This short story is featured in Inferno! Volume 2, which is out now.
The first Black Library contribution from Robert Charles, Faith in Thunder is an Age of Sigmar story dealing with questions of redemption, faith and how to maintain hope in the face of terrible odds. Niara Sydona battles for survival in an ogor fighting pit alongside a handful of other wounded and weary prisoners, including the last remaining Freeguild soldier under her ill-fated command. Each of them copes in their own way, as influenced by their upbringings and outlook, but if they’re to have any chance at not just survival but also escape, they’ll need to cooperate despite their differences.
While it takes place in and around the fighting pit, the actual combat largely takes a back seat – it’s gritty and satisfying when it’s happening, but the focus is more on gradually exploring the dynamic between Niara and her companions than the fighting itself. Tonally it errs on the side of melancholy, as you might expect with characters facing (almost) inevitable painful deaths, but a growing undercurrent of hope helps balance things out. Overall it’s a neat, self-contained story that feels a long way from the big battlefields of the Mortal Realms – they’re definitely there, in the background, but this is lower key and satisfyingly characterful.
