia spotted hundreds of cultists surrounding the Prospecting Station and warned that they might be preparing a sacrifice to open a Warp rift.
• Lin En realized the group had no escape if the cultists completed their encirclement, so he ran toward the ambushers to draw them away.
• Cecilia held Iron Hammer back and told him to go, trusting Lin En's ability to survive for thirty days.
• Iron Hammer protested, while Cecilia watched Lin En run and insisted they had no other choice but to find help.

Lynn drew the Chaos Cultists away so Cecilia and Iron Hammer could escape aboard the Prospecting Station and seek reinforcements, but their communications were blocked by Warp energy. He hid in a cave on Istvaan III, alone and uncertain whether help would return.

• Lynn activated Temporary Shield to withstand the cultists’ gunfire and led their pursuit away from the Prospecting Station.
• Cecilia and Iron Hammer launched the Prospecting Station, but Warp interference prevented them from sending their map and scanning data or calling for help.
• Cecilia urged Iron Hammer to escape and find reinforcements so they could return for Lynn and the others, and Iron Hammer flew out of Istvaan III’s atmosphere.
• Lynn evaded the pursuing cultists and hid in a concealed cave, where he checked his supplies and watched the surrounding wasteland.
• Lynn spoke with the system about the vastness of Istvaan III while waiting alone in his shelter.

Lin En hid in a cave on Istvaan III, confirmed that Warp radiation could not affect him, and tried to rest while waiting for Cecilia and Iron Hammer to bring reinforcements. As his water ran out, he realized he would have to return to the cultists’ lair to reach the underground river.

• Lin En worried that the planet’s Warp radiation had mutated him, but the system told him he was immune to it.
• Lin En rested in the cave and dreamed about Cecilia and Iron Hammer returning with reinforcements.
• After waking, Lin En found that the cultists had not discovered his hiding place and considered how long his supplies could last.
• Lin En realized that the only water source he knew was beneath the cultists’ lair, so he would have to go back there to refill his canteen.
• Lin En waited another day and drank the rest of his water, hoping Cecilia and Iron Hammer would return or that another solution would appear.

Lin En left his rocky shelter and headed back toward the underground cave, driven by his dwindling water supply. He reached the cave’s vicinity and cautiously surveyed the area, still unsure what awaited him.

• Lin En inventoried his supplies and planned to avoid combat by using [Danger Sense], [Temporary Shield], and his escape-focused strategy.
• Lin En found and gathered Grey Rock Mushrooms before leaving the cave where he had taken shelter.
• Lin En saw that the Cultists had disappeared and set out across the gray wasteland toward the underground cave entrance.
• Lin En remembered Cecilia and Iron Hammer as he continued despite his fear and thirst.
• Near the cave, Lin En crouched behind a raised rock and carefully surveyed the surroundings.

Lin En entered the underground caves on Istvaan III in search of water, carefully avoiding the heretics he knew were nearby. He reached a hidden cave beside an underground river, but cautiously checked for danger before approaching the water.

• Lin En watched the unguarded mine entrance for half an hour, then decided it was safe enough to enter.
• Lin En descended through the cave, using a covered Flashlight and recognizing the signs of Warp-corrupted rock.
• Lin En marked the wall for the nun and Iron Hammer before crawling through a narrow fissure toward the sound of water.
• Lin En asked the system whether Danger Sense worked through rock and learned that terrain did not weaken it.
• Lin En emerged into a small cave near the underground river, then cautiously looked out for heretics before approaching the water.

Lin En found a clean underground water source and settled into a concealed cave to hide from the Cultists. After surviving there for twenty-eight days, he received his sixth card-draw opportunity and hoped for a combat skill.

• Lin En discovered a clear underground tributary, filled his waterskin, and drank and washed with its cold water.
• Lin En blocked the narrow entrance with a stone and made the nearby caves his hidden shelter.
• Lin En stayed concealed for twenty-eight days, learned the Cultists’ patrol patterns, and ventured outside only when it was quiet.
• After estimating that he had gone outside more than a dozen times, Lin En received another card-draw opportunity and prayed for a combat skill.

Lin En drew the purple support skill [Tactical Rehearsal] and complained about his repeated bad luck, then spent the next days waiting safely in his cave for Cecilia and Iron Hammer. Two days before their promised deadline, an explosion and rushing footsteps outside jolted him awake.

• Lin En used a draw hoping for a combat skill but obtained the purple trait [Tactical Rehearsal], which simulated battles and predicted enemy actions.
• Lin En accused the system of rigging the wheel after it showed that most entries were combat skills, while all six of his draws had landed on support skills.
• The system denied manipulating the draw and explained that Warp interference could cause occasional program stalls.
• Lin En settled into a daily routine in his cave and practiced [Tactical Rehearsal] while waiting for Cecilia and Iron Hammer to return.
• With two days left before the promised deadline, Lin En heard an explosion and violent footsteps outside and sprang to his feet.

