This is a collection of images, maps and tools I used to help visualise the Agents descent into the depths of the graveyard moon Daedelon.

The Agents very first encounter was on Daedelon, playing The Graveyard Shift. It was fitting that several years later we returned to the moon and discovered the arcane secrets hidden deep within the moon.

I used a succession of maps to tell the story. Artwork from various 40k games was incredibly useful it exactly captured the aesthetic I wanted my players to see.

In this example, I downloaded the artwork from Hired Gun (Streumon Studio), to illustrate a ‘back door’ into a secure area that the Agents needed to hack and bypass. The artwork not only set the tone but provided a map for the scene!

As the Agents progressed deeper into the core of Daeledon I used more artwork (from Deathwing and Darktide PC games) to illustrate the journey. Each of these panels was revealed to them as I moved their tokens onto it as I narrated the descent.

The top panels showed a busy city of the Imperium, thick with buildings and factories. As they descended further they entered more remote, and secure, districts in which their movement became more restricted.

Artist credits: Gaetan Perrot / Deathwing, Julian Payen / Deathwing, Joakim Ericsson / DarkTide

Eventually the Agents arrived at their destination, a long deserted Excavation Facility that was within an off-limits Quarantine zone.

This battle map was constructed from various elements. I am so grateful to the artists behind these maps, assets and downloads – without their hard work my games could not have existed!

Despite such a large map, the halls were empty apart from remote gun turrets and secrets that had waited a hundred years to be discovered – including an Absolver’s Thunderhawk. That didn’t stop the Agents worrying about being attacked from every corner!

Map: Heroic Maps – Industrial Spacecraft
Assets: Historic Batlefields

It was here that the Agents learned of the secrets of Daedelon, and the xenos tech that the Mechanicum was studying. They learned of the escaped daemon Botuthrax and resolved to pursue it deeper into the moon.

It was at this point, with the Agents miles underground, that 2D maps began to fail me. The adventure led them through winding caverns, previously undiscovered ancient ruins and secret tunnels that always took them lower.

To help them visualise this I used a 3D modelling tool, Tinkercad, to help me describe the horizontal and vertical elements to their world.

As you can see above they began their expedition with quite a retinue of troops, tanks and skimmers alongside them.

But as they went ever deeper they were forced to leave more and more of these resources behind, until only a handful of soldiers were left to accompany them in their fight against Botuthrax.

Map: Ironworks by Eightfold Paper