Capitulus Tertius: Cold Vengeance

In the nightmare future of the 41st millennium, Mankind teeters upon the brink of extinction. The galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man is beset on all sides by ravening aliens, and threatened from within by malevolent creatures and heretic rebels. Only the strength of the Immortal Emperor of Terra stands between Humanity and its annihilation. Dedicated to His service are the countless warriors, agents and myriad servants of the Imperium.

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game based upon the universe of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000. The setting of Warhammer 40,000 is a dark, gothic future where the Imperium of Man is beset by dangers within and without. In Dark Heresy players take on the roles of Acolytes of the Inquisition, aiming to uncover and combat the enemies of mankind, be they aliens, heretics or mutants!

Run by the Grand Inquisitor Vardaen
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Trogdor
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Re: Emperor's Island

Post by Trogdor » Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:02 pm

Jericus provides the servitor with the necessary address information for the contact number given to them by Sand. He offers no greeting as he is uncertain whether Sand wishes the name he gave them used over an unsecured channel. "The message is as follows," he says.

"I wish to report success in our previous business venture. Unfortunately, during the return journey our ship was attacked by orks in the Acreage system and we were forced to flee to the planet via escape pod. It was an unexpected stop, but upon contacting the locals, we found some business opportunities here as well. We suggest that you send a follow-up representative to formalize the deal as we did not have the necessary resources to do so. Our contact is a local guard named Lt. Reginald, who can be contacted through the Plumes in Olrakan on Acreage. We are endeavouring to secure return passage as best we can and will return as soon as possible. Assistance in this would be appreciated, but should not be necessary unless you require our return post haste. If you need to provide any further instruction, you may contact us care of the IPA on Emperor's Island in Acreage. I will check for messages daily.

Respectfully, Jericus."

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Vardaen
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Contact and Looking Homeward

Post by Vardaen » Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:14 pm

The message is sent. It may take some time for the communication to travel from Acreage to Scintilla, the distance, and the age of the tech used here lending to the delay. Yet you've done what you must, warned of orcs, reported your status and all done without giving away any sensitive information.

Next you seek a ship leaving Acreage. A few hours of dealing with port authorities, various bits of red tape, and more bureaucratic bull than you'd think possible on this backwater planet you learn that in two days time an Imperial Prison Transport is scheduled to arrive to take on supplies and prisoner before making its core-ward travel back toward the central planets. It is your best hope for getting off Acreage and heading in the right direction. You may have to hope ships from it, one to another, but if you can get on board you will be on your way home at last.

Two days however, that leaves you with plenty of time to look around the island, or simply keep a low profile until its time to leave. It also gives you time to work the IPA for access to the ship.
I'm willing to do one of two things here.

Allow you to explore the island, see what trouble you can find, etc.

or

Simply narrate through the rest of the chapter, your few days laying low, your boarding of the ship and your return home to Scintilla and arrival at Sand for your final report of the chapter.

It is up to you guys if you want to fast forward to the end of the chapter or linger around here and RP a bit. Either way, once you are board the ship I'll be glossing over the months of warp travel time to get home.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Contact and Looking Homeward

Post by MadVlat » Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:09 pm

Unaccustomed to being carried about like a meat puppet, Rego becomes even more irratable than usual. "Do you think this floating sewage sump would have a medic of some type? I'm going to need new dressings soon". His words not targeting anyone in particular...
All for seeking medical attention and then glossing over...
...And the stone of the earth and the wind in the sky bowed before the wisdom of the Ancient One...

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Trogdor
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Re: Contact and Looking Homeward

Post by Trogdor » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:07 am

"They must have someone with medicae training on a dangerous world like this," Jericus says to Rego. "I'll be happy to see what I can do to find out where they are for you."
I'm fine with glossing over as well. We've been caught on tangents for a while now.