Cecilia, Iron Hammer, and a Blood Angels Astartes returned to Istvaan III to find Lin En and discovered hundreds of cultists gathered around the fissure. The Astartes charged their position, shrugging off their fire as the battle began.

• Cecilia and Iron Hammer brought a Blood Angels Astartes to Istvaan III after receiving his help escaping an Aeldari ambush.
• The group spotted hundreds of cultists and a robed priest moving crates into the fissure, and Cecilia worried Lin En might be inside.
• Cecilia asked the Astartes to spare Lin En if he found him, and the ship landed in the rocky hills.
• The robed priest ordered the cultists to capture the Astartes, who charged toward them and withstood their gunfire without slowing.

Cecilia, Iron Hammer, and a Blood Angel fought through the cultists and found Lin En alive in a fissure. Lin En emerged to discover that the Blood Angel he admired was standing amid the slaughter.

• The Blood Angel cut down the cultists and killed their red-robed priest, causing the surviving cultists to flee.
• Cecilia and Iron Hammer entered the cave and found Lin En's carving beside a hidden fissure.
• Cecilia called into the fissure, and Lin En answered before squeezing toward the opening.
• Lin En emerged and froze in awe at the Blood Angel and the battlefield covered in corpses.

Lin En and his companions encountered a Blood Angels Astartes, who rescued them by slaughtering the Chaos cultists pursuing them. After the battle, Lin En greeted the warrior with an Aquila Salute, delighted to meet his favorite Chapter.

• Lin En excitedly reacted to the Blood Angels Astartes while Cecilia explained they had encountered him by chance while seeking reinforcements.
• The Blood Angel cut down the cultists in the cave, then shot fleeing enemies and brought down one with collapsing rubble.
• The Astartes finished searching the passage for survivors and approached Lin En's group.
• The Blood Angel removed his helmet, greeted Lin En, and received an enthusiastic Aquila Salute in thanks for the rescue.
• Lin En recalled an Iron Warriors scene from “Iron Within” and the saying about traitors remembering the Great Crusade with glory.

Lin En realized Tyrennius was a Blood Angel and inferred that the Defense of Baal had not yet happened. Tyrennius explained that he had been tracking Aeldari pirates and had agreed to investigate Cecilia’s report of a cultist gathering, which he had already reported to his legion.

• Tyrennius introduced himself as a squad leader in the Blood Angels’ Fifth Company, and Lin En judged that the chapter had not yet undergone Primaris surgery.
• Lin En avoided warning Tyrennius about Baal’s future destruction and kept Iron Hammer from touching his Power Armor.
• Lin En reflected on Sanguinius’s sacrifice and the Blood Angels’ loyalty, then felt newly encouraged by meeting Tyrennius.
• Tyrennius told Cecilia that he had been tracking Aeldari pirates when she pleaded for help investigating a large gathering of cultists.
• Tyrennius said he had sent a message to his legion and would report the cultists if Cecilia’s claim proved true.

Tyrennius verified that Lin En had survived the cultists’ lair without corruption, then took command after concluding that the gathering pointed to a Warp Rift. He ordered Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer to leave while he stayed behind to confront the danger.

• Tyrennius examined Lin En for physical mutations and signs of mental instability, then asked Cecilia about his mental state.
• Lin En denounced Chaos and the xenos with fervent devotion to the Emperor, convincing Tyrennius that he remained uncorrupted.
• Tyrennius determined that the cultists’ high-grade ritual equipment suggested a larger ritual deeper in the caves and a possible Warp Rift.
• Tyrennius said he had requested reinforcements and warned that Chaos activity would intensify after the red-robed priest’s death.
• Tyrennius took command, thanked Cecilia, Iron Hammer, and Lin En for their help, and ordered them to leave while he faced the cultists.

Cecilia and Iron Hammer convinced Tyrennius to let them join his mission on Istvaan III, while Lin En revealed his ability to sense nearby enemies. After Lin En accurately warned of 215 incoming cultists, Tyrennius recognized the value of his gift and wondered why the Inquisition had sent such a rare psyker to the planet.

• Cecilia and Iron Hammer argued that their combat skills, technical support, and ship would help Tyrennius, but he said he had no intention of evacuating and needed to find the cultists' command center.
• Cecilia and Iron Hammer volunteered to fight alongside Tyrennius, and Lin En eagerly decided to stay with them.
• Lin En revealed that his Danger Sense could detect enemies within three hundred meters and warned that 215 cultists were approaching through the caves.
• Tyrennius killed all 215 cultists at the cave entrance, confirming Lin En's warning was exact.
• Tyrennius recognized that Lin En's ability would be exceptionally valuable to an Astartes force and questioned why the Inquisition had sent him to Istvaan III.

