The Commander
2011-01-20, 02:35 PM
OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184092&highlight=deathwatch)
(Spoilering to avoid a massive wall of text)
Then:
Months. It had been months since you boarded the black painted thunderhawks of Deathwatch which had in turn ferried you to frigates of great speed and subtlety. You had spent a short time aboard these ships, it's crew of oath-sworn serfs and servitors respectful to you, however silent to any and all questions of time and locations passed. Occasionally you sparred or drilled with the handful of Deathwatch Marines on board, some of which had been from your chapter, however they too remained silent for the most part. Despite not seeing the great Jericho-Maw Warp Gate, you were alerted to it's presence by klaxons and vox alerts and the sudden feeling of being suddenly somewhere else across the galaxy. Despite your training and hardened resolve, it is still somewhat unsettling, especially without the aid of the ship's Gellar Field. The klaxons and vox alerts continue for a short time, signalling the ship's transit through the Well of Night: the deadly area of space in which no ship save for the cruiser class warship of the Adeptus Mechanicus, used as a relay point for passing ships, should tarry for too long. Some time after the klaxons had died down and the ship returned to normal duties, you hear an announcement that you have reached Watch Fortress Erioch: the grand space bastion that serves as Deathwatch's headquarters, it's exact location only known to a few dozen navigators and trusted captains.
Disembarking from the ship is the final reminder that you have left your old life in your old chapter behind; perhaps temporarily, perhaps permanently. Other recruits from various Chapters disembarked with you and you were led to a small assembly area next to the void dock. You steeled yourself as a large Deathwatch Marine approached you moments after you had all been accounted for. A Space Wolf emblem engraved on his right shoulder pauldron, the rest of his armor black and his left arm silver incorporated with the Deathwatch emblem; signified his membership to Deathwatch. His flowing red hair was braided into three ponytails down his back and a shaggy red beard coated his face. His voice was jolly, but assertive, and his face showed years of battle scars and faded memories and his eyes gave off a twinkle of pleasure as he sized you all up.
"Welcome to Watch Fortress Erioch! I am Watch Captain Grimshanks and I have been assigned to oversee your training into Deathwatch! You've also got me to thank for your recruitment! You've all come from different backgrounds and Chapters, but now you will be reforged into another. A Deathwatch Marine! This is by no means an easy task and long trials await you on your journey, but I have faith that you will make it."
A smile creeped across Grimshank's face.
"You were all summoned here because you've proved yourself above your Brothers, however you are but neophytes to me. Perhaps one day you also be a Captain... and eternal peace will rule throughout the Imperium! HAHA!"
You and the recruits let our a roar of laughter at the Watch Captain's joke. He let the laughter die down before speaking again.
"Ah, but enough of that thought. You must all be eager to begin your training! Even if you are not, gather your things and meet me again in Training Hall B. Deathwatch training begins in one hour. Serfs will show you to your quarters in the mean time. Welcome to Deathwatch!"
After being led away and shown your quarters, which was nothing more than a small room with a raised stone platform for a bed and housings for weapons, armor and keepsakes, you and the rest of the recruits, which had also been housed next to you, made your way to Training Hall B.
What you experienced during training is best left untold. What you thought were ardous trials beforehand to merely join the Adeptus Astartes were trivial compared to the trials of Deathwatch training. Long weeks you were forced to study countless varients of Xenos without sleep or sustinance. Live combat simulations were you had nothing but a combat knife to battle some deadly Death world creature. Countless days you spent drilling with your fellow recruits in countless combat situations. Not all of your fellow recruits survived and their loss was mourned, only to be replaced with a burning determination to survive where others failed. All of these storms were weathered against you and yet you emerged triumphant. It was a day of great pride for you and the other recruits who survived training to have your armor painted black, the Deathwatch emblem engraved on your left shoulder pauldron, and to be welcomed into the ranks of Deathwatch by your Watch Captain. The final part of your induction into the ranks of Deathwatch was done solely by yourself, as you were brought before the giant adamantine plated doors of the Omega Vault and took the Oath of Vigil. In quiet contemplation upon completion of the Oath, you wondered what lies beyond these sealed vaults, what mysteries they contain and whether or not those mysteries should ever be revealed. You then left the Vault to meditate on your Oath.
Now:
You are all drilling together in a live combat exercise when the call goes out over the Internal Vox System for your Kill-Team, Kill-Team Alpha Gamma, to assemble in Briefing Theatre A. The exercise isn't particularly challenging; a group of servitors armed with blades and saws. You finish them off and make your way to the Briefing Theatre.
Watch Captain Grimshanks is standing at the end of the small Theatre next to a Cogitator and welcomes you as you come in.
"Brothers! It seems we have a mission for your Kill-Team! This one comes from the Inquisitor of the Chamber!"
Grimshanks presses a few buttons on the Cogitator and holo-projectors hidden in the floor and ceiling project the 3D image of a planet in front of you. The planet seems to be heavily built upon and you can make out dozens of tall spires jutting out of Hives dotted around the planet.
