Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

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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Vardaen
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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by Vardaen » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:22 pm

Image

“Rust, steel, and fail ye engines!
Fall silent, O guns, and give up your wisdom,
my cogitators, to the talons of time!
Yet the machine-spirit shall never weaken.”

–The Princeps of the Pax Macharia
The Haematite Cathedral

The Acoyotes of the Inquisition have been on the hunt for days now. Sent to the planet Baraspone by Inquisitor Sand to root out a heresy they have done their duty well. After searching through the library of the Gilded Cathedral in Kephistron Altis all signs pointed to a great heresy in the Haematite Cathedreal on the edge of civilization here.

For over a decade, the Hekate Dynasty lived in the cathedral in attempts to discover the secrets that Inquisitor DeVayne hid with Barabus Zanatov. Notably Koronath Hekate attempted to continue Zanatov's work and took up residence in the years before his death, desperately attempting to rebuild the Black Sepulchre halted by the Maledictor's Hand. Unsuccessful, the Dei-Phage drove him mad.

Nikaea Hekate attempted to conquer the cathedral out of pride. She served as the Rogue Trader's seneschal, but was driven from her sanity. Believing herself a true noble, she looked to the Haematite Cathedral for proof of her divine position. She was forever lost to the Daemon despite her indomitable will and sense of purpose.

Gustavus Hekate, however, was a heretical cultist when he came to the Haematite Cathedral to serve the creature he witnessed in his dreams. He murdered uncounted innocents and cobbled new horrific constructs until the Dei-Phage betrayed him.

Now you have pieced together the cover-up, the heresy, and have unlocked the secret passage protected by the three apparitions of the Hekates. You must delve into the bowls of the Haematite Cathedral, stop the Dei-Phage from breaking free and put and end to this black stain once and for all.

The hidden door in the Nave opens onto a black shaft of ribbed steel, like a negative cast of an enormous spine. Rusted handholds lead downwards into the blackness. The smell of oil and rust reaches you on the faint breeze from below, along with the sound of grinding machinery.
Welcome to the next part of Chapter 10! Let's get to it, or die trying
"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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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by Grimbold » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:21 am

Haxtes lets his optical mechadendrite sneak forward a bit, emitting a bit of eerie red light (it has a reach of 3m). When everyone is ready, the Magos starts descending the stairway.
No problem if anyone else wants to go first, I can snake the mechadendrite around you.
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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Nov 28, 2019 8:06 am

Damien stands staring into the depths of the Cathedral, the dark passageway beckoning them to their doom. Just as when they arrived, he again begins shuffling and drawing from the Imperial Tarot, the preferred method of his mentor, Aristarchus the Seer. Earlier he was frustrated, not seeing any patterns or receiving enlightenment from the act. His talents always leaned towards the physical, as evidenced by his keen skill at Biomancy. But to honor his teacher, he has never fully given up on his hope of learning the divinatory arts.

For the first time in his years of fruitless effort, he feels enlightenment flood his mind as he gazes upon the cards of the Imperial Tarot. As he contemplates their future traveling into the belly of the beast, flashes of images and sensations come to him, echoes of the future traveling backwards in time for him to interpret and understand.
Just got Divination! Not officially using Personal Augury, since that involves spending 30 minutes sitting around with the Imperial Tarot and such. Foresight was the Seer's specialty, so following in his footsteps. So this is more exploring the new talent rather than getting crunch benefits. Later on I'll get more abilities that give more concrete benefits.
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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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:05 am

Merica gazes down the shaft with Damien for a moment. "I retract my previous statement."

Caught us at the tail end, if the Throne wills it? It appears not to be the case. Tonight, perhaps into the early dawn hours, the five of us will be dealing a decisive setback to the machinations of Chaos. May the Emperor find us worthy.

"Renik, that's you, correct? Will you range ahead?" Merica turns to overalls guy, and once she has his attention, she taps the infrared goggles on her head. "I can lend you these to see in the dark."

She checks her weapon, flipping the switch to change ammo if not already set to standard boltshells.
@silverfoxdmt73 You can go ahead and scout in front and warn us of danger. I'll walk in front instead if you don't. If you can't see in the dark, you can use my infrared goggles.

That first paragraph is narration, btw, if you're confused when you read "us".

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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by Hungry Xenomorph » Tue Dec 03, 2019 5:38 pm

Aesgir let's his cyber mastiff go in front as he follows the group down the stairway, he readies his rifle in case of an ambush.

