Dark Heresy: Coming Darkness

[SublimeShadow]

'Chaos claims the unwary or the incomplete. A true man may flinch away its embrace, if he is stalwart, and he girds his soul with the armour of contempt." - Gideon Ravenor, The Spheres of Longing


DARK HERESY: COMING DARKNESS
Introduction:
"Grim Destiny"


You awaken once more to find yourselves in a wide, circular, high-sided pit, perhaps some fifteen meters across, along with a number of fellow captives. The ground is covered with moist, reeking sand and is littered with broken bones and other detritus. Set into the rusted metal walls at irregular intervals are spiked and studded iron grates of varying shapes and sizes and flickering lumen globes recessed behind heavy mesh. Some six meters above you, the walls of the pit are topped with saber-like, inward curving blades and loose coils of corroded razor-wire. Beyond that is darkness from which you can hear the distant rumble of heavy machinery.

[Caimheul]

Fething lying smugglers... shoulda known better than to trust them... not that I had much choice Dross shakes his head as he stands up, tubes connecting into his neck flexing, trying to clear the remaining cobwebs. He pats himself down, quickly taking inventory of what he was left with. Blood on the walls, and people I don't know... Better find a weapon... Dross begins searching through the bones and debris on the floor, hoping to find something to defend himself with.

Search: 31/2 = 15 vs [roll0]
... good thing my head is attached to my shoulder with tubes...

[SublimeShadow]

Aside from fellow captives here and there, shards and chunks of bone, as well as tattered clothing, belts, and straps in varying states of decay are strewn about in the filthy, moist sand. Men and women in a plethora of different degrees of decrepitude blearily eye you with half-hearted curiosity.

[Destro_Yersul]

The first word out of the red robed man's mouth when he opened his eyes was 'Frak.' Acerbus pushed himself to his feet, looking around at the pit. Six meters. Too high to climb without a ladder of some sort. The priest reached for his old grapnel, but it was gone, of course. They had taken everything else, too. He'd have to find some way out of here. What was there in this pit?

Bones, straps, and stinking filth. Sighing, Acerbus picked up one of the more intact belts. It might come in handy later, you never knew. With a shrug, he tucked the belt inside his robes and went searching for something a little more sturdy. Perhaps someone had forgotten a weapon of some sort down here...

search roll, if needed. [roll0]

[Caimheul]

Dross picks up the most club-like bone he can find. Feth. Well, this will have to do. Now, how to get out of here... Keeping one eye on the other prisoners, he starts to gather up the sturdiest straps and belts he can find.

[Thanatos 51-50]

When Viktor Solomon Wolfe de Umbra-Vindicus first came to, he was face down in the dirt. In a flash of motion, though, he had jolted upright, landing on all limbs and swiftly moved his right hand to his hip - as if he were reaching for a sword.
Unsurprisingly, it found no purchase, instead fingers curling around a grip not there - except for his index finger which was already laying flat, as if against the body of a rifle.
Gone. Should have expected that. Protocol.

I'm going to kill you for this, Alex.

The Nobleman stood up and dusted himself off, putting an eye to his surroundings.
"So, is everybody just going to curse and scrabble for pieces of belt, or are we going to pool our resources?" he asked, as close-to-casually as possible. "Unless the extent of our resources is cursing and belts, of course. In which case, carry on."
Not that this was a casual situation at all, and it was far, far from what Viktor was used to doing, but a sharp injection of "Normalcy" might be just enough for everyone to get their heads on straight.

As he spoke, Viktor assumed a sitting position and began looking up, attempting to judge the distance between the wall spikes and eye any weak, rusty spots towards the base of the blades.
"How about we start with this: where the frak are we?"

[roll0]

[Caimheul]

"Somewhere things don't live long. Unless you see a better rope building materials around here, belts and straps are the next best thing." Dross snaps back. Great, another high and mighty type.

[ArcaneStomper]

Opening his eyes to the gloomy pit Tybalt immediately proceeded to run what little diagnostics he could on himself. Once he was satisfied that he was more or less intact he surveyed his surroundings. Ignoring the other captives for the moment he ventured towards the lumen globes to see if he could perhaps pry off some of the mesh and get access to them.

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus Kaltos:
Your search turns up nothing but more refuse.

Viktor de Umbra:
Hearing your words a rather physically robust man with greying hair, piercing blue eyes, and what looks like the disheveled remains of a uniform approaches and begins to speak, "I reckon no one knows. Last thing I remember I was at home with m'boy 'n' wife; then..." He gestures at your surroundings.

"Dross":
Congratulations: you are now the proud owner of an improvised bone club. (1d10-2+SB I; Pen 0; Primitive, Unbalanced)

Tybalt:
Though rusty and corroded, the mesh protecting the lumen globes seems impenetrable, at least, without any tools.

EVERYONE:
A distant eerie howling begins to issue from the tunnels protected by the grates set in the wall.

[Caimheul]

Dross stops digging through the debris to grip his club tighter... "I think we might be about to meet the creator of these leftovers... and we might be the next course..."

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Proper intelligence leads to proper planning." the Noble responded to the man with the bone club and the horrific array of tubes, "Proper planning prevents Piss-poor performance. I want to get out of here, too, I just want to figure out how, first."

"That's a lamentable situation. Help me get out of this, and I'll help you get back to your wife and kid." Viktor said, plastering on his most charming smile and extending his hand for a good, firm handshake.
"M'name is Viktor. How long have you been here?"

"And you wouldn't happen to know what that sound heralds, would you?"

[SublimeShadow]

Viktor de Umbra:
"Hard t'say really. Ain't one amongst us I've found with a chrono. Seems they've taken everything of value." He pauses to glance towards the tunnel from which the faint howling emanates. "If I had'ta say I'd guess I've been awake for near an hour now...and there ain't been no howlin'. I don't recognize it neither, but Throne does it sound unpleasant."

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth comes to and sits up. Surveying his surroundings he glances around to his fellow captives. He chuckles slightly seeing the motley crew gathered in this chamber. "Someone is getting desperate." he thinks to himself. Then he slinks to the side of the holding cell where he can watch everybody silently.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt finishes examining the mesh with a sigh. If only he had his tools with him, then he could see about doing some real work.

Moving back to the group in the center he says, "I am Tybalt, we should begin preparing to defend against whatever is making that howling noise. I suggest moving to one of the tunnels and destroying whatever comes out of it then use it and possibly its grating as cover against the rest."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Whatever's making that sound, it sounds like there's a lot of it. Probably better armed than us, too. I'm all for smiting the unholy, but I prefer to live through the process of smiting. Let's see what it is, first." Acerbus gave up on his search for a proper weapon, following the lead of the other and picking up a sturdy looking bone to use as a club.

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus Kaltos"
You now have a improvised bone club (1d10-2+SB I; Pen 0; Primitive, Unbalanced)

Everyone:
The lamps flicker, cutting off for a few moments and then coming back on to shed a weakened light that seems to slowly pulse...almost...like a heartbeat. Very few of your fellow occupants seem to be lucid but those who are look to you for leadership, your actions thusfar, regardless of fruitfulness, show a purpose they are keen to follow.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"I believe our other friends have a point," Viktor said, jerking a thumb at the now-two armed men in the pit.

"Everyone who can, arm yourselves." The Noble shouts to the mostly-unresponsive mass of Humanity in the pit with him, before reaching for a club himself.

