Ever since I first read the Eisenhorn trilogy and pored over the pages of the 3rd edition 40k rulebook, I knew exactly which corner of the 41st millennium I wanted to explore. I was drawn to a world far removed from the legions of power-armored demigods wielding the finest arsenals of war. Instead, I wanted to focus on the micro rather than the macro—on individuals rather than the endless ranks of nameless bodies marching toward the meat grinder (which is still pretty cool).
Discovering the 28 community was a breath of fresh air. As I mentioned in my first post, the grind and large-scale play of mainstream Warhammer never truly resonated with me. But here was a community that thrived on storytelling—the trials of a handful of souls facing impossible odds. It was exactly what I had been searching for.
Another series that deeply influenced me is The Expanse. I love how its chapters shift between perspectives—from ice haulers to corporate security contractors—offering a grounded, human-scale view of its universe. Both Eisenhorn and The Expanse share a common strength: they confine their narratives to a limited scope. Rather than zipping across a galaxy, they unfold within a defined region of space, weaving stories through bustling metropolises, research stations, hydroponic farms, and abandoned mining outposts.
When I first learned about the Warhammer universe, there wasn’t really an advancing storyline that moved the setting. It was explained to me that the universe was a sandbox—my battles were simply blips in this grimdark future. I had no real grasp of the meta-story, but I loved the idea that my battles were part of something vast and open-ended. So when it came time to hash out a narrative for my own group of friends, I knew I wanted to follow a similar path. The result? Beyond the Mortavus Rift.
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This event is designed to be a one-day narrative campaign where warbands/retinues compete to trace the recent broadcast of the Omnissah’s Promise, an expeditionary ship registered to Magos Dominus Passen Xingh. The mission centers on investigating the enigmatic relic known as the Astral Conduit. Xingh ventured into the Mortavus sub-sector over two centuries ago, only for the Rift to trap him within its grip. With the Rift now subsiding, his final broadcast has reverberated across the void, reaching the signal arrays of both Imperial and... unintended listeners. Chaos cults, xenos warbands, and scavenger fleets alike have intercepted this desperate warning, setting the stage for a deadly race toward the relic. As each faction pursues their own interests, the true cost of the Astral Conduit may be far darker than anyone realizes.
The Mortavus sub-sector is a shadowed and isolated portion of space in the Segmentum Pacificus, shrouded in mystery and rife with intrigue. Its worlds are scarred by centuries of war, neglect, and the ceaseless influence of the warp. Mortavus is dominated by the enigmatic Rift, a persistent warp storm that intermittently cuts off the entire subsector from the wider Imperium. When the storm abates, ancient relics and forgotten ships emerge from the void, carrying with them secrets from lost eras that could reshape the balance of power. The region's hive cities, dead worlds, and orbital stations are infested with cults, xenos infiltrators, and heretical factions, each vying for control in the shadows. Inquisitors of the Imperium find Mortavus sub-sector to be a treacherous hunting ground where truth is elusive and alliances are fragile.
When deciding which ruleset to use, I decided to go with Garske Games's Space Weirdos. In my experience, the ruleset is light, engaging, and allows just the right amount of customization without becoming cumbersome; and if I ever wanted to add on to the ruleset, it's a solid foundation. Each warband will have a 125 point Space Weirdos list. However, for each scenario a faction can only field 75 points from their roster. Factions may lose agents throughout the campaign making roster choice an important part of the game. The campaign comprises three rounds of small 1v1 games followed by a grand finale.
With the overarching story in place, my goal is to encourage an emergent narrative—one shaped by the players' actions, alliances, and betrayals. The idea is that the story will develop organically through their decisions. I've added some additional flavor rules which I've been organizing into a player handbook. I plan on sharing this with the wider community once completed.
To get my players more involved and make things easier for me to organize, I asked them to take a look at their terrain collections and put together a custom board. These boards will represent different locations within the sub-sector, and since it’s a sandbox setup, pretty much anything is possible with a bit of imagination. For example, fantasy terrain can easily stand in for an Imperial colony that's fallen into a feudal state. Add some sci-fi scatter pieces, and you've got a medieval world tied to the 41st millennium.
I’ve been working on this project since October'24 and had planned to originally write this up then. Ever since, I’ve played several games with my friends from the community, testing different rules and developing stories that lead up to the event. Over the next few weeks, I hope to find the time to write everything up, along with some photos.
The Beyond the Mortavus Rift narrative is slated for February 16th 2025.
If you have any questions, comments, or ideas I'd love to hear them.
Thanks for reading!
