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Zenos
2009-02-16, 06:10 PM
Hello, I have recently played a PbP Dark Heresy session on Myth-Weavers, and I felt like posting what happened here.

The acolytes are:
Lyris: CC-focused feral world assassin. Armed with long-sabre.
Virux: Sniper assassin.
Zuriel: Tech-priest focused on utility. Has an … interesting back-story.
T’Loch: Feral world psyker.
Augustus: Imperial psyker and has the healer power.

The scenarion is: The acolytes are sent to the world Nidheim to investigate possible tech-heresy perpetrated by a criminal organisation called the Silver Fang, and its legal figurehead Wulfe industries.

“Session” 1:
The session starts with all the acolytes except Zuriel flying from the spaceship the Twist of Fate” and landing in Austskjær spaceport, and meeting Zuriel, who was there from before. They then proceed to read some secret instructions.

The instructions for those who want to read them:
To the Acolytes
Contained within this letter are your instruction for the furtherance of Imperial rule upon the world of Nidheim.
Your first action should be to investigate, and map out, the organisation the Silver Fang, and it’s daylight operation, Wulfe Firearms for trace of tech-heresy and mingling with xenos. Subjects of interest are:
Amadeus Wulfe, believed to be the leader of the organization, based on interrogation of his contacts. Lives and operates from the city Holmen in the Hulder province (aka the province the crew the Twist of Luck will have landed you in if they followed my instructions) in a small villa (note: Heavily guarded by automated sentries).
Herman Wulfe, CEO of Wulfe Firearms. Typically stays in his luxurious palace in the city Nava in tropical Chadaver region.
Kaidus Lazlo, a “negotiator” and assassin (assassinated by challenging his victims to duels). Warning, Lazlo is apparently a decorated war veteran and a master swordsman. Seems to travel all over Nidheims surface, parttaking in martial sport and social arrangements.
Vlad Imater, Amadeus’ confessor, member of the Eccliarchy, but apparently hard to get to. Lives in Schloss Slacht in the mountainy Grendel region.
Marut Al-Heidela, this enigmatic person sometimes meet with Herman and Amadeus Wulfe in strict secrecy. Little is known about him, and my contacts have not located his hideout.
Central Imperial HeadQuarters of Wulfe firearms (CIHQW) The official headquarters of Wulfes Firearms and is located over the corporations giant underground factory. I suggest you search the archives, since a full and thorough search of the factory could take months.
At any point of time, you should only contact the captain of the Twist of Luck or Voltigeur the ships doctor for help, as all others are deemed un-trustable. I believe the Wulfe brothers have bribed several officials on a planetary and local scale to not interfere in his operations.
When you have collected enough information or evidence, you should send a message to me containing the evidence, that I may bring key targets of the heretical organization to justice, or if you believe it possible to cripple the organisation by doing so, make key strikes against important Silver claw targets.
-Inquisitor Kaine, Shield of the Imperium and Hammer of Xenos.


The acolytes then proceed to the car dealership where they are supposed to get a car. At the dealership Zuriel notices a stylish black car and some people in it who are looking at them from across the road, with magnoculars. Since the car the inquisitor has given them could have been manufactured in Soviet Russia, Zuriels immediate reaction is to charge across the road.
He is then hit in the face with autogun fire, taking him down to critical damage so he takes a level of fatigue. The attacker is promptly hit by Augustus’ Spasm power and Lyris’ arrow, and dies from the critical damage. Then another spy fires off his autogun at Lyris, and knocks Lyris down to three wounds. Then Virux shoots the guy who shot Lyris, but does not kill him. The spies are trying to drive out of the alleyway they were parked in, but one is hit and killed by Augustus’ stub revolver and T’Loch manages to make the driver crash the car in a wall, taking the other two enemies out of action.

The acolytes then heal up with Augustus’ Healer power, drive away with the spiffy car and two prisoners, and manage to avoid the police.

When interrogating the prisoners, they find out they were hired by a mysterious “Ren”. They also find bank notes worth a couple thousand thrones and a library loan card.

