Blasphemus Side Stories

[Last1]

The air on Malchit was foul – a stinking quagmire born from the odd mix of industrial production, and the somewhat toxic plantlife native to the planet. It was an odd, and at times oddly beautiful, planet. It was seized from the forces of the Alien a mere one thousand three hundred years ago and soon after made into a stronghold of the Ecclesiarchy, but in the generations sense the strong ties between the Nobility and the Adeptus Mechanicus had slowly transformed it into a near Forge World. The class between the two, both politically and architecturally should have been a mess, but somehow the often warring factions made managed to unify on Malchit.

Together they were greater then they could be apart – which was important to both factions as it became clear over the intervening centuries the nobility of Malchit was, despite what virtues of intelligence and forethought they had been blessed with, insane. They were given to grand insights one moment, and sick social experiments the next. And they couldn’t just be ignored, or sidetracked – they very genius that had let them form their original odd alliance with the Mechanicus let them continue to game the system and maintain their stranglehold on the planet.

The greatest and most important city on Malchit is Vancord. Built of grand soaring architecture, and filled with the chatering of machine spirits, is was made up of ghettos surrounding several centers of greater prosperity – a violent place perhaps, but it seemed to wear it’s scars with pride, to say, ‘on me, this looks good.’

It was on the last day of Hammer of Dominion’s stay on Malchit that a message was called to the Lady Anastasia form Baron Adjis Izen, calling her to attend him on a matter of some delicacy, and promising reward if he would take a problem off his hands.

[Greystone]

(In my eyes this happened some time ago, near the end of my first mission as a Rogue Trader)

Lady Anastasia flicked her long silverhair over her shoulder as she readjusted her breastplate for the third time. She still wasn't used to the piece of armor, as even at the height of the invasion of her home planet she was behind the lines most of the time.

Her vehicale came to the home that housed the good Baron, and she stepped out- flanked by two guards. She made an awe-inspiring sight- pure Rogue Trader. She was tall with mastercraft armor and finery of the richest reds and deepest black. The guards were both large men, Elite guardsmen. They two wore carapace armor- but theirs covered their head and face with an ominous rebreather mask. Both shouldered hotshot lasguns.

Anastasia walked directly up to the house and one of her guards knocked three times on the door.

[Last1]

There was a long silent moment as the gates auspex studied the guards and the Lady Anastasia, then the gate raised itself in utter silence, broken a moment later by the soft sound of footsteps. A living statue – a Janus Simulacra crafted as breathtakingly beautiful statue of a lowly acolyte made it’s way to the gathered guests with the soft hum of internal machinery.

“The Master is pleased that you accepted his invitation. This thing has been sent to guild you. If you are ready to be guided to the Master please say so. If you have any questions, please state them now.”

It just stood there, unblinking, waiting for the Lady’s response.

Hmm, I was sort of thinking that I was a rather new to the crew - that I haddn't been with you for much time at all really.

[Greystone]

Anastasia looked at the thing with a raised eyebrow. "No... except how much does something like yourself cost?"

Alright... then I suppose that she was uncomfortable in carapace armor because she didn't wear it often. She recently had a near death experience that forced her to always wear her armor.

[Last1]

The Servitor answered in the exact same tone it had made it’s earlier statements in, “This thing was commissioned by the Master to the Magos Jailos for a cost of 32,435 Thrones.”

A moment later, it repeated its message, “The Master is pleased that you accepted his invitation. This thing has been sent to guild you. If you are ready to be guided to the Master please say so. If you have any questions, please state them now.”

It continued standing at attention, awaiting for the Lady’s response.

[Greystone]

Anastasia sighs and nods "Guide away"

[Last1]

With a sub-audible hum the servitor turned and began making its way through the grand halls of the Baron’s estate. Every nock and cranny seemed to be packed to the point of overflowing with reliquaries and icons. Light fell into the hallways from both sides through impossible grand stained glass widows depicturing famous scenes from Imperial history of saints performing miracles and the grand armies of mankind clashing with it’s countless foes – scenes so breathtakingly detailed that only the artist machines of the Adaptus Machanicus could have possible created such fantastic tapestries caught in glass, and kept perpetually well lit through powerful outside lights. The air was sweet with the smell of incense, and filled with a low constant murmur of prayer from equally sweet-voiced castrati.