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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by Vardaen » Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:47 pm

Down into the dark, you go. Merica gives Renik her goggles to help navigate, then one by one you turn on lights and starts down. The shaft proves to be less of a set of stairs and more of a brutally dangerous ladder that descends into the bowels of the complex. Aesgir's mastif is going to have a very difficult time going down, and the dangers of one person falling and knocking into others is real.

Unfortuntely for you the Emperor is not watching as you climb down the shaft as one by one you slip and fall. Renik leads the charge with Merica and Damien, Aegisr and his Mastiff tumbling down and into each of you. Its only Haxtes, who uses his various mechadentrites to piton into the wall that manages to climb down without issue.

The fall through the darkness if disorienting and painful as you bang into one another, the ladder like rungs, and eventually reach the bottom. Just as you expect to slam into the floor after the dozens of meter fall you land with a splash in a massive tank of run off. You land in the tank of foul smelling brownish gunk that has the odor of spoiled fuel. Asegir's respirator keeps him from swallowing any of the fluids, and the others avoid keeping their mouths open. Poor Merica is muttering a prayer of safety when she hits the pool and she drinks in some of it! Swallowing the gunk is a horrible experience and causes great intestinal discomfort. The cramping pains, retching and dizziness impose fatigue and discomfort to the Sister for a long while.

At the bottom of the shaft, which is scattered with spare parts and other maintenance detritus, is a door set into the shaft wall just beyond the tank.
Routine +20 Climb Test

Renik 49 vs 37 Fail + Toughness Test Ordinary +10: 41 vs 45 Success
Merica 46 vs 36 Fail + Toughness Test Ordinary +10: 84 vs 43 Fail - Swallows +1 Level of Fatigue
Haxtes 22 vs 33 Success
Damien 80 vs 40 Fail + Toughness Test Ordinary +10: 36 vs 50 Success
Asgeir 98 vs 48 Fail Respirator
Mastiff 45 vs 40 Fail Cyber

Wow you guys SUCK at physical skills
"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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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:00 pm

Damien moans in pain, feeling the bruises that will surely be manifesting in the next couple hours. He levers himself upright with his Staff, feeling around in the murky 'fluid' to find any hidden trip hazards. His photo-contacts kick in, giving him crisp sight regardless of the lighting. "Is everyone alright? Any broken bones? Weapons still working?" He walks around, checking on the others.

He sees Merica retching and moaning after accidentally imbibing some nastiness. He goes over to see how he can help.
I can cast Dull Pain (removes a level of Fatigue). 1d10+8 (TN 8), so auto-success. If you want to rule that this isn't pain but a kind of poisoning, I'm fine with it not working in this situation.

... in which case I'd use Toxic Siphon instead, which acts as a dose of de-tox. ;)

Also, the Emperor was definitely watching. And Face-Palming.
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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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:19 am

I scrabbled at the rungs with the recoil glove, cursing under my breath between slip-ups on the way down and regaining my footing, before failing a final time and plummeting into the dark with the others, plunging into a vat of long-exposed promethium. Only Haxtes managed to keep his footing, using his metal tentacles for support. I alone swallowed a mouthful in the vat, and I was grateful for the God Emperor's discipline in the experience. From that point onward, I kept my respirator on hand.
Merica submerges in the filth before she can find the strength to push herself up, and retches as she does, spitting up onto the surface of the liquid beneath them. As Damien comes near, she waves him off with a hand raised in contempt.

She manages to come up from two knees to one, sputtering and dry-heaving, and she brings out a dose of de-tox, wary of accepting psychic aid.
I'm pretty sure that ingesting something harmful counts as toxin/poison. I won't use the de-tox. You can go ahead and use the correct power, and Merica can deal with it.

Maybe next time I'll take some physical skills as opposed to perfecting my Ms. Murderhobo build. :lol:

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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by Grimbold » Sat Dec 07, 2019 3:49 pm

Haxtes uses his maglev unit to levitate out of the liquid and half hoovers, half strides towards the door. When he arrives, he holds on to the door and reaches out a helpful tentacle to whoever needs it. He seems calm and does not say anything.

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Capitulus Decum: The Belly of the Beast

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:24 am

Damien calls upon a whisper of his power, not wanting to draw more attention than they already have. Whatever darkness lives down here may be unaware of what has happened above. Regardless, he lays his hands on Merica, filling her with a feeling of wholeness and health. Her rebellious stomach should now calm, restoring her to fighting fitness.
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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