Tyrennius led Cecilia, Iron Hammer, and Lin En to monitor the Chaos Cultists and locate their command center. They found thousands of cultists gathered around a ritual altar, along with a summoned Lesser Daemon, confirming that the cultists had opened a Warp Rift.

• Tyrennius assigned Cecilia to flank support, Iron Hammer to ranged fire and equipment maintenance, and Lin En to early warning and tactical simulations.
• The squad followed a concealed passage toward the cultists’ lair, with Lin En reporting a mass of enemies about 280 meters ahead.
• Lin En objected when Tyrennius considered splitting the squad, and Tyrennius accepted the risk of separating them.
• The squad reached the cavern and saw thousands of cultists chanting around a glowing altar while Chaos Sorcerers led the ritual.
• Lin En spotted a faceless, reversed-jointed Lesser Daemon beside the altar and realized the cultists had opened a Warp Rift.

Lin En and the others discovered that the Chaos Cultists had opened a Warp Rift, but a Chaos Spawn burst through the cavern wall and attacked them. Tyrennius’s Chainsword was destroyed, and he took Cecilia’s Power Sword to continue fighting.

• Iron Hammer spotted a Warp Rift above the altar, and Tyrennius warned that it could unleash a daemon army if it grew large enough.
• Cecilia readied her Bolter as Tyrennius prepared to attack the cultists and destroy the rift.
• Lin En’s Danger Sense warned of an imminent threat, and a Chaos Spawn smashed through the rock wall beside the group.
• The Chaos Spawn attacked Tyrennius, whose Chainsword broke under its blows.
• Cecilia threw Tyrennius her Power Sword, and he activated it against the Chaos Spawn.

Iron Hammer repaired the Chainsword while Lin En drew a gold anti-demon enchantment from the system. Lin En enchanted the repaired weapon for Tyrennius, giving the squad a stronger weapon against Chaos.

• Cecilia handed the broken Chainsword to Iron Hammer and ordered him to repair it while Tyrennius fought the Chaos Spawn.
• Iron Hammer reconnected and welded the sword’s energy conduit, then activated it successfully.
• Lin En received a card draw after surviving another fifteen days and drew the gold trait [Weapon Enchantment (Against Demons)].
• Lin En used the trait on Tyrennius’s repaired Chainsword, surrounding its teeth with golden light.

Lin En blessed Tyrennius’s chainsword with golden Holy Light, allowing the Blood Angel to purify and destroy a Chaos Spawn. The others questioned how Lin En had done it, and he claimed the Emperor granted him a blessing he could cast once an hour.

• Iron Hammer marveled that Lin En had seemingly turned the chainsword into The Emperor’s Sword with a single slap, while Lin En credited his piety.
• Cecilia hurled the glowing chainsword to Tyrennius as he struggled against the Chaos Spawn.
• Tyrennius used the Holy Light chainsword to cleave the Chaos Spawn in two, burning away its mutations and purifying its corpse.
• Lin En and Iron Hammer celebrated Tyrennius’s victory, and Tyrennius asked what had happened to his weapon.
• Iron Hammer pointed to Lin En as the one who blessed the chainsword, and Lin En claimed the Emperor gave him an hourly blessing lasting thirty minutes.

After Lin En enchanted Tyrennius’s weapon with Holy Light, Tyrennius recognized him as a possible Living Saint and thanked him. The group found the cultists guarding the ritual cavern, where Tyrennius charged through their psychic barrier as the Warp Rift ritual neared completion.

• Tyrennius removed his helmet, thanked Lin En for the enchanted weapon, and wondered why the Inquisition had exiled someone with such power.
• Cecilia criticized the Inquisition, while Lin En explained its policy of exiling people it could not judge safely.
• The group returned toward the ritual cavern and discovered the cultists had formed a layered defensive line around its entrance.
• Tyrennius ordered Lin En and the others to stay back, then charged the cultists alone with his Holy Light Great Chainsword.
• Tyrennius shattered the psykers’ barrier, killing two high-ranking psykers and advancing on the remaining defenders.

Tyrennius, Lin En, and Cecilia fought through the Chaos Cultists to stop their ritual, but the sorcerers sacrificed themselves to force the Warp Rift open. A brass-armored hoof emerged from the rift as a demon began to enter the cavern.

• Tyrennius charged through the cultists, whose guns could not pierce his Ceramite, and cut down their ranks with his Golden Light Chainsword.
• Tyrennius cleaved through a second Psychic Barrier and advanced toward the altar while the cultists' formation collapsed.
• The Blood Cultists' leader sacrificed himself, sending a pillar of dark-red light into the Warp Rift.
• The remaining core sorcerers sacrificed themselves in turn, widening the rift as Warp energy churned and something pressed through.
• Tyrennius, Lin En, and Cecilia failed to stop the ritual, and a deep-red, brass-armored hoof stepped out of the rift.