"You," he amended, pointing to the man who approached him,
"Let's see if there's a way to climb these walls and break those blades."

[Caimheul]

"Grab the thickest bone you can find, plenty for everyone. Let's buy them some time to find us a way out of this Throne-forsaken pit!" Dross shouts encouragingly. Huh. A privileged fether with a brain...

[SublimeShadow]

The man Viktor has been talking to walks over to one of a segment of the pit's wall. "Looks ta be fairly smooth. I c'not see how anyone alone could manage ta climb it. On top of all that while that wire seems ta be awful rusty those blades look wicked sharp." He scratches at the stubble growing on his chin. "I s'pose working together we could get someone up there, but those blades...ach."

A few of the more lucid inhabitants of the pit have obediently begun scrounging for club-like bone fragments.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Spikes mean handholds and footholds, rust on the blades means a Weak point." Viktor pointed out calmly.
"Plus, if we're on the spike, there's something between us and beasties. We can use them as support for a ladder - get everyone still alive and lucid out."

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora finally stirs, having already been listening the entire time. She stands up and looks about at her follow captives. She shifts her weight from one side to the other then begins to speak calmly, "I do not think that will be neccessary gentlemen. Whatever brought us here would probably have killed us already." She pauses and walks around the chamber. "They want something from us... Or the want us. What is everyone's occupation? Your specialty. We all have to be here for a reason. Perhaps who or what we are is the key... I am gifted with psychic abilities, along with several other skills." she pauses and looks at Viktor, then everyone else in turn, waiting for a response.

[Caimheul]

"Look around you, or do your "immense psychic abilities" prevent you from noticing that we are in what appears to be a pit for blood sports of some kind? They probably didn't kill us because whatever it is prefers live prey or they like watching it kill. Introductions later, or all of us will likely end up on the menu of whatever is making that horrible screeching sound." Dross snaps at the psyker.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt looks at each of the grates trying to determine which one most likely to open first. "I do have to agree with that. Whoever captured us may well have had a reason for doing so in the first place, but this has all the hallmarks of being the pit where they dispose of prisoners they no longer need."

As he speaks Tybalt looks around for passable weapon of his own.

[SublimeShadow]

Tybalt:
You now have a improvised bone club (1d10-2+SB I; Pen 0; Primitive, Unbalanced)

Everyone:
One of the cage gratings in the side walls begins to crank upwards, jamming at the halfway point, revealing a smooth tubular tunnel about a meter across descending downwards at a steep angle into darkness.

[Caimheul]

Seeing the portcullis raise up, Dross starts moving towards the center of the arena facing the entry way. "Alright, all you gak-heads with bones get ready. Psychic girl, any chance you can sense what's coming? How close are you to finding a way out over there?"" a slight sense of excitement creeps into his voice. Good, a fight. Too bad I don't have the controls for my rig...

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth finally decides to take action and finds the sharpest bit of bone or fang he can find. He makes his way over to stand with the others looking into the darkness."I'll go in first if no one else is willing." he says, looking to the others.

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora walks up to the tunnel's entrance and reaches out with her mind, probing for signs of creatures ahead.

Manifest Sense Presence TH: 7
[roll0]

[SublimeShadow]

Varloth:
You've acquired an improvised knife (1d5-1+SB R; Pen 0)

Pandora:
You're technique is perfect...but...strangely...the warp is not with you...the usual sensation of connectivity is completely absent...strange. This must be what it feels like to be a blunt.

Everyone:
A vile, hot stench akin to that of gutted animals issues from the open tunnel as the howling grows closer. The few enabled individuals lucky enough to have scrounged weapons glance at Viktor nervously and expectantly. The man Viktor's been conversing with glances at the half open grate, looks at Viktor, and braces himself while cupping his hands together. He motions with his head, "C'mon, looks like time isn't playin' for our team, up you go."

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora calmly makes her way away from the opening, taking up position in the center of the chamber after finding a bone just in case. "I am afraid my connection to the warp has been severed."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Grate looks stuck. With any luck, whatever comes out of there won't fit," Acerbus points out. "Still, get ready. Everyone with weapons jump on the first thing out. If we outnumber it, we'll have a better chance."

[Caimheul]

"Unless you smuggled in a torch or photovisor, better you stay out here. Besides, if we find a way up, we're leaving and not going to wait around for you to get back." Dross says to the prisoner who volunteered to scout the tunnel.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Up we go!" Viktor replies to his new friend, doing his best to sound cheerful as he carefully commenced making his way up the spikey wall, using whatever bits of the spikes weren't sharp as hand-holds and footholds, and scanning the curved blades topping the pit for one that looked relatively weak at the base.

Sure, the smell issuing forth from the metal tube was un-nerving, but he couldn't let fear stop him from his escape.
"Oh, if food belches forth from the tube -" Viktor said to his friend, with a sudden moment of thought. "Don't eat it. If they're disposing of us, poisoned or rancid meat makes a good way to do it."

[roll0]
Unaware of any bonuses you may be issuing for taking one's time and using 'holds, but half my Strength is 15.5

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt hefted his bone club and waited for whatever beasts were coming to emerge. He trusted in the Omnissiah to protect him, but still he rather wished he had his armor right now.

Suddenly it occurred to him that if they were all focusing on the open grate they might miss something coming from another direction. So he looked around to see if anything else had opened up as well.

[SublimeShadow]

Viktor:
Even with your new friend supporting you your ascent is cut short about half way up. The number of viable handholds dwindle and the series of cuts and scrapes you've accumulated thus far warn you against further endeavor.

Tybalt:
None of the other grates have moved and the noise is very distinctively coming from the half-opened one.

Everyone:
A figure appears at the top of the pit looking down - half hidden in the darkness, shrouded in a dark leather cloak, face covered by an elaborate heron mask of polished bone framed by a spray of golden feathers.

[Caimheul]

"Is this your doing, you fether? Is this how you get your jollies freak?" Dross bellows at the mysterious figure.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Excellent plan. Taunt the man who has us at his mercy." Acerbus shifts the weight of his makeshift club in his hands. "I have a better one. Wait and see what he does and who he is."

[ArcaneStomper]

"Quite likely he is either here to watch us die, or to offer a deal. However until he says something we will not know either way. Until then I suggest we ignore him and concentrate on the more immediate threat of the creatures in the tunnels. Being distracted at this juncture could get us killed."

Tybalt takes his own advice and even while speaking to the others keeps one eye on the open tunnel.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor sneered at the top of the cage before looking back at his assembled fellows.
"You two," he said, indicating the man with the tubes in his neck and another lucid prisoner. "Flank the tube coming out. If any nasties worm their way through, take 'im out. You -" the Arbitrator continued, indexing the Cleric " - How many belts do we have put together - anything we can use as a makeshift rope-and-grapnel?"

"And, whoever he is, he should be happy they took my gun. I'd love to fill his chest with shot. Send Alexander quite the clear message that way."

Do you want a Command Roll? Lemme drop one here, just in case. [roll0]

[Caimheul]

Well at least mister high and mighty has two brain cells..."Here take these." Dross tosses whatever belts and straps he was able to find to the self-important man barking orders. "Should probably get 'psychic girl' to help you, doubt she's much use in a brawl. You taking the right flank big guy?" the last he address to the hulking 7 foot tall prisoner.