They drive off to the accommodations the inquisitor gave them, which are far nicer than the car, and Zuriel drives off to hide the car whilst the others try to avoid the clerk noticing they are holding the prisoners at gunpoint. Zuriel is besought by a police officer, who says that all AdMech personnel are to meet at the Steel Keep for a “convention”. When Zuriel arrives at the hotel, they are taken to a some seventh-floor chambers with a balcony outside their windows. Also they get to see a hellgun and a power sword in a glass case, which belongs to the Clerk.
Now they come to the point where I plan on introducing another, more terrifying enemy. Cue ominous music (literally, I posted a link to the ultramarines chant after a short news report about what they had done).

Late in the night, Zuriel and Augustus hear something outside the windows and see something swishing past and something falling towards the ground, Zuriel wakes the others, whilst Augustus goes outside to investigate. Something tries to grab his head, but I fail my grapple roll, so he is not hoisted into the air. Lyris then shoots the attacker in the arm, or rather, claw.
When they remark that the creature could fit the description of tyranids, Lyris’ says OOC that, “we’re dead,” and I quip, “Don’t worry, I’ll not kill too many of you”. Lyris, Virux and Zuriel move out on the balcony together with Augustus and look for the xeno attacker, and Virux manages to shoot it, thanks to his photo-contacts.

And then, the third attacker shows up, from under the balcony, swiping at Lyris, but missing. Lyris then attacks back, but since the creature (homebrew) has a high agility and Dodge, it evades and its counterattack takes Lyris down to one wound. Then the acolytes try to get out of range of the beast, and I remember it has a fear rating. With some use of fate points, all except Augustus make their WP tests. Here’s a description of the xenoform taken directly from the game:

“The creature has a mandibled mouth from which yellow spittle runs, with chitinous armour along its spine, four arms with broad, sharp blades on their ends, the rest of the xenos’ body is a long, snake-like body, apparently it is very strong, since it is anchored below the balcony and could in effect retreat just by falling backwards. Its body is maybe the same mass as a human.”

Virux then manages to shoot the xeno assassin in the chest, injuring it for two points of damage.

Then the xeno attacks again, but it seems my streak of good luck with attack rolls is over, and it doesn’t even hit anything. Lyris then hits the creature so hard it takes two points of critical damage, chipping off a piece of its armour, whilst Zuriel pokes the beast for pathetic damage (3 versus the xenos’ armour value of six).

The xeno then manages to avoid further damage and flees, so as to not allow the acolytes to analyze the body. The Clerk then storms in with a hellgun and demands to know what is going on. The acolytes explain what they were attacked by, and together they determine it must be some kind of mutated Tyranid form. After Clerk gets them some medical supplies they go to sleep. End of the first chapter. I award the players 200 experience for doing so well in surviving, and the acolytes decide they want to take the Steel Keep plot hook.


I will also have some questions shortly, but I feel the need to take some time off from typing right now, if you will bear with me. :smallsmile:

Personally, I feel this went rather well, I got the players in danger without actually causing permanent damage to them.

Now, here is the part I would like my players not to read, as it contain plot-sensitive information, and when discussing this part, please use spoilers:

1.
The Steel Keep plot will be about one of the Tech-Adepts having found an "STC" which relatively cheaply constructs nanomachines that can be injected into the human bloodstream to make the strongeer, more intelligent and get enhanced regenerative abilities (fast healing), presented as something that can be given to your average IG to make them as tough as a xenos.
It is in fact a necron construction made to seem like an Imperial machine, and takes over the subjects mind and soul after a few days. This is a ploy by Necron Pariahs to spread allies throughout the Imperial system to mess up orders and generally make it easier for the Necrons to harvest mankind.
I am not sure if it is what the canonical Necrons would do, but it is still an alien ploy, so at least it makes a plot hook, also introduces them to the fact Nidheim is a tomb world.
But I am not sure of how to present the "STC", I don't even know the average size of an STC. So I ask you if you know some way to present the "wonder machine" Cogitus Caesar has found?