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ManWithDoor
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Re: Contact and Looking Homeward

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:20 am

"More can be done with the energies of the Warp, especially now that you have had more time to naturally recover. Overexerting your body with Psyker manipulation overtaxes the system, at least at my level of mastery. Periods of rest are required. Perhaps enough that you will be able to use your own mobility before we embark on our interstellar journey back to civilization. If not, at least it will make the trip more comfortable. With your permission...?" Damien inquires whether Rego would like him to try his hand at more supernatural healing.
Is Rego actually sporting any more critical damage, or are we just enjoying the cinematics of him being partially crippled? If actual damage, I can heal some more. If cinematics, then if nothing else his recovery could be more speedy.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Mucking around in the Bilges

Post by Vardaen » Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:59 pm

On no, Rego is still sporting 4 points of Critical Wounds. He needs Damien Loving. Since you technically haven't spent your XP yet (not till you get off world) you can hit him with a lower level minor power heal. He's now at 3 Critical Wounds.

I think I'll gloss over the rest of the time on world and move us on to the next chapter and stuff.
The group of Acolytes has sent the message, they have managed to book passage on the only viable ship leaving this backwater swamp infested planet. With Rego wounded still as he is, unable to walk at all, the group seeks healing. After attention from Damien Rego's foot is feeling marginally better so a trip into the Bilges is worth while.

The Bilges are a random collection of gantries, cabins, corridors and decks that exists in the perpetual shadow of the landing platforms. Every inch of space here is given over either to some kind of personal abode or place of business. It is here that the bulk of the island's several thousand strong population rub shoulders. Finding once's way around can be tricky, as the lighting is certainly sub-par and there is no such thing as streets signs. The Acolytes wander aimlessly for a while before Haxtes seems to orient himself and begins to navigate the group through the Bilges as if they were a collection of wires on a circuit board. Eventually the group locates someone by the name of Tiplis who offers some medicae services. He chatters on and on endlessly about the restorative properties of salt ware and how it can be used for everything from cleaning valuable equipment to making babies grow up strong and mutation free (just a few spoonfuls a day!). He does have some surgical skill however, and for all his prattle he's gifted with his hands. Rego's wound is set right (washes with salt water of course) and much of the danger of infection and healing wrong is removed. Still Rego can't walk on it, but it should make transport and future healing easier to come.

With that handled the group spends some time finding someplace to eat and drink and sleep. Veto's Emporium of Ephemeral Delights turns out to be the place. Probably the largest drinking and gambling den in the Bilges, Veto's is a certified scumhole. Its smoky interior sprawls haphazardly across several inked gantry-ways with dozens of hanging private booths for the more discerning customers. By the harsh red glow of hazard lights, Acoltes can thank themselves up on the local wym-brew (made from only the finest kelp-serpent secretions, with a decidedly salty aftertaste) only 1 throne a bucket. Veto himself is a withered old man of questionable sanity who sometimes is given over to talking in riddles, but is nevertheless a good source of information. Talking to him turns up a few rumors about Acreage. Rooming here is questionable, but cheap, and you do what you need to and only once do you have to scare off would be thieves with a few shot of a laspistol.

Trouble follows the group no matter what however, and the next day, while waiting for that ship to arrive you explore more of the Blidges and locate a small shop Sea Salvage and Stella Flotsam. It doesn't have anything rare or interesting, but the older is more than willing to buy your items for full price. Weapons from off world go for a good price here as they are hard to come by.

With little else to do on the island, many locals and passer-throughs indulge in either gambling or fighting, or both at once. That is what the Grease Pits are apparently for. A section of deck below one of the main landing platforms has been cleared and walled off. Here combatants can slug each other senseless to the constant whirl of the stabilizers overhead. Fights are always unarmed and usually last until one fighter is unconscious or gives up. Getting into a fight is easy: the fight organizer - a bald sneering fellow by the name of Remarus -- happy signs newcomers up for a paltry fee of 10 thrones. A less nets you nothing (beside the beating you took) while a win doubles your cash. Fighters are welcome to bet on themselves but cannot bet against themselves (any kind of dive taking normally ends with the fighter getting tossed into the sea for a real dive). Of course Solaria can't help herself, so she joins the fights. The Arbite turned Inquisitor Acolyte strips down to some street clothes and enters into the arena against a burly man who must be half Ogryn. A few well place kidney punches, a knee to the groin and a shiner to her own eye Solaria comes out the victory counting her thrones and having very much enjoyed herself.