[Goblinsplitter]

"If it keeps that blabbermouth dandy quiet, I'll do it." Varloth says as he takes up a position next to the tube's entrance, gripping the sharp bit of bone in his baseball mitt sized hands.

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora just stands there somewhat bored with everything going on around her. The only thing that really concerns her though is the disconnect with the warp she is currently experiencing. Upon hearing the gruff loud mouth's remark she thinks to herself, I will make him regret those words... One way or another. Then she makes her way over to help with constructing a rope of some sort, grudgingly of course.

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
The inhuman howling becomes a frenzied cacophony of screams as a writhing tide of bone and meat erupts from the darkness of the tunnel. Struggling and tearing at each other in their haste to reach the pit are a pack of hideous creatures, lean, feral things of jutting bone and red-glistening muscle caging organs that pulse and shudder beneath their transparent, membranous skin. The first one leaps from the tunnel mouth and onto the filthy sands of the pit, rearing up on two legs, tail lashing as its blind, equine skull probes the air around it in search of prey. Behind it, its fellows are caught struggling against the half-open grate, none willing to give quarter and allow the others through ahead for the feast. The mysterious, Heron-masked man has disappeared.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth leaps forward silently and stabs at the blind horse-dog creature with his improvised bone knife. Ahh... The thrill of the fight. Today is a good day to die. Varloth thinks to himself, smirking even as he lunges at the creature.

Ignore this if I am acting out of order or something, just seemed like it was open to anyone to act. Hope I got these rolls right...
Initiative: [roll0]
WS (32): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] (-1 improvised, +4 S)

[Destro_Yersul]

"Bit of a moot point, now, I think. Doubt most of these would bear weight anyways." The cleric eyed the pack of dog things, and looked down at the rough bone in his hand. This was not a good way to start things off.

"Almost be better to wrap them around your hands to protect from the blades. ANyone here any good at climbing?"

[Caimheul]

Not how I want to die... but as good a way as any. Dross strikes at the thing's flanks.
Initiative: [roll0]
To Hit: WS [roll1] vs 39
Damage: [roll2]

[SublimeShadow]

Despite the relative stealth with which Varloth moves, the creature hears him coming. The instant his feet lift from the sand the creature's head snaps towards him and meets him head on with a bite.
[roll0]
damage: [roll1] R
Varloth's blow lands and draws a wretched yelp from the bizarre animal. This call coincides with Dross' arrival, and that of his improvised club, though the strike never lands.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Hmmm." Looking on at the horrible things issuing from the tunnel, the priest made a decision. He wasn't very good at climbing, but there had to be a way up to the top of this pit.

"You and you," Acerbus said, pointing at the closest other prisoners not fighting the hound thing. "Give me a hand up." With that, he picked up a few more leather belts from the ground, wrapping them around his hands. That should provide some measure of protection from the blades, and a couple other belts might serve as good climbing aids.

Acerbus really hoped this would work.

untrained climb check go! [roll0] base skill is 16, barring any modifiers for help, creative use of belts, etc.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth continues his assault of the creature, aiming for what he suspects to be a vital area.

[roll0] vs 32
[roll1]

[Caimheul]

Dross takes a second to adjust his hold on his club, and attempts to aim his next attack better. "For the Emperor!" He roars as he swings again.
Half action Aim: +10 WS
Attack: [roll0] vs 49 (WS 39+10)[edit: Should actually be vs 59, WS 39 + 10 for aiming +10 for outnumbering 2:1
Damage: [roll1]

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
With so much support the climb is relatively safe. You navigate three quarters of the way up the wall.

Dross and Varloth:
Varloth's stab slides off the creature's hide but serves to distract it; allowing Dross' club to land quite soundly; drawing a cry of pain and a wet cracking noise.

Everyone:
The animal Dross and Varloth have been fighting sinks to the ground in an expanding pool of its own strangely colored blood. Just as Dross delivers the killing blow another creature manages to press through the mass of bodies at the grate and enters the pit. Pouncing on a nearby woman who whimpered at the sight of it.

[Caimheul]

"Die you fiend!" Dross moves to the new threat and attacks it, hoping to take care of it before it shifts its aim to him.
[roll0] vs 39(Unless I'm 4 meters away, in which case I charge for +10 WS)
Damage: [roll1]

[Thanatos 51-50]

"We need to find a way to keep the uglies from getting through the gate." Vikotr said, as matter-of-factly as he could. "Too bad we lack anything resembling a grenade, neh?" he observed with a shrug, before turning his attention to the new, already-killing horse-dog-thing.
"Oy! You!" he yelled at the beast, advancing on its fallen comrade, more intent on shouting loudly and drawing attention to himself that actually communicating with the animal, "Why don'tchya come o'er here, eh? Plenty o' delicious Nobleflesh over here, huh?"

The Arbitrator paused only to scoop a sturdy-looking bone bludgeon from the arena floor and dip it in the dead creature's blood.
"C'mere! C'matme!"

[Destro_Yersul]

Acerbus hooked the buckle on one belt over one of the sturdiest looking blades he could find, searching for his next handhold. The leather straps were performing admirably at keeping his hands safe thus far, it seemed, and that pleased him.

"Just a bit further," the cleric muttered to himself, taking hold of a spike. "almost at the top..."

here's another test. [roll0]

well, if the modifiers are the same, that should work. Here's hoping.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
You aim a lethal strike at the creature, but it slips to the side at the last moment, avoiding your blow.

Viktor:
Congratulations: you are now the proud owner of an improvised bone club. (1d10-2+SB I; Pen 0; Primitive, Unbalanced)

Acerbus:
With a final effort you clear the edge of the pit. The chamber is dark and sparse aside from the pit. There are some doors recessed in the walls and the ceiling hangs with rusty chains that sway slightly. The only unique aspect is a ramp leading to a control podium enshrined in glass.

[Caimheul]

"Stay still you foul thing!"
Half action Aim
Attack:[roll0] vs 49 (WS 39 + 10 for Half action aim)
Damage: [roll1]

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt had spent the last few moments looking at the grate trying to figure out if there was some way to jam it. Perhaps by killing one of the creatures in it. Reluctantly he came to the conclusion that at the very least blocking the grate would have to wait until the free creature was taken care of. Moving up to it Tybalt swings his club.

Move Half Action
Attack [roll0] vs 41 (31 WS + 10 (Outnumber 2-1))
Damage [roll1]

[Destro_Yersul]

Glancing around for any sign of others, Acerbus moved over to the control podium. The couldn't pull those in the pit up with him, it was too high for that, but perhaps he could find them another way out, or shut the grate the things were attempting to escape from.

Perhaps someone had carelessly left a weapon laying around. Wishful thinking, of course, and not likely to happen. Still, the podium seemed the most likely place to start looking for useful things.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth strikes at the creature again, hoping to land a clean blow.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Thanatos 51-50]

Moving the blood-smeared bone so that it might serve to brace his arm, Viktor let out a wordless war-cry and charged the beast.

He had to do everything he could to save these people, and right now, combat was it.

At the very last second possible, the Noble flipped the bone, aiming to bring it down on the creature, the added speed of the charge bringing about additional force.