2.
"Ren" is in fact an Eldar using some kind of Eldar illusion technology to appear as an extraordinarily tall and beautiful human, who is scouting out the Necrons and also keeping a watchful eye on the acolytes. He is located in a city called Skjærmyssel, near to the spaceport Austskjær. I am not entirely sure of what the Eldar have access to of concealable but powerful weapons, and I am also not entirely sure of how his hidden base should be, appart from a webway portal.

Myshlaevsky
2009-02-16, 06:12 PM
Thanks very much for posting this. I'm a big DH and Inquisitor fan, and I always follow threads concerning them.

Zenos
2009-02-16, 09:21 PM
No problem. Wish people made more after session reports, it is really fun to read how a certain group plays, and the plots and devices used by different DM's.

Myshlaevsky
2009-02-16, 09:38 PM
Ah, I typed up some opinions on those questions but they were devoured by the forums. I will get round to retyping it tomorrow.

Zenos
2009-02-16, 09:42 PM
Devoured by the forums? That's funny, because I tried to type this up earlier, but it was devoured by the forums, and I waited for using a better PC (which, unfortunately and "coincidentally" had an unpowered mouse at that moment) before retyping it. The second time, however, I took the time to first type everything into Word.

holywhippet
2009-02-16, 09:49 PM
1. The phrase STC is a bit vague. It can refer to blueprints and/or an physical machine which builds the target product. One of the early Gaunt's Ghosts books has a description of an STC. My impression is that they should look as much like a work of art as an functional device. They should be engraved with complex mathematical information which details the principles upon which they work. This is especially important, STCs detail their operations using math because it's a "universal" language. The size would depend on what it actually builds. An STC that makes knives would be a lot smaller than one that makes baneblade tanks.

Necron Pariahs would not being doing that kind of thing themselves. Necrons as a race have no real will of their own. They follow the commands of the C'tan - their gods. Your fake STC does fit in with the kind of tricks the Deceiver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrons#C.27tan) would pull though.

2. It would depend on what path that Eldar follows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldar_(Warhammer_40,000)). You could also make them a Harlequin - the Harlequin's Kiss is a simple, but extremely lethal weapon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldar_Harlequins) and fairly easy to conceal given they are using an illusion.

Kiero
2009-02-17, 06:27 AM
No problem. Wish people made more after session reports, it is really fun to read how a certain group plays, and the plots and devices used by different DM's.

Ask and ye shall receive (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104952)!

Bryn
2009-02-17, 02:39 PM
Dark Heresy: always, always awesome. Nice session report, sounds like it's going well...

1.
The Steel Keep plot will be about one of the Tech-Adepts having found an "STC" which relatively cheaply constructs nanomachines that can be injected into the human bloodstream to make the strongeer, more intelligent and get enhanced regenerative abilities (fast healing), presented as something that can be given to your average IG to make them as tough as a xenos.
It is in fact a necron construction made to seem like an Imperial machine, and takes over the subjects mind and soul after a few days. This is a ploy by Necron Pariahs to spread allies throughout the Imperial system to mess up orders and generally make it easier for the Necrons to harvest mankind.
I am not sure if it is what the canonical Necrons would do, but it is still an alien ploy, so at least it makes a plot hook, also introduces them to the fact Nidheim is a tomb world.
But I am not sure of how to present the "STC", I don't even know the average size of an STC. So I ask you if you know some way to present the "wonder machine" Cogitus Caesar has found?
My first thought is 'an STC (fragment)? That is an extremely serious find. High-ranking techpriests will be all over it, and the AdMech will stop at nothing to protect it. Whoever found it (Cogitus Caesar, I guess) will get huge rewards. To the AdMech, an STC, or at least a fragment of it, is the absolute most important thing they can possibly find. (of course, all these people will be in for a very nasty surprise when the Necrons appear :smallamused:)