Betting continues for a while here until Father Rego's grumpy preaching starts to annoy the crowds around you and you decide to head back to your room and get an early nights sleep, your ship arrives tomorrow morning.

And arrive it does, the Imperial Prison Transport arrives pre-dawn and begins to unload prisoners that are to be conscripted into the fighting armies of Baroness Faltress! During the unloading of the several hundred men and woman (mostly murderers and thieves) you make your way to the landing platforms. Your last minute haggling with the Captain nets you what you want, passage off this planet, and a bit of information. It would see that Ork infested Spacehulk that obliterated the Brazen Sky has continued moving on your course toward worlds other than Acreage, and for that you are thankful, but concerned as well.

Finally five hours later the prison barge Luxury is ready to board its rather rare passengers. A lighter takes you from the landing platforms up into orbit where the ship awaits you.
Rego heals another 1 point from the medicae. Then Damien heals him another one the next day, and rest heals him another one. So at the time of departure from the planet Rego is at 0 Wound, out of Critical wound level, but heavily wounded still.

Solaria nets 10thrones (sheet updated) - I made a simple contested roll for this.

Rumors Heard About Olrankan in the Bilges:
"You hear all sorts of crazy stories about swamp monster and the like but I reckon its the Horloc. A local swamp god, in cause you were wondering. Used to be an ancient tribe hereabouts that worshiped it, and they say it swore one day it would rise again to reclaim its ancestral home"

"You know they say something fell from the sky out near the Princes' city a few days back, a heretical piece of xeno tech. It struck the skymill and burned the whole thing and half the city to the ground. Ain't no sense in going to Olrankan anymore, its nothing but blood and ash now."

Here is one chance for some back posting for the last 2 days as mentioned above. Then we'll get on board and zoom home to Inquisitor Sand.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

MadVlat
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Re: Mucking around in the Bilges

Post by MadVlat » Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:10 pm

Rego thanks the psycher for his aid with his wounded foot. Buying the man his very own bucket of serpent swill in gratitude. The next day finds the priest in somewhat of a better mood. Though his demeanor is still coarse he doesn't actively seek out victims for his wrath. Instead focusing on cleaning himself and his equipment cleaned for the trip...
...And the stone of the earth and the wind in the sky bowed before the wisdom of the Ancient One...

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Re: Mucking around in the Bilges

Post by jigglypuff69 » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:35 am

Solaria is all smiles and the shinner she got from the pits hardly seems to dampen it. "Just think, soon we'll be on a proper Hive World and I can sell these weapons and get some BIGGER guns!?!? Can you just imagine, someone out there is going to be stupid enough to sell me a bigger gun... I can't wait." The Arbite sits in a mess hall chair, sipping amasec from her flask and speaking with the others.
I am the voice of Never Never Land, the innocence of every man, I am the empty crib of Peter Pan. A silent kite against the blue, blue sky, every chimney every moonlit sight. I am the story that will read you real, every memory that you hold dear...

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Re: Mucking around in the Bilges

Post by MadVlat » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:08 am

"Personally I prefer the grace of steel. No counting ammunition, no misfires; just the coldness of its touch and the satisfaction of being close enough to see the last thoughts of heretic and xeno alike fading in their eyes". Rego offers in reply to Solaria's banter. His words are strange. The priest not speaking with malice in his tone. Instead he speaks with an eerie sort of admiration for blade use...
...And the stone of the earth and the wind in the sky bowed before the wisdom of the Ancient One...

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Vardaen
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Re: Mucking around in the Bilges

Post by Vardaen » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:17 am

Xanthia sitting in the mess hall of the prison transport ship Luxury nod to both, "I prefer both. The Emperor gave me two hands, and in them both I shall wield his blade and his pistol, and all the foes of the Inquisition will know they have come to their end, one way or another." She sips some drink she's got in front of her. The accommodations on board this ship are sorely lacking, but there appears plenty of booze for the crew.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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