The Beast Inside

Blackstone Fortress: Warhammer 40,000

By: Darius Hinks

Narrated by: Tom Alexander, Sean Connolly, Paul Panting, Fiona Skinner

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

A Warhammer Quest audio drama.

Of all the horrors that lurk inside the Blackstone Fortress, perhaps the most feared is the dreaded ambull. Rogue Trader Janus Draik embarks on a hunt for this monstrous beast - but he is not the only one seeking it....

Listen to it because:

If you want to know what an ambull sounds like, this is the story for you - the perfect background to your own adventures in the Blackstone Fortress....

The story:

Of the countless monstrosities inhabiting the Blackstone Fortress, none wreak such destruction as the dreaded ambull. Capable of rending a human in two with a swipe of its claws, hunting this apex predator is a suicidal task. Naturally, this leaves only one man for the job: Rogue Trader Janus Draik, gentlemen, scholar, scoundrel and duellist par excellence. Accompanied by the kroot tracker Dahyak Grekh, Draik must venture into the labyrinth for his most dangerous mission yet. But, in the depths, he is not the only one seeking the ambull, and while Draik aims to kill it, some foolishly pursue the beast inside for their own ends.

Written by Darius Hinks. Performed by Tom Alexander, Sean Connolly, Paul Panting and Fiona Skinner.

©2019 Games Workshop Limited (P)2019 Games Workshop Limited

good stuff

assuming you are considering this because you play the game...its a great listen. hope they do more of these stories in the future.

I wish there was more. Atleast 3 hrs.

This is a massive cliff hanger be warned, if you are ok with that, then go ahead and listen. The voice acting is great and the dialogue, superb. Gosh I really wanted more.

ends abruptly

I wish it didn't just end. fun performance though. I really enjoy the mixed bag of characters.

Rogue Trader

- Rogue Traders are some of the most interesting of the Emperor's servants. Even more so than inquisitors, these people have characters and outlandish personalities unlike any seen in 40k fiction. Having a degree of freedom not found anywhere else in the Imperium of Man, the Rogue Traders are not as mysterious or edgy as inquisitors, nor are they paragons of heroism like the Space Marines of other audio-dramas. The interplay of dialogue between the protagonist and his xenos "bodyguard" is a rare and delightful change from the usual.

- The voice actors do an amazing job at portraying the flamboyant and aristocratic descendent of a rogue trader dynasty and his alien mercenary as they banter on their way to hunt a dangerous quarry. The dialogue is great.

- The story feels like a play-by-play of the events of the boardgame that this novel is meant to advertise. I expected it to be more action heavy but the cheeky writer snuck in some intrigue and worldbuilding in there. Which is a great thing!

- Some of the inner workings of the Blackstone Fortress are sort of explained and yet remain mysterious since the explanations of its nature come from unreliable sources. There is some logic to the setting but just as the characters are confused, so will you be. The writer gives us enough information to make sense of the place but not too much as to completely demystify it, which would have been a crime as the setting is meant to be inscrutable and weird.

- This is tale of hunting, betrayal and the folly of not knowing one's limitations.
The symbolism of a man hunting a beast that he is ill equipped to deal with is allegory for the struggle of man against nature. The hunter puts his faith in technology and underestimates the natural abilities of his quarry and decries the savage nature of his personal bodyguard. According to the man this beast cannot be taimed, and in his ill understanding for it he seeks to kill it. This is known to the alien who is every bit the archetypal "noble savage" and more in touch with nature. It understands that pursuing the animal will only lead to pain and suffering but uses its natural tallents to assist the hunter in surviving the perils of the place they find themselves in. The third supporting protagonist represents the baser nature of mankind, seeking to profit one's self in whatever the cost. Their battle is ideological as well as physical. But enough with the analysis, you didn't come here to read an essay. Buy this audiodrama! It's worth it.

Too short with an abrupt ending.

Don't get me wrong. I know black library audio dramas are short in length. Albeit very entertaining to say the least. This one was so good I really wish it had more content. Specifically I want more of these characters in this particular setting with the 40k universe.

Too short

Can never get enough of 40K!!

Dramas are just so short. Just when your blood is going and the scrapping gets good.... bye!

Radio drama gone wrong

This a paltry attempt at dramatic performance is fractured and nonsensical at times, and painfully forced throughout.

The story is a flop with a flat cliffhanger and full of monologue for whatever reason. If a saving grace could be found, it would be the kroot, and even then, it’s likely just because he alone doesn’t get a soliloquy.

Doesn’t Work

I want to like it. I download all the black fortress stuff. But this just isn’t a good format for telling these kinds of stories. It needs a narrator or it’s just a bunch of sound effects and exposition.

incomplete story

This story is incomplete. There is no ending and a 2nd 1-hr purchase is implied.