The machine lead Anastasia to what was either a private chapel, or study – perhaps it filled both functions considering the obvious profound devotion to the Imperial Creed that Baron Adjis cleaved to. A short, swarthy man sat at the working desk, practical calluses competing with ink stained fingers. A faint ringing sound filled the air as the servitor crossed into the room, as if from some hidden bell, and the baron stood and turned to face Anastasia.

On another man, his features would have been ugly – but another man would not have had the almost palatable focused air about himself that the baron carried with him, or the hawk-like intensity of his eyes, eyes that were now ringed by dark circles. Despite whatever was weighing on his mind, he bowed graciously to the Lady Anastasia as due her station.

“Greetings lady. I hope your journey through out city was not too unpleasant – this was once a much more devote place then it is now, and I apologize if some of the things you must have seen on your way here offended your sensibilities, but I need a service only someone like you can provide.”

“You see,” he said, looking away, at a window depicting the scene of a saint forcing some many limbed monster down a hole in the ground, every arm covered in chains, “I need to know what it will cost me for you to take my daughter away.”

[Greystone]

"Oh no, the ride was fine" She shrugged "You'll find my sensibilities are-" she pauses, and seems to think momentarily "Take away your daughter?"

[Last1]

Some of the barons intensity seemed to fade for a moment as he withdraw into his own thoughts. “Our blood, there is something… wrong in our blood, going all the way back to the families that founded Malchit. We have more then our share of brilliant leaders, but in turn we have produced more then our share of monsters. I always felt, as my father before me, and his father before him, though no further back then that, that it was an issue best faced head on, through faith and devotion to the Imperial Creed.”

“You must understand, I love my daughter, I had though she had overcome her personal demons and their twisted temptations some years ago - I don’t know the specifics, but my daughter removed herself from the circles where our peers celebrate their deviancy and lack of respect for the Ecclesiarchy and the God-Emperor. Then a few months ago my daughter…” he seemed to break up a little, and his voice paused before he could continue, “she started to revert, and… well you know how rumors are. I can’t have that, I can’t. She isn’t my only child, she has brothers and sisters, younger ones who look up to her. My firstborn son is good and devote, and her older sister has set out to serve the Emperor as a tech-priest, but… I will not allow the seeds of corruption to set root in this family.”

“I can pay you, for your to take her - and make sure you leave this planet will your hold filled with goods - I have strong connections to both the Ecclesiarchy and the Adaptus Mechanicus. And my daughter would not be a useless tag-along. She‘s smart and will-learned, and she‘s enhanced that with some of the Blessings that the Mechanicus will allow those not sworn to their ranks accesses to.”

[Greystone]

Anastasia strokes her chin thoughtfully. She turns her back momentarily to look at one of the glass windows. The seconds drag on as she seems to contemplate his offer.

"Where is she now?"

[Last1]

He moved out into the hall and gestured for them to fallow. “This way,” he said, leading them through the ornate corridors and up stairs. On the third landing he turned off onto a side passage, then he turned off to head down a side passage. He stop a moment later, but the reason why was obvious, they had reach their destination. The door was guarded by two larger servitors, as beautiful and ornate as the valet servitor, but these ones were obviously made for security and defense.

The door itself was covered in holy-script and a incense burner was set outside the door. While it was undoubtedly nicer then what a peasant would have, the whole setup was undeniably similar to the kinds of superstitious talismans some gullible yeomen would buy to drive the deviancy out of a favored son. Whatever powers of drive or force of personality the baron could bring to bare, he was also obviously a man ruled by the rhetoric’s of fear the priesthood favored. His hesitated outside the door for a long moment, then opened it and stepped inside.

