Matt Smith’s second Black Library short story, The Twisted Runes is a tale of the Silver Skulls and the unusual way in which they rely on and revere their powerful psykers. Having received a forceful vision promising dire portents for the entire Chapter, young and proud Prognosticator Beynan Rhondus petitions his masters for permission to track down the location seen in his vision and prevent a tragedy from occurring. Casting the runes once owned by his mentor, Rhondus interprets their meaning and leads his men into grave danger, always confident in the truth of the runes and his manifest destiny.
The Silver Skulls are an unusual Chapter, and this story takes a look at the inevitable consequence of their relationship with the Prognosticators through the eyes of a particularly headstrong example. There’s the core of a strong story here, with a good concept and a central character whose eventual resolution is strangely satisfying. It could maybe have done with a bit more attention paid to fleshing out the secondary characters, and a little more invention with the action scenes, to really hit the spot, though. Nevertheless it’s a solid story and an interesting addition to the relatively short list of Silver Skulls tales.
