Preview the Threats and Scenarios of Relic: Halls of Terra
originally published 14 April 2015
As widespread and calamitous as mutation of the body may be, it is in the mind of Man where the greatest peril lies.
–Warhammer 40,000
In the unending war for the Antian Sector you have battled plague-bearing daemons and warbands of feral Orks, tainted Imperial bureaucrats and the Striking Scorpions of the Eldar. Now, the Halls of Terra expansion for Relic takes you on a mission to the sacred birthplace of humanity to garner the support you need to save untold billions of human lives.
Yet enemies to mankind thrive even in the ancient heart of the Imperium, and the Chaos emanating from the Antian Sector’s Warp Rift spawns heresy and corruption throughout the galaxy. In Halls of Terra, a new orange Threat deck brings to life the obstacles you may encounter on Mars and Terra, from ruthless Inquisitors to painful ritual purifications. Today’s preview introduces the perils of this Threat deck, along with two new scenarios in which Chaos and corruption spread beyond the Antian Sector, endangering the Sol System and your character’s soul.
Rely on Your Cunning
The very air of Holy Terra may be sacred, but that does not mean that the planet is safe. In your quest to gain the affiliations that can secure your entry to the Imperial Palace (as described in the last preview), you’ll face as many enemies and obstacles as you would in the Antian Sector. These foes are not often conquered, however, with bolters or bombs. Instead, you’ll need superior Cunning to defeat them.
Meeting a self-interested House Courtier is only to be expected on Terra. This clever and savage schemer could outwit and slander you, costing you an affiliation. Winning a courtier’s favor gives you an affiliation with the Imperial Nobility, as well as some helpful influence. Similarly, the best way to gain the support of the secretive and stealthy Officio Assassinorum is to prove yourself to an operative of the Inquisition’s Ordo Sicarius that oversees it. Be careful, though: the operative will use your own Cunning against you.
There are also those who seek to undermine the Imperium from within its ranks. A Traitorous Adept could steal your painstakingly earned affiliation, simply because he senses your good intentions. Because of such internal threats, the Inquisition operates even on Terra, ruthlessly hunting down heresy and treason. If accused by them, your innocence won’t help you . Your best bet is to use your Cunning to blacklist a rival– if you succeed, you’ll earn the Inquisition’s affiliation for handing over to them the apparently guilty party.
Battle the Black Crusade
Your journey to the Sol System is just part of the greater quest to save the Antian Sector. Yet what erupts from that sector’s Warp Rift can still affect Terra, countless light years away. When the legendary Warmaster of Chaos, Abaddon the Despoiler, resurfaces in the Antian Sector, the corruption of the Warp threatens even the Sol System. Twelve times Abaddon has lead his villainous Black Legion to war in the hope of tearing the Emperor from the Golden Throne. Twelve times the Imperium has vanquished his nightmarish army. Now, you and your fellow players are challenged to defeat this Champion of Chaos a thirteenth time.
In the cooperative Black Crusade scenario, you gradually fill the galaxy with the daemons, traitors, and heretics that herald Abaddon’s approach by drawing a Threat card at the start of each turn. In addition, every turn players place a Corruption card on a space in the Sol tier. When you begin your Engagement phase on a corrupted space, you must take the Corruption card as if you drew it. If the Sol tier fills with Corruption, all the players lose. But every time a character enters the Warp Rift and wins a Confrontation against Abaddon, each player removes a Corruption card from the Sol tier. When that tier is free from corruption, all players win.
Affiliation with the pious and merciless Adepta Sororitas may be your salvation in this corrupted and dangerous universe. With it, you might have the fortune to take a Sister of the Order Dialogus as an ally. She causes dice results of both five and six to explode, doubling your chances of incredible success. Affiliation with the Adepta Sororitas also enables you to more easily survive purification through pain , which could purge you of all Corruption cards and grant you more life.
Succumb to Corruption
Some humans give in to corruption in exchange for immediate advantages, even though they recognize the evils of Chaos. The Lure of Chaos scenario provides an incentive to corrupt yourself: once per turn, after a die roll, you may draw one Corruption card to turn a die to any result you want. This could enable you to move exactly where you wish, beat the odds in a dangerous battle, or gain crucial affiliations. Moreover, the scenario allows you to choose whether to activate the Corruption cards you draw, regardless of their number. You can thus avoid an Atrophied Soul while embracing a Mutanous Growth that enhances your abilities.
If any players are free from corruption when someone enters the Warp Rift, those players win the game. Yet, in the grim, dark future, remaining pure is no simple feat and comes at a high cost. You may only avoid corruption in this scenario if you are willing to lose an attribute for every Corruption card you would otherwise draw, as the struggle against Chaos strains your Willpower, Strength, and Cunning. Or, you can fully give in to Corruption and become a secret servant of Chaos operating under the banners of the Imperium. If all players are tainted to some extent, each player adds the activation numbers of his corruption cards, and whoever has the highest total– the direst corruption– wins.
Confront the Impending Chaos
Chaos is emanating from the Antian Sector, stretching its black claws towards the sacred Sol System and no planet, not even Holy Terra, is completely protected from its ruinous powers. In Halls of Terra, you have a choice. Do you strive to remain pure as you vailiantly defend the Imperium of Man? Or do you surrender to the lure of Chaos, and allow your body and mind to be corrupted on the road to victory?
The Warp Rift is expanding and your ship to Terra awaits. Pre-order Relic: Halls of Terra from your local retailer today!