A Skull Vanguard emerged from the Warp Rift and attacked Tyrennius, who fought to protect Lin En and the others despite being badly outmatched. The chapter ended with Tyrennius standing to face the daemon again after Iron Hammer’s grenades briefly obscured its vision.

• A Skull Vanguard emerged from the altar’s Warp Rift, crushed the surviving sorcerers, and recognized Tyrennius as one of Lord Kabanha’s favored little angels.
• The Skull Vanguard charged Tyrennius, whose Holy Chainsword met its flaming Rune Axe and held against the blow.
• Cecilia and the others fired on the daemon, but their Bolters barely affected its brass armor as Tyrennius continued fighting alone at close range.
• The Skull Vanguard kicked Tyrennius into a stalactite, denting his breastplate and burying him under rubble.
• Iron Hammer threw two concussion grenades beneath the Skull Vanguard, giving Tyrennius time to rise and face it again.

Tyrennius’s Weapon Enchantment expired during his fight with the Skull Vanguard, and the demon badly wounded him. Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer fled with him through the tunnels, where they learned that Blood Angels reinforcements would arrive in half an hour.

• Tyrennius fought the Skull Vanguard with his enchanted Chainsword until the Holy Light faded after thirty minutes.
• The Skull Vanguard overwhelmed Tyrennius and hurled him into a rock wall, leaving him badly injured.
• Cecilia rescued Tyrennius while Iron Hammer used smoke grenades to cover their retreat, and Lin En helped drag the wounded Astartes through the tunnel.
• Lin En guided the group through the cultists’ passages while blocking incoming gunfire and helping Iron Hammer keep up.
• Tyrennius received word that a Blood Angels Battle Barge had reached orbit and that reinforcements would arrive in half an hour.

Lin En and his companions fled into the abandoned Hive City, where Tyrennius prepared to hold back the approaching Skull Vanguard and daemon horde. Lin En offered to take his place, but doubts about the horrific limits of his Thirty Days ability left him shaken as Tyrennius renewed his resolve to protect them.

• Lin En used Tactical Rehearsal to determine that the Hive City was their only route to survival, and the group sealed the passage behind them with explosives.
• Lin En sensed the Skull Vanguard and a horde of lesser daemons approaching, while the Blood Angels' reinforcements remained about twenty minutes away.
• Tyrennius broke away from Cecilia and told Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer to hide while he held the enemies back.
• Lin En offered to fight in Tyrennius's place, claiming that his supernatural ability kept him alive for thirty days, but Tyrennius questioned whether he could survive being consumed by daemons.
• Lin En realized that remaining alive might not protect his consciousness from torture or madness, and he lost confidence in his usefulness.
• Tyrennius activated his armor's emergency treatment, asked Lin En for his blessing, and raised his glowing Chainsword to defend the others.

Tyrennius held the passage into the Hive City against the Khorne Vanguard for fifteen minutes, protecting Lin En and the others hidden behind a barricade. Though the daemon impaled him, Tyrennius cut off its head with a final strike, then collapsed with his visor dark.

• Tyrennius ordered Lin En, Cecilia, and Iron Hammer to hide while he faced the Khorne Vanguard alone.
• Tyrennius charged the daemon with his Holy Light Greatsword and fought to keep it from reaching the barricade.
• Cecilia told Lin En to stay hidden and said she and Iron Hammer would take turns fighting if Tyrennius fell.
• The enraged Khorne Vanguard knocked away Tyrennius's sword and impaled him with its axe.
• As the Khorne Vanguard lifted Tyrennius up, Tyrennius rallied and severed its head with the Holy Light Greatsword.
• Tyrennius fell to one knee beside the dead daemon, and the red light in his visor went out.

Tyrennius died after killing the Khorne Vanguard, leaving Cecilia, Lin En, and Iron Hammer surrounded by Daemons. Just as Cecilia prepared to hold them off, the Blood Angels Fifth Company arrived in force and attacked the horde.

• Tyrennius killed the Khorne Vanguard but died when its axe destroyed both of his hearts.
• Cecilia ordered Lin En and Iron Hammer to hide while she prepared to defend their shelter from the advancing Daemons.
• Lin En begged Cecilia not to sacrifice herself, but she told him to live and urged him to grow strong enough to drive Chaos from Imperial territory.
• Iron Hammer prepared a Plasma Cutter and explosives as the Daemons closed in on the shelter.
• Dozens of Blood Angels and a Dreadnought descended into the Hive City and attacked the Daemons and cultists, while Cecilia, Lin En, and Iron Hammer watched them arrive.