"This planet is called Helmora. It's a Hive World located far Coreward in The Jericho Reach. According to reports given to me by the Inquisitor of the Chamber, the Ordo Hereticus dispatched an Inquisitor Xander and his Acolytes to Helmora three weeks ago. The reason for this dispatch was a series of murders of PDF commanders and other high ranking military officials on the planet which the local Arbites could not make any sense of.
Neither the Inquisitor or the Acolytes have been heard from in over a week and their last transmission did not suggest that they were entering a period of Vox Silence. Unfortunately there isn't much of their investigation to go by; all they had found out was that all the victims had been made to suffer greatly before death, had been placed in a location to gather the most attention and had all been killed with great precision. Of course, such grizzly and unexplained murders, coupled with the unexplained Vox silence of the Inquisitor and his Acolytes, has caused the Inquisitor of the Chamber to come to Deathwatch for assistance.
You will be transported to the main Hive on Helmora, Mort, by Thunderhawk Gunship, which is where the Inquisitor and his Acolytes were based. Your mission is to locate and safe-guard the Inquisitor and his Acolytes and assist them in their investigation. If something has happened to them, you are to discover their fate, relay a message back to the Inquisitor of the Chamber and remain on Helmora until a new Inquisitor can arrive to take over investigations. You are then to protect the new Inquisitor and their Acolytes until they are finished with their investigation. It perhaps goes without saying that you are to minimise collateral damage as much as possible.
Helmora lies far Corewards, so it is believed that any threat encountered will either be individually heretical or cult heretical. Other threats possibly include Daemons and, although very unlikely this far Corewards and in such a subtle manner, the Tau. Requisition has been set to 50 for each of you, for this mission. Any good Kill-Team also needs a leader to lead them into battle! A good Oath always strengthens the heart and directs the mind when on a mission, so before you go, you must choose both a leader and an Oath to take. Any questions?"
Watch Captain Grimshanks then leaves the floor open for questions.
Summary:
Locate the Inquisitor and his Acolytes - Primary Objective
If they are alive, protect them - Primary Objective
If they are dead, relay news to Inquisitor of the Chamber - Primary Objective
If they are dead, await new Inquisitor and Acolytes and protect them - Primary Objective
Minimise Collateral Damage (try not to blow up buildings and kill civilians) - Secondary Objective
Assist in Investigations - Tertiary Objective
Requisition - 50 for each of you
Ask questions now and choose a leader and Oath. Then choose equipment.
(Spoilering to avoid a massive wall of text)
Then:
Months. It had been months since you boarded the black painted thunderhawks of Deathwatch which had in turn ferried you to frigates of great speed and subtlety. You had spent a short time aboard these ships, it's crew of oath-sworn serfs and servitors respectful to you, however silent to any and all questions of time and locations passed. Occasionally you sparred or drilled with the handful of Deathwatch Marines on board, some of which had been from your chapter, however they too remained silent for the most part. Despite not seeing the great Jericho-Maw Warp Gate, you were alerted to it's presence by klaxons and vox alerts and the sudden feeling of being suddenly somewhere else across the galaxy. Despite your training and hardened resolve, it is still somewhat unsettling, especially without the aid of the ship's Gellar Field. The klaxons and vox alerts continue for a short time, signalling the ship's transit through the Well of Night: the deadly area of space in which no ship save for the cruiser class warship of the Adeptus Mechanicus, used as a relay point for passing ships, should tarry for too long. Some time after the klaxons had died down and the ship returned to normal duties, you hear an announcement that you have reached Watch Fortress Erioch: the grand space bastion that serves as Deathwatch's headquarters, it's exact location only known to a few dozen navigators and trusted captains.
Disembarking from the ship is the final reminder that you have left your old life in your old chapter behind; perhaps temporarily, perhaps permanently. Other recruits from various Chapters disembarked with you and you were led to a small assembly area next to the void dock. You steeled yourself as a large Deathwatch Marine approached you moments after you had all been accounted for. A Space Wolf emblem engraved on his right shoulder pauldron, the rest of his armor black and his left arm silver incorporated with the Deathwatch emblem; signified his membership to Deathwatch. His flowing red hair was braided into three ponytails down his back and a shaggy red beard coated his face. His voice was jolly, but assertive, and his face showed years of battle scars and faded memories and his eyes gave off a twinkle of pleasure as he sized you all up.
"Welcome to Watch Fortress Erioch! I am Watch Captain Grimshanks and I have been assigned to oversee your training into Deathwatch! You've also got me to thank for your recruitment! You've all come from different backgrounds and Chapters, but now you will be reforged into another. A Deathwatch Marine! This is by no means an easy task and long trials await you on your journey, but I have faith that you will make it."
A smile creeped across Grimshank's face.
"You were all summoned here because you've proved yourself above your Brothers, however you are but neophytes to me. Perhaps one day you also be a Captain... and eternal peace will rule throughout the Imperium! HAHA!"