I'm not sure if I get a ganging up bonus for this, so only applying the charge bonus to the roll. Correct me if I'm wrong.
If a charge isn't possible rules-wise, then, well...
Move-and-attack, then.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
With a wet sound your bone-dagger slides into the animal, drawing a pained whimper. The creature slumps to the ground, its blood flowing out onto the sand

Tybalt:
As you swing Dross plunges his dagger into the animal and it collapses; clearly dead.

Acerbus:
Inside the booth is an instrument panel, switches and buttons glowing. The floor is sticky with congealing blood and the body of a man weather and leather apron and mask sits with its back resting against the wall. Next to his head is an elegant and simple dagger pinning a piece of parchment to the flakboard he rests on.

Varloth:
You arrive in time to see Dross kill the creature with a devastating blow from his dagger.

Viktor:
Your charge proves unneeded as Dross drops the animal with a simple thrust of his bone-knife.

Everyone Except Acerbus:
Two more of the creatures burst through and head straight for Viktor, his war cry attracting them.

Acerbus (again):
You hear a warcry followed by several unnatural yips and barks.

[Destro_Yersul]

Hmmm. Someone had left a weapon here. That was interesting. Well, since the only other person up here seemed to be dead, Acerbus ignored it for the moment and focused on the control panel. Those sounds hadn't seemed pleasant, and there wasn't a whole lot of time. The cleric experimentally flipped a few of the switches on the panel, then started looking for any sort of labelling system. A way for the others to escape the pit would be nice.

A way to cut off the hound things would be better.

[Caimheul]

Dross's face is stuck in a maniacal grin from the joy of the battle, thrilling at the carnage he is managing with a simple bone club. Now *this* is a fight. Seeing that more creatures have squeezed through the half open grate, Dross prepares to slay these new foes.

If Viktor is now next to Dross, he will wait for the enemies to come to him before attacking. On the other hand if Viktor never charged, Dross will charge the creature closest to him (if further than 4 m of course)
If Dross gets to attack this round: Attack: [roll0] vs (39 if no charge, 49 if charge)
Damage: [roll1]

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth springs towards the nearest beast and stabs at it with his improvised knife, emitting a guttural roar as he does so.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor whopped and hollered at the charging dog things, taking a swing at one and feinting at the other, using the bone to drive it back towards the grate.
"Ha! See them fall before us! Let us be men and purge these foul Xenos!"


[roll1]
[Roll=manuever29
[roll2]

[ArcaneStomper]

Seeing the new threats Tybalt moved to attack them as quickly as possible. He also kept one eye on the rest of the grates. They were doing well against the creatures now, but if all the other grates opened up they'd be overwhelmed.

Move Half Action
Attack [roll0] vs 31
Damage [roll1]

[Shieldbreaker]

Time to get out while the getting is good... Pandora thinks to herself as she starts climbing up the wall.

[roll0]

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
After pressing buttons seemingly at random you are awarded with several whistles and chimes.
Tybalt & Varloth & Dross & Viktor:
Together, you manage to keep the creature at bay, facing multiple opponents seems to be a foreign concept to it. However, Dross and Viktor are unable to score satisfactory hits. It seems a stalemate is reached, until Varloth rushes forth to your aid and sinks his bone-knife into the thing's neck, drawing blood and an unnatural whine. Tybalt joins the fray and finishes the creature with a solid thwack from his club.
Everyone But Acerbus:
With a metallic screech two things happen simultaneously. The grate holding back the creatures begins to withdraw, whatever had jammed it before seemingly no longer an issue. In addition, a metallic ladder descends into the pit, allowing escape for those able to climb it.
Pandora:
Seeing the newly accessible ladder Pandora begins to ascend it.

[Caimheul]

Seeing the combination of the gate spring open and a ladder come crashing down, Dross suddenly grasps at the chance to escape and runs full tilt towards the ladder. "Time to bug out!"

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt is also quick to draw the appropriate conclusions and runs toward the ladder. He calls back over his shoulder as he runs, "I suggest we hurry before the creatures sort themselves out and overwhelm us."

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Get the non-combatants out, first!" Viktor yells over his shoulder, holding his club at the ready.
"Everyone who can fight, hold the line."
[roll0]

[Caimheul]

"If you haven't noticed, this ain't the guard, and I'm not waiting for everyone to wake up. Discretion is the better part of valour!" Dross shouts over his shoulder. Idiot.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Emperor damn these controls," Acerbus muttered to himself. He heard the shouts from those in the pit, though. Either they had a way out now, or they'd soon be food for the creatures. The cleric didn't think there was much more he could do to help. Still, if any of them were trying to climb out, perhaps they could use a hand.

Acerbus made his way back over to the pit, stopping near the edge and looking down into it.

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:

A few of the more lucid and valorous prisoners inside the pit follow Viktor's lead and turn to face the grate in the wall and the creatures emanating from within. Some of the less firm move to drag the still sleeping, or perhaps dead, towards the ladder, their eyes hopefully glancing to the man standing on the rim. While they are no combatants, the line is held, barely, and it seems a few moments have been bought by your fellow captives.

[Destro_Yersul]

Spotting the ladder, Acerbus smiled to himself. He must have done something with that control panel that worked, whatever it might have been. He knelt on the rim of the pit by the ladder, bracing himself with one hand and stretching out the other to help people up out of the pit as they neared the top.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth stands resolute facing the creatures that have now been freed from the opening. He holds the bone knife firmly in his fist with it jutting out between his fingers. He leans forward slightly with his knees bent and feet planted firmly, just itching for some more action. Wait... Why am I listening to Mr. Dandy pants over there? Screw this. Varloth thinks to himself. Then he strides over to the nearest creature and starts stabbing and punching it with a grim smirk on his face.

If anyone offers any protestations or otherwise tries to dissuade him, he cuts them off and tells them to "Frag off!" or to "Go frag yourself", among other colorful phrases.

[roll0]
[roll1]

OOC
If you really want to dissuade Varloth from his current actions post as such. I just added the "cuts them off" part because he would do that to whomever (I'm horribad at english but I think I just used whomever correctly. Go me!) it was that was trying to do as such. So please, if you want Varloth to stop, by all means try to do so.

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora makes her way over to the control readout to see if she can make any sense of it. She gestures to whoever is in front of the controls to skeedaddle and get out of her way.

I don't have the specified skill, but I just roll Intelligence don't I? Here we go!
Int 41
[roll0]

[Caimheul]

Gak, I'm probably going to need help to get out of here...realizing this as he heads towards the ladder, Dross grabs the nearest sleeping/drowsy prisoner and continues towards the exit.

Strength roll: [roll0] vs 34

[ArcaneStomper]

Keeping his hears open for anything that might be approaching, but otherwise more or less ignoring the others for the moment while he concentrated on getting out of the pit Tybalt approaches the ladder and starts to climb up.

Do I need to make a climb check. I mean it's a ladder it should be fairly easy.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Confident now that he had good, Valourous men beside him, Viktor switched his tactics to fight defensively, calling out "Just hold until the others are clear! Just hold!"

Full Defense Action[
Also, another rough headcount of how many men I have fighting with me, how long does the line have to hold?