The room was quite spartan, with a comfortably looking but basic cot and a desk with writing paper, and several books that belonged more on the shelf of some monk then as the only reading material being given to a young lady. The lady in question looked up from her writings as the baron entered, and said in a dry tone, “How lovely, guests. I see father doesn’t mind not showing me at my best.”

She stood up to face Anastasia and gave a slight bow, more of the kind a gentlemen might give then a lady’s. She had her fathers olive complexion, but while the harsh cast of her fathers features seemed crude on him, mitigated only by the utter grace he held himself with, on her they came across as darkly regal, almost classically handsome in a way unusual on a women. She was slightly taller then her father, though the baron was slightly short for a man. She might have had an impressive physical presence, if she wasn’t so naturally willowy, further aggravated by how she seemed to have physically wasted away while imprisoned by her family.

She was dressed in simple linins, and looked at Anastasia questioningly.

[Greystone]

Anastasia nodded to the Baron, and entered the room. Her two guards looked at each other then tapped the Baron on the shoulder.

"Milady needs to be alone with your daughter" they hold the door open long enough for him to step out, before closing it behind them.

Anastasia walked forwards and did a quick semicircle around the other girl, studying her like a hawk studies prey. Spartan room, punishment. Books, ecclisearchal nonsense. Interesting.

Anastasia steps back "I am Lady Anastasia Novia. Your father has offered me quite a hefty sum to take you off his hands. Why?" she holds up a hand "Full truth, I need to know you"

[Last1]

"Why..." she mulled over the question a moment, then decided to how she would anwser, "because he feels I have turned my back on the Emperor. I haven't, but father cleaves to that nonsense great-grandfather allways espouted, how we're cursed."

"It's nonsense," she said with conviction.

"I have interests that my father disapproves of - but then, he isn't a very practical man."

She shrugged again. "So father is sending me away? Typical."

She turned and gustured at the books on the table. "Take these holy texts. They seem very generic, and they are. They are all Sandail. I'm not sure how familar you are will all the variations within the Imperial Creed, but Sandail is just about the most generic form it takes - it's not that popular with the serious theologans, as it is the unhappy marage between to earrier creeds, but not being internally cohearent isn't a problem if you are unwilling to question."

She turned back, and looked Anastasia in the eye, her eyes gliming with fevor, "The Emperor deserves more then simple retoric. He deserves more then empty fear, The world, this universe is bigger and grander then such regurgitated fear allows!"

She was almost spiting by that point, working herself up into a frenzy, "To FEAR is to STEAL - for we do not belong to ourself, we BELONG to the GOD-EMPEROR. To fear is take take away from oneself, to make oneself small, to make MANKIND LESS. That is nothing less then THEFT," she slammed her hand into the wall, leaving bloody trails, "THEFT from the EMPEROR OF MANDKIND HIMSELF!"

She panted for several minites more, then seemed to compose herself. "Yes, my father is a very small-minded man. I suppose I could speak of our exact theological disagreements, but unless I'm mistaken, you are they type who lives for the glory of the God-Emperor, rather then the kind who studies the scriputures."

I'm working today, I'm leaving in about 20 minites, and I won't be back for around seven hours, so you don't need to be in a hurry to respond.

[Greystone]

"Heh" Anastasia leans back and studies her with a new eye "I suppose that is as true as you could get"

She stops then grins "I am a Rogue Trader, warranted by the Imperium to take its light to the stars" she offers a hand "Care to join me?"

[Last1]

She folded her hands in frount of her, not noticing the mess the bloody one made on the other, or on her shift. She looked around the room for a long moment, then turned, stared the Rogue Trader in the eye, and nodded once.

"Yes. Yes, I would like that."

She smiled a real smile for the first time, "Please, bust me out of this joint."

[Greystone]

"Good" she turns "Follow me"

She walks out into the hall and asks the Baron "Fill my ship as you promised. I'll take her"

[Last1]

So I think this is fin. Should we point the other player here so they can also do their own little backstories?