You and the recruits let our a roar of laughter at the Watch Captain's joke. He let the laughter die down before speaking again.
"Ah, but enough of that thought. You must all be eager to begin your training! Even if you are not, gather your things and meet me again in Training Hall B. Deathwatch training begins in one hour. Serfs will show you to your quarters in the mean time. Welcome to Deathwatch!"
After being led away and shown your quarters, which was nothing more than a small room with a raised stone platform for a bed and housings for weapons, armor and keepsakes, you and the rest of the recruits, which had also been housed next to you, made your way to Training Hall B.
What you experienced during training is best left untold. What you thought were ardous trials beforehand to merely join the Adeptus Astartes were trivial compared to the trials of Deathwatch training. Long weeks you were forced to study countless varients of Xenos without sleep or sustinance. Live combat simulations were you had nothing but a combat knife to battle some deadly Death world creature. Countless days you spent drilling with your fellow recruits in countless combat situations. Not all of your fellow recruits survived and their loss was mourned, only to be replaced with a burning determination to survive where others failed. All of these storms were weathered against you and yet you emerged triumphant. It was a day of great pride for you and the other recruits who survived training to have your armor painted black, the Deathwatch emblem engraved on your left shoulder pauldron, and to be welcomed into the ranks of Deathwatch by your Watch Captain. The final part of your induction into the ranks of Deathwatch was done solely by yourself, as you were brought before the giant adamantine plated doors of the Omega Vault and took the Oath of Vigil. In quiet contemplation upon completion of the Oath, you wondered what lies beyond these sealed vaults, what mysteries they contain and whether or not those mysteries should ever be revealed. You then left the Vault to meditate on your Oath.
Now:
You are all drilling together in a live combat exercise when the call goes out over the Internal Vox System for your Kill-Team, Kill-Team Alpha Gamma, to assemble in Briefing Theatre A. The exercise isn't particularly challenging; a group of servitors armed with blades and saws. You finish them off and make your way to the Briefing Theatre.
Watch Captain Grimshanks is standing at the end of the small Theatre next to a Cogitator and welcomes you as you come in.
"Brothers! It seems we have a mission for your Kill-Team! This one comes from the Inquisitor of the Chamber!"
Grimshanks presses a few buttons on the Cogitator and holo-projectors hidden in the floor and ceiling project the 3D image of a planet in front of you. The planet seems to be heavily built upon and you can make out dozens of tall spires jutting out of Hives dotted around the planet.
"This planet is called Helmora. It's a Hive World located far Coreward in The Jericho Reach. According to reports given to me by the Inquisitor of the Chamber, the Ordo Hereticus dispatched an Inquisitor Xander and his Acolytes to Helmora three weeks ago. The reason for this dispatch was a series of murders of PDF commanders and other high ranking military officials on the planet which the local Arbites could not make any sense of.
Neither the Inquisitor or the Acolytes have been heard from in over a week and their last transmission did not suggest that they were entering a period of Vox Silence. Unfortunately there isn't much of their investigation to go by; all they had found out was that all the victims had been made to suffer greatly before death, had been placed in a location to gather the most attention and had all been killed with great precision. Of course, such grizzly and unexplained murders, coupled with the unexplained Vox silence of the Inquisitor and his Acolytes, has caused the Inquisitor of the Chamber to come to Deathwatch for assistance.
You will be transported to the main Hive on Helmora, Mort, by Thunderhawk Gunship, which is where the Inquisitor and his Acolytes were based. Your mission is to locate and safe-guard the Inquisitor and his Acolytes and assist them in their investigation. If something has happened to them, you are to discover their fate, relay a message back to the Inquisitor of the Chamber and remain on Helmora until a new Inquisitor can arrive to take over investigations. You are then to protect the new Inquisitor and their Acolytes until they are finished with their investigation. It perhaps goes without saying that you are to minimise collateral damage as much as possible.
Helmora lies far Corewards, so it is believed that any threat encountered will either be individually heretical or cult heretical. Other threats possibly include Daemons and, although very unlikely this far Corewards and in such a subtle manner, the Tau. Requisition has been set to 50 for each of you, for this mission. Any good Kill-Team also needs a leader to lead them into battle! A good Oath always strengthens the heart and directs the mind when on a mission, so before you go, you must choose both a leader and an Oath to take. Any questions?"
Watch Captain Grimshanks then leaves the floor open for questions.
Summary:
Locate the Inquisitor and his Acolytes - Primary Objective
If they are alive, protect them - Primary Objective
If they are dead, relay news to Inquisitor of the Chamber - Primary Objective
If they are dead, await new Inquisitor and Acolytes and protect them - Primary Objective
Minimise Collateral Damage (try not to blow up buildings and kill civilians) - Secondary Objective
Assist in Investigations - Tertiary Objective
Requisition - 50 for each of you
Ask questions now and choose a leader and Oath. Then choose equipment.