[SublimeShadow]

Tybalt and Pandora:
You successfully ascend the ladder, with the help of Acerbus. The room is dark and spartan except for the control room encased in glass. Pandora hurries to it and randomly pushes some buttons. She is rewarded with an amber light and a blaring beep.
Acerbus:
You help two individuals up the ladder. What looks like a male techpriest and a young woman apparently devoid of skin pigmentation. The young woman rushes to the control panel you've just left. Another individual begins climbing the ladder. A tough looking brute, who just attempted to drag another individual with him.
Dross:
You find your muscles fail you and your attempts at dragging another human with you are unsuccessful. You're at the bottom of the ladder, already started up.
Varloth:
You rush up to join the melee and single out a creature almost immediately. Your lunging stab lands but doesn't seem to do anything other than hurt and enrage the animal.
Viktor:
Survival seems to have bound quite a few individuals to your command for the time being. Several people in the pit, a rough headcount places the number somewhere around 10, are following your orders.
Everyone:
After a beep heard off in the distance the grate allowing the creatures through begins to close again, the sound of gears grinding in the distance has never sounded more welcome. The fracas between prisoners and creatures is brutal. A more Darwinian display of survival of the fittest you have never seen. The weak and afraid are being slaughtered by the creatures while the bold, selfish, clever, and brutish are picking off the beasts as fast as they can.

[Caimheul]

Dross's attempts to aid another prisoner are hindered by the creature's blood staining his hands. Having made an effort, Dross instead scales the ladder as quick as he can. Upon reaching the top, he grunts acknowledgement of any aid he is given, then searches for any better weapons, starting with the control booth.

Climb: [roll0] vs 17 + any mods
If I'm jumping the gun on the search, just let me know, I'll fluff out the next post before finding anything :-P
Search:[roll1] vs 15 +- any mods

[Destro_Yersul]

"Come on, everyone up." Acerbus reached for the next person coming up the ladder. "The Emperor will see us out of here yet."

[ArcaneStomper]

Somewhat distressed at the random button punching Tybalt hurries over to the control booth himself to see if he can do a better job of handling it.

Tech Use [roll0] vs 57 and whatever this roll is there will be no random button punching for Tybalt.

[Goblinsplitter]

Eh... Perhaps I should just get out of here. This bone is good for picking one's teeth, not for killing things. And I like to kill things. Not just tickle them. Varloth thinks to himself after making a few more jabs at the creature. He retreats cautiously, not turning his back to the creature, then heads for the ladder and begins his ascent.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
The control booth is a fairly spartan affair. Flakboard and glasteel frame a relatively rudimentary control panel. A body lies slumped in a pool of its own congealing blood on one side of the booth. Your search turns up a holstered stub revolver and you notice a ornate dagger pinning a note to the wall next to his head. The blade's dimensions seem very similar to the wounds on the corpses neck.
Tybalt:
Rushing to the control room you survey the electrical interface. It seems a fellow prisoner has started down the right path, but you hurry the process along. With a few deft movements of your fingers you hear the grate slide shut with a clang.
Everyone:
The last of the creatures in the pit lie dead at the feet of several haggard prisoners. A few minutes under Viktor's command results in the able bodied making their way out of the pit to stand in the dark room. The yips and howls of the animals trapped behind the grate quiets after a while as they move on, realizing you are no longer viable prey.

[Destro_Yersul]

"So. Now, I think, would be a good time to figure out where we are... One moment..." Remembering, after the excitement died down, that the body had a note pinned next to it, Acerbus went to retrieve that particular bit of paper. As he scanned it, he continued speaking. "Once we've found that out, I think we should get the warp out of wherever this is. Emperor willing, they'll think we perished fighting those creatures."

[Caimheul]

Dross quicky pockets everything he's found, mentally wondering who else he is going to arm.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor takes his time sheparading the others up the pit before he, himself, sticks the bone sideways through his unifrom belt and clambers up the ladder.

[ArcaneStomper]

While Tybalt waits for the rest of the prisoners to get to the top he does a quick check to see if the control panel has any other functions. Then he looks around the area to see what other exits there were besides the pit.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Ooking olut amongst his fellow captives, Viktor let's loose a heavy sigh. "I don't suppose we're lucky enough to have a medicae on-hand to look after these people?" He asks, to no-one in particular.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt glances over at Viktor and the injured. "I have been trained in the repair of flesh yes. However do you truly consider it wise to commence repairs here. We are in the middle of hostile territory. Given the lack of tools it is unlikely I would be able to restore anyone to fit condition who was not already so. And then they would be a burden on the rest of us as we escaped."

[Thanatos 51-50]

"They're injured. That doesn't mean they don't deserve a shot at getting home. We need to organize first, then arm, then orientate. We if they're... repaired... while we organize, then we're better able to miltirize and move with a purpose. More able bodies means more guns on the line. Why? What's your plan?"

[ArcaneStomper]

"I have not yet formulated one. I was still examining the area when you brought up the possibility of repairs. I would note though that we have nothing to arm them with, if they are injured then they have already shown they lack proficiency with what crude weapons we have gathered. They would be at best capable of shielding those better equipped to survive than themselves from a few attacks. And while that is an efficient use of their lives from your speech and previous actions I doubt you intend to use them so."

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Unacceptable." Viktor said flatly, before ruminating for a second on the best way to explain his views to the Tech-Priest.
"Think of it this way - the Imperium is a giant machine and we're all bits in the machine, but we all need to be in place for the Imperium to run smoothly. Do you destroy weaker bits so the stronger bits keep turning? That might bring down the entire machine. We can't risk that. Big picture."

(Replace all the instances of the word "Bit" with "Cog" if you desire. Stupid Technology-is-a-giant-mystery Imperium.)

[Caimheul]

While looking over the weapons that he found, Dross voices his opinion on the debate between the cog boy and the bleeding heart. "We're wasting time arguing, there may be more scum like the dead fether in the control room on their way here. Let the injured tag along, and if they can't keep up, at least their death cries will let us know how close any pursurers are. If we find a safe place with some kind of medical supplies, then you two can argue to your hearts content over healing. I doubt trying to heal people when all we have is bones and scraps of belts is going to do much good."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Priority should be getting out of here. Wherever here is," Acerbus put in. "To use your analogy, the machine stops working entirely if the strong parts get killed, and we aren't alone down here."

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
The Note:
I cannot trust you. I can trust no one and neither can you, least of all this poor lost servant. The fates are most interesting. Should you survive, you'll come to serve a master, who is betrayed by mine. Kill or be killed - that is the way of it, there is no other truth, whether it be in these dark cages, the riotous carnival above, or the jaded palaces of the wicked. If the Widower has his way, we will all drown in the black light of hells uncounted when the hour strikes at last. May the God-Emperor save you or the warp damn you. Each as you, as we all, deserve.
Tybalt:
There seem to be no other functions on the control panel.
Everyone:
The room, still dank and shadowy seems to have only one serviceable exit. A large rectangular doorway long since rusted open. The survivors of the pit watch and listen to the conversation taking place with tired disinterest. Whilst the debate carries on one of the more heavily wounded from the pit keels over and rattles out a final, bloody breath.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth meanders over to the rectangular opening and looks down the hall way, not looking for anything in particular.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt nods, "The others are right. If we had the time and resources then maybe repairing the injured would be beneficial, but right now we do not have time. We are in hostile territory and I don't even have the tools I would need. As it is we should be leaving. I will at least see if any injured who can't move by themselves can be repaired enough to do so, but the rest will have to wait."

Putting his words into actions Tybalt makes a quick check of the various injured survivors to see if any of the more heavily wounded can at least be made mobile again.

