Sea of Stars - IC III

[Destro_Yersul]

On Lady Kindjal, 'Then you've spent more time around her then I have. I've heard that she's a bit of a recluse these days. How did she strike you as a person? Someone who has been around that long might be interesting to talk to.'

"Driven, if you wanted me to pick a good word. I'm not about to speak ill of her," Etula said. Not here, being the implication. It wasn't exactly a private setting, for all that Macharius' prevarications were working to disguise their activities. "She gets what she wants. She's still giving audiences here and there, but I think she's realised there's only so far you can stretch a lifetime."

For the rest, 'I suppose we could talk to those sort of people at some point, but I don't expect them to manage any better then the commissariat has. Where do the young highborn hang out these days?'

Etula blew off the question. "Underfoot, mostly. I wouldn't bother. Half of them are so inbred they can't tell their arse from an Ogryn."

Macharius grins roguishly. More than a foppish dilettante mostly concerned with showing off to other fops, you mean? Perhaps I haven't survived the Expanse purely based on luck, hoho!

He continues talking in that same bright tone, smiling widely, looking for all the world like he's merely spinning idle tales or engaging in polite flirting, though keeping his voice low enough to be just indistinct out of their little group. Not random, I don't think. The Stalker has been getting better over time. Quicker, cleaner, more surgical. Without the blood and gore you'd expect if this was a pleasure killer. What if they're looking for something? I agree that they may well be human, but wayward humans have an unfortunate tendency to serve darker masters. Were any of the victims known or rumored to have any sort of... collections? Officially, of course, no one has xenos or heretical artifacts, but in my experience such collectors are rather common among the bored and wealthy.

He roars with laughter again, plucking a pastry off the table.

"Point taken." Etula favoured Macharius with half a smile, which was the most positive emotion they'd seen from her thus far. "I can't decide if uncle would like you or hate you, but he certainly wouldn't trust you. For a few reasons. Xenos artifacts, hah. If you asked him that, he'd probably think you were trying to drum up a list of potential buyers, or that you were concerned about a market collapse in the wake of all these possible clients running down the curtains. But no. As far as I'm aware, that's not part of the pattern. If there even is a pattern. The only common factor so far is that all of the dead were highborn."

From the way she said this last, it was clear she was sure her awareness didn't stretch all that far. Part of being the surly and taciturn subject of the swirling rumour mill was that people were less inclined to share any other parts of it with you.

Spoiler: Destro

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++Not point having this fail due to structural weakness, we need a solid foundation to build from++

Bone density enhancements ahoy

Spoiler: Ravia Only

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Bone density would have been easier starting from younger subjects, who still had growing to do. Ravia was fairly certain that was why Astartes Novitiates were taken so young, and anyways there were a number of interesting papers on genetic conditions stemming from excess growth hormone during developmental stages. At the moment she was somewhat lacking the appropriate subjects, however, and would have to make do. The men she had were done growing normally, and a different approach would be required. She was fairly certain she could develop a formula to induce microfractures in the bone, combined with a drug regimen to stimulate healing. Alongside appropriate calcium supplements and sufficient time, it would take advantage of the body's natural processes to greatly increase overall bone strength. The bones wouldn't change size or shape, in theory, just become a good deal stronger. While she was at it, she might as well try implanting a few reinforcement struts in key locations. Overall this was going to be an incredibly painful process, but the medicae decks were stocked with plenty of painkillers. And some Morphia-V, in case anything stronger was needed.

((OOC: Roll Trade (Chymist) to whip up a drug regimen, and Medicae to administer it without killing anybody))