The Adeptus Mechanicus make it their quest to collate and utilise STC print-outs. The STC is their equivalent to the font of all knowledge (which is exactly what it was intended to be). Ancient recovered print-outs from STCs are regarded as sacred texts.
...
Any rumours of a working STC are taken at their word and expeditions are sent to locate it. If a working STC could be found, it would revolutionize the entire Imperium. The technologies lost during the Age of Strife would bring humankind back to its zenith of power, pushing the boundaries of the Imperium further, and emasculating the aliens threatening mankind.
Lexicanum on STCs (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/STC)

Assuming you want the stakes to be that high, then the actual fluff on what an STC looks like varies quite a lot. Lexicanum tells me that it's simply a computer system, but the Gaunts' Ghosts novel First and Only has the STC as an actual factory capable of producing the Men of Iron autonomously.

In this case, it may be sensible to have the STC capable of producing the 'nanobots', as the Imperium, even the Mechanicus, might have a hard time following the plans with its own technology. Therefore, you'd have a vast and extremely complicated factory type building, probably underground. The Adeptus Mechanicus would probably add incense burners and such but the original machine would predate the Heresy by a lot, so it wouldn't be covered in skulls... but I'm sure you could fit in some cavernous chambers and massive tangles of pipes if you so wished. :smallwink:

It should look significant, reflecting its huge importance, however you describe it.


2.
"Ren" is in fact an Eldar using some kind of Eldar illusion technology to appear as an extraordinarily tall and beautiful human, who is scouting out the Necrons and also keeping a watchful eye on the acolytes. He is located in a city called Skjærmyssel, near to the spaceport Austskjær. I am not entirely sure of what the Eldar have access to of concealable but powerful weapons, and I am also not entirely sure of how his hidden base should be, appart from a webway portal.
The Eldar are rather well-off in terms of battlefield weapons, possibly less so in terms of concealable weapons. Shuriken pistols are as concealable as any other pistol, and pretty effective. They also have sniper rifles. There are a number of close combat weapons, such as power weapons and (for psykers) witchblades. Once again, Lexicanum has detailed information (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Eldar_Weaponry).

I wouldn't expect the Eldar to have too much on the ground - the Eldar are not in the habit of building things. If he has a webway portal he could easily use it to get to a more comfortable home, although it might be that he'd rather not draw attention to it by coming and going. If trying to infiltrate, he could deal with filthy mon'keigh rooms in some hab-complex somewhere rather than having a literally hidden base.

Zenos: The Dark Heresy games I've run: Cult Mechanicus (PbP) (http://z13.invisionfree.com/40K_Online/index.php?showtopic=715) and Smells Like Heresy (IM) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101287).

Myshlaevsky
2009-02-17, 03:12 PM
To be honest, I pretty much back up what Z-Axis has said, particulary regarding question 1.


As far as the Eldar Weaponry goes, there's a lot of choice. The Eldar are an extremely advanced civillisation and it's warriors have, at one point or another, put in dedication beyond that of an entire human lifetime into learning how to use any of multiple extremely effective weapons. All Eldar weapons are psychically reactive, and many are grown from psychoplastics by trained psykers called Bonesingers. I wouldn't be afraid to try out something entirely of your own imagination here.

Zenos
2009-02-17, 06:10 PM
Thanks for the feedback!

I guess the eldar guy will be armed with at least a power dagger and shuriken pistol. To keep up the appearance of being a normal human being he will own a mansion a bit outside of town, with the webway gate situated in the back yard, hidden by the illusion of a waterfall.

Hmmm, I would love to squish in the Orks too, but I am afraid I would have difficulties having scheming and plotting when it comes to a WAAAGH!! Plus my players have enough plot hooks as it is, when you include the Silver Fangs villainous characters.

Hmmm, I could try an entirely new weapon like Sharikov suggests.

And yes, it is going well, the players, whilst pulling off actions I have not prepared for, do the playing pretty well, and luckily I am not all that bad at improvising. For example, the spiffy car.

Zenos
2009-02-20, 03:27 PM
Err, a silly, maybe stupid question:

How much should repainting a car that is able to hold four to six people cost? Aka, the cost for the paint.