Medicae [roll0] vs 47

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor stares at the dead civilian for a long, sad moment.
"Pity. Nobody should die without a name. It's too bad that his family won't be notified."
He shot a glance at the door.
"If that's our only way out, let's get moving, then." he says, resigning to those urging to just move, already, and drew the bone club, holding the improvised weapon loose and ready in his hand as he moved to the door, opened it just a crack and peeked through.

[SublimeShadow]

Varloth and Viktor:
All you can make out is a straight, plain hallway with rusty looking walls and ceiling, lit intermittently by flickering glowbulbs. It fades into darkness without changing.
Tybalt:
You just don't have the necessary tools to diagnose these people's problems and treat them. Is that just a bruise? Or the beginning signs of lethal internal bleeding...

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt shrugged and moved to look through the door himself. He hadn't thought it would be possible to help the injured.

[Caimheul]

Dross approaches the now crowded doorway, new pistol in hand. "So we actually going to go through the doorway, or just stand around gawking at it?"

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Just waiting for you." Viktor quips, taking note of the man's new armament. "Man with the gun takes point."

[Caimheul]

"Glad to see you have some common sense." Dross throws open the door and sweeps his new pistol along the corridor.
Awareness: [roll0] vs 15 +- any modifiers

[Destro_Yersul]

"How odd... if this note is to be believed, there's some sort of carnival above us. How far above there's no telling, though. We should move." Acerbus made for the door to follow the others out, folding the note and shoving it into a pocket on his robes. There would be time to show the others later.

Right now was the time for escape.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Sister didn't raise a fool. Alex helped." The Noble quipped as he flipped the club into a defensive posture and followed Tubes into the breach.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth follows the others as well, keeping an eye out for any danger or anything else that could be used as a weapon.

[Shieldbreaker]

Pandora follows the rest of her fellow captives, trying to reach out to the warp again to see if her connection was still severed.

Psychic test vs 7
[roll0]

[SublimeShadow]

Pandora:
Your connection to the warp is still ineffective.

Everyone:
The hallway continues, unchanging in detail, for quite some time. Your lack of ability to count the passing minutes, or hours, makes the journey seem all the longer. Eventually your path changes; metal staircases, more hallways, the occasional bare chamber. Until you come upon another wide chamber, the ceiling vaulted, artificial light lancing down from above. It is what's inside this chamber that grabs your attention. The opening appears to be a once elegant but now abandoned and decrepit manse set amidst the dead grey soil and withered trees of a garden, all contained within the chamber. In front of lies a gravel pathway, winding its way through the remnants of the aforementioned garden. Further on you see a dysfunctional fountain, and the great stone facade of a mansion.

[Destro_Yersul]

Acerbus stopped in his tracks at the sight of the house, blinking a few times to see if it went away. No, it was still there. "Odd place for a mansion like this. Still, there may be something useful inside. Looks abandoned, and you never know what you might find in a place like this. The Emperor has a way of providing for those in need."

The cleric rested a hand on his improvised bone club as he spoke. He would have very much liked to have his chainsword with him, but even a mundane blade would be better than the simple bone.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt doesn't reply but simply nods and heads to the mansion. On the way he pays careful attention to his surroundings on the lookout for any traps or other creatures living in the abandoned gardens.

Awareness [roll0] vs 15

Didn't really think I'd make that, but I had to try.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor creeps up and examines the fountain - if the coast is clear, he then takes cover inside it.
Just in case.

[Caimheul]

"Very true preacher. We should be careful in our approach, open area like this is great for snipers. Hope no one's home. Any luck yet girl? Or should we start using you to check for ambushes the old fashioned way?" Dross directs this last at the self proclaimed psyker, not yet believing her claim to having abilities to be more than a way to make the other prisoners respect her. He makes his way cautiously towards the door, pistol at the ready.

[Goblinsplitter]

Varloth silently follows the rest of the group, his bone knife still gripped in his over sized fist.

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
The silence is eerie. Your surroundings suggest the hints of a breeze, the rustle of leaves, the skittering of animals, the call of creatures, but all is quiet. Scattered here and there you can make out the rusting form of caretaker servitors, long since shut off. As you approach the front of the mansion you can make out more and more details. The dry, empty fountain, the vines and cracks crawling up the facade, the empty windows staring down at you, the double stairs leading to an loosely hanging door made of what appears to be carved wood and plasteel.

[Caimheul]

"Looks abandoned... something's probably moved in. Dross continues cautiously towards the doors or the nearest low open window.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Best to assume it's unsafe until proven otherwise." The Cleric agrees, walking carefully up to the door and peering inside. He held his bone club in his hand, ready to strike at anything that might leap out.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Cursing to himself and wishing once more for his shotgun, Viktor abandoned the cover of the fountain and crept closer to the doors, whispered harshly to the Tech-Priest.
"Can you do anything with those?" he inquired, gesturing towards the servitors.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt grimaces as he looks at the servitors. "Normally yes, however I am bereft of even my combi tool. I do not know how well I will be able to access them. Still I doubt they are still active, they appear to have been left unattended for some time. I will go see."

So saying Tybalt hurriedly walks up to the servitors to see what he can do with them.

Tech Use?

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
The sight that greats you behind the door is surprisingly normal. Dust covered chairs, desks, long since extinguished lamps, and various other bits of furniture fill the immediate area behind the door. Old paintings starting to peel line the walls and two doors, of a dark wooden quality, lie at either end of the room.

Tybalt:
The usual points of manipulation and entry for the servitors have corroded into a state of near uselessness. You could not begin to interact with these machines until you had replaced their I/O plates.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Nobody home," The cleric said, stepping carefully across the threshold. "Stick together and search the place. Whoever lived here is long gone."

Picking the door on the left, Acerbus took his own advice and started looking. In his experience, any noble who lived here would never have let the place fall so far into decay.

[Caimheul]

Dross follows the cleric through the entrance after waiting a second to make sure he doesn't trip a trap or get shot. He further ducks into the same side room, "Just 'cause their are no signs of humans doesn't mean something doesn't live here...". Dross cautiously starts searching the same room, making sure his pistol is close at hand.

Search: [roll0] vs 15

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt isn't surprised by the disrepair of the servitors. He hadn't really expected to be able to do anything with them anyway, not without tools. Shrugging he follows the others into the mansion keeping his eye out for anything useful.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
You notice freshly made footprints in the dust.

Everyone:
Nothing rushes out to surprise you, no mysterious booby traps lay anyone low. The house is quiet except for the occasional noise made by your footsteps. The entrance opens into a Foyer, the sheen of dust coating every surface does little to hide the opulence of the dark wood.

Floor Plan:
http://i.imgur.com/sXYXO.gif

[Destro_Yersul]

"Told you it was nobody home. There's got to be something useful here, though. Doesn't look like the place has been looted." Acerbus moved through the house as quietly as he could, searching for some sort of edged weapon. A sword would be much better than the improvised club he was carting around.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor snorted in a quietly unimpressed way about the mansion, and immediately began busying himself searching for a firearm or a sword or...
really, anything.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt glances around at the mansion. Then he goes searching for the maintenance closet that a mansion like this would be bound to have. If he was fortunate he might be able to restock his tool supply at last.

[Caimheul]

Dross points at the footprint he sees in the dust. "Looks like someone other than us might be here... Anyone have any experience tracking?

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Used t' be a detective, but I specialized in undercover work. Sorry."

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
Aside from the occasional wooden creak you do a marvelous job moving stealthily. You see no obvious weapons immediately. However, at the end of one particular room there seems to be two crossed swords on a plaque.

Viktor:
There don't seem to be any other weapons on the main floor than a pair of decorative swords on a wall in a particular room Acerbus has found.


Tybalt:
You find an ancient, run-down, security room, with a dust-covered multi-tool.

Dross:
You see more footsteps leading upstairs.

[Caimheul]

So much for this place being abandoned... Not wanting to risk venturing upstairs alone, Dross waits for the others, keeping an eye on the stairs...
Just in case: Awareness: [roll0] vs 15

[Destro_Yersul]

"Better than nothing..." Moving closer to have a look at the plaque, Acerbus gave one of the swords an experimental tug. With any luck, it would come right out.

[SublimeShadow]

Acerbus:
The two blades are a matching pair, of very unique design. Each is a double-edged straight sword of about 28 inches with hand-and-a-half grips. Though covered in a sheen of dust you can make out the masterful craftsmanship that's gone into each weapon. The hand-guards are meticulously detailed aquilas and the hilts are wrapped in some sort of psuedo-leather that seems immune to aging. The blades themselves are matt-black, except for silver-blue edges and right above the hilt is an engraving quite similar the Inquisitorial Rosette. However, the "I" is set in a circle, and behind an actual eye, which stares, unblinking. The edges, despite the dust, are razor sharp.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Oi, can I borrow one of those swords, my friend? You do seem to have an excess and I'm lacking in the sharp piece of metal department."

[LeSwordfish]

None of the group notices the latest addition- a slip of a girl with hair dyed bright blue, wearing a long leather jacket and guard-issue fatigues over a loose, ripped vest, and bare feet where heavy combat boots had been. She trod carefully in the dust of the house, and fiddled idly with the torn hem of her jacket.

I need a knife. Rat thought. There has to be something to kill with in here. There must be a kitchen.


Rat slipped through the house, before darting into the kitchen and searching it for a knife she could use.

[Caimheul]

Dross fidgets as he waits for the others to finish searching the first floor, growing bored. Well it's not like they won't hear the gunshots... and besides, this way I get first pick of anything I find.. Dross begins heading up the stairs, following the footprints.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Help yourself, if you can use a blade. I'll get by fine with just one for me." Acerbus spun the sword in his hand, making a few practice swings at some nearby furniture to get a feel for the weapon.

"Fine sword. Have to look up what this symbol on the hilt means, once we get to somewhere it's possible to look things up."

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt swiftly checks to make sure the multi tool is in working order then he turns to the rest of the room. Perhaps now that he had a tool again he could restore part of the old security systems and find either logs or recordings of what happened to the mansion.

[SublimeShadow]

Viktor:
Acerbus hands you one of the blades, a perfect match to his own. Each is a double-edged straight sword of about 28 inches with hand-and-a-half grips. Though covered in a sheen of dust you can make out the masterful craftsmanship that's gone into each weapon. The hand-guards are meticulously detailed aquilas and the hilts are wrapped in some sort of psuedo-leather that seems immune to aging. The blades themselves are matt-black, except for silver-blue edges and right above the hilt is an engraving quite similar the Inquisitorial Rosette. However, the "I" is set in a circle, and behind an actual eye, which stares, unblinking. The edges, despite the dust, are razor sharp.

Rat:
There is indeed a kitchen on the main floor. Filled with dusty knives, you have no trouble finding a proper knife.

Acerbus:
The blade is surprisingly light as you swing it. The grip feels perfectly shaped for your hand and the comfort with which you wield the blade is astounding. The dusty furniture you swing at comes apart like butter being cut with a hot knife. So keen is the edge that you barely feel any resistance when blade meets wood. Its like cutting through spider webs.

Dross:
The stairs creek and each of your footsteps raises small motes of dust but you take care not to disturb the trail you are following. The second floor is quite similar to the first floor, however there is seems to be a large room that is locked: http://i.imgur.com/7Ts10.png

Tybalt:
The multi-tool is indeed functional and the cogitators in the room seem to be dormant.

[LeSwordfish]

The first thing Rat does is to tear off a strip of dusty curtain and wrapping it around the hilt of the knife- though not designed with bloodshed in mind, this should help her keep her grip on the hefty knife she chooses.

OOC: Counts as a standard knife i presume?

Feeling more comforted with a blade at her belt, Rat moves back into the main hall, and, looking around, decides to take the stairs up, looking for anything to give a hint as to what happened to the owners.

EDIT: Rolling to search in OOC.

[Caimheul]

Damn. Dross looks through the other rooms, making sure each is clear of anything living. He opens any containers he finds, looking for anything useful.
Search: [roll0] vs 15

[SublimeShadow]

Rat:
The climb up the stairs is a creeky, dust-filled journey that makes you wonder how long this place has been abandoned. You can hear Dross scrounging around up here with you.

Dross:
Noticing that the footsteps lead into the locked room you being searching the other rooms. With a strike of luck, and a canny eye, you spot a decoration in a study comprised of keys. However, one of the keys isn't dusty...

[Caimheul]

Interesting... Dross touches the decoration, attempting to pick it up, press it, or turn it.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
Somewhere on the floor you hear a deep metallic sound like large bars moving.

[Caimheul]

Now to see what that did... Dross heads back towards the previously locked door to check it.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
The heavy wooden doors are now unlocked.

[Caimheul]

Readying his found pistol and making sure the knife is easily at hand, Dross bursts through the now unlocked doors.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
The sight that greets you is quite the spectacular one. The room is richly furnished. Ancient, rare, dark wooden furniture to rare leather upholstery and lavish carpets and tapestries spun with silks and rare metals. Towards the end of the room is a large desk with many drawers, its top clear except for two books and a large, ornate key. Behind the desk is a large pedestal on which you can make out another book and an obsidian axe. This pedestal is surrounded by the faint shimmer of a void shield. On the tapestry hanging behind it, and between cabinets, housing what look to be snifters of rare alcohol, are the words "Here Lies My Lesson, The Enemy From Which I Learned." emblazoned below an image of a faceless, angelic figure standing atop a demonic head, pierced through by a sword. Aside from this the room is filled with books upon books, of varying subjects and age. Another peculiar feature is the ceiling, which seems to be an ever-moving depiction of the sector's night sky. Finally, there is a door set to one side of the desk.

[Caimheul]

What fether lives here? Dross thinks. He grabs the key off of the desk and then opens all the drawers. If and the key would reasonably open it, he'll attempt it, otherwise he'll ignore locked drawers. Search: [roll0] vs 15 ... wow After searching through the drawers, he tries the other door.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
None of the drawers are locked. However, you notice an interesting loose panel in one and discover an ornate bolt pistol stamped with the same symbol on the two swords discovered downstairs. The key appears to deactivate the void shield around the pedestal and the door is unlocked.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt examines the cogitators determining why they're dormant. If it's a power issue he attempt to trace the cabling and find and repair whatever used to power them. If it's because they're broken he 'll fix them if that's possible with just a multi tool, otherwise he'll give them up as a lost cause due to lack of parts and move back into the rest of the mansion to see if he can find anything else interesting.

Tech Use [roll0] vs 47

[canjowolf]

Jon, having fought alongside the others with a bone club in the pit, was a bit relieved to find some sign of proper civilization. The heartless attitudes of the others was a little off-putting, but he understood that in times of crisis many looked after their own skins first. If everyone was like that then he would never have made it out alive from the Mara landing fields.

While Rat thought of the kitchen and it's knives, Jon began to search the area of the fireplace for a poker. Failing that, he went to the bathroom to both relieve himself, and to inspect the quality of the pipes used for pluming. Plasteel was much tougher than bone after all.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor took the sword and admired it for a long moment before turning to his friend and breaking his reverie.
"de Umbra-Vindicus has some resources I can put into that, Reverand..."
It was obvious the Noble intended to name his companion, and simply didn't have the proper data to do so.
"Well... we should set our minds to escaping, in any event. I beieve our... straightforward - " he said the word, obviously intending to show some tact when presenting his opinion, " - pointman went upstairs - I intended on protecting our gun. If we can randevous, we can organize, again. We seem to have all broken apart when we entered this shack."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Kaltos, but I'm not a reverend. More of a firebrand. Here to bring redemption to all the Emperor's enemies." Acerbus smiled grimly at his own joke, tossing the bone club aside in favour of the new blade. "This is a fine sword indeed. Maybe they'll have had luck finding some other weapons upstairs."

"Come on." Sword in hand, the cleric led the way upstairs, in search of Dross and the others.

[LeSwordfish]

Hearing the footsteps on the stairs, Rat darted sideways across the landing, ducking into a patch of shadow, the unfamilar knife seeming to leap into her hands like a salmon. After a second of waiting in the dark, she recognises the voices and steps out into the comparative light, grinning as she slightly startles the men below.

"You're the ones from the pit. The posh boy and the pyromaniac. Thanks for getting us out. 'Spose i owe you one." There is a moment of silence, then, without looking, Rat flips the knife from one hand to the other and holds out her hand to shake. "Rat Vickar."

[SublimeShadow]

Tybalt:
With a little work you manage to coax the cogitator's machine spirits into life and, with a dull hum, a green-hued screen flickers into life. While not exactly experienced with this particular system you can discern several different functions being controlled by this particular console. Security measures, lightning, and pict-recording are all linked to the system.

Jon:
You do indeed find a dust covered, rusty fire poker in the hearth room. (club profile)

Viktor, Acerbus, and Everyone Going Upstairs:
The stairs creak and moan under your footsteps and motes of dust jump up off the wood as if surprised by your intrusion. Here is the floor-plan.http://i.imgur.com/7Ts10.png

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor scrambled after the self-described firebrand, and stopped to listen intently to Rat.
"We're not out of the underhive, yet." he offered with a smile, switching the sword to his left hand and then extending his right for a moment.
"Viktor de Umbra-Vindicus." He offered the blue-haired woman. "Good to have you along. Let's try and get you home, eh?"

With that, he ascended the stairs and did a quick scan of his surroundings, quickly zeroing in on Dross and making sure his approach was heard by the curt Guardsmen.
"What's the situation?"

[LeSwordfish]

Rat shook the proffered hand, then turned and, like a moth to a flame, wandered off to have a look at the locked door, listening distractedly to the arbitrator and guardsman's conversation.

[roll0]Roll security vs 25, 45 ag -20 for no tools (I doubt a knife-blade counts)

Picking away at the lock with the blade of her knife achieves nothing. Frowning in annoyance, Rat steps back and starts inspecting the door.

[canjowolf]

Jon follows the rest of the group upstairs.

[SublimeShadow]

Those Upstairs:
The door is already unlocked. Dross is inside.

Tybalt:
After a few moments one of the icons labeled "Pict-Feed" begins to blink.

[LeSwordfish]

Rat gave the unlocked door a scowl and strode into the room, looking around at what was inside.

If i'm lucky, she thought, There's something i can fence in here

Then she saw the swords the two men were carrying. "Hey. Hey, hey those swords? Can I have a look at one of them? I might be able to recognise something, I used to, ah, work with valuables a lot. Redistributing them, so to speak." She adds, grinning at the reaction she expects from the Arbitrator.

[Caimheul]

As the others enter the room, the y see Dross looking over the bolt pistol he found, any spare clips that happened to be in the same drawer already shoved into one of his pockets. Dross takes note of the swords the cleric and the bleeding heart have procured from down stairs. "You two join a club of some kind? The fething "situation" sir," he spits out the last word as if it was some kind of swear, "Is that we seem to be in some kind of underground mansion, that while it seems to be abandoned had fresh footprints in the dust. Not that anyone else seemed to care about those." turning from the noble to the cleric, Dross's tone loses its edge. "I didn't pay as much attention as I probably should have to the priests when I was younger, that mural strike any chords with you?" Dross keeps the key hidden, not telling the others about it just yet. There must be some reason the ax and book are behind a voidshield, people don't go to such great lengths to protect worthless items...or things that aren't dangerous.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor suppressed a sigh. Some people you just couldn't be friendly with, no matter what you said or did.
And then - a shock set in. Unknown quantities. Possible danger.

One might think he was just shifting his grip, but any decently-trained fighter would realize what Vikto was indeed doing when he shifted the sword back to his right hand and flipped it into a modified icepick grip.
He was getting ready to defend himself.

"Real quick correction - My name is Viktor, not Sir. 'Sir's get people killed, I'm trying to get everyone out alive, and your attitude is a bit counter-productive. Secondly - I am very considered about these fresh footprints. I just had no idea they existed until just now. When you told me."
After that, Viktor plastered on his winningist smile and looked directly at Rat.
"Maybe when we're out of the dross. I'd prefer to keep this blade on-hand until we're something resembling safe."

[Caimheul]

Seeing the change in Viktor's stance Dross raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? I didn't? Gee now I wonder whyever I might have said it looks like someone else might have beat us in here and then asked if anyone had any experience in tracking when we entered the mansion, Viktor." Dross spits out the noble's name as if it were an insult, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "While I don't suggest we sleep here, if I were going to ambush us I would have done it already when we were spread throughout the house. Although someone should probably check on the cogboy..."

[LeSwordfish]

Rat shrugged. "Fine by me. If it turns out to be stealing your soul or something, I told you so. And if you two could keep the dueling egos turned down until we're safe and sound and preferably in a bar somewhere, I'd be much happier. And frankly, if you two could be in a different bar to me when that happens, that'd be all the nicer."

[ArcaneStomper]

After chanting a short ritual of activation Tybalt presses the appropriate rune to see why the Pict-Feeds havve activated. While that is loading he also tries to find out what he can about the security measures without actually activating them since it might recognize the others as intruders.

OOC
Did you mean lighting or lightning. I would not put it past a strange underground mansion to have lightning generators.

[Caimheul]

Dross shrugs and turns his head to face the new girl. "Used to be a fence right? Served with a couple when I was in the Guard, normally had a good eye for weapon quality. Mind doing me a favour and looking this knife over for me? Found it awhile back. Oh, and I'd appreciate it back when you're done looking at it." At Rat's consent, Dross will let her look at the ornate knife he found stuck in the wall of the control booth.

[LeSwordfish]

"I wasn't a fence." Rat said idly. "But i was a damn good thief, and i grew up with Grice. He taught me some stuff"

Evaluate test: [roll0] vs Intelligence 35. Huh, failed. Does that mean i can't even say "Oh, it's such-and-such quality"?

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone In The Room With Dross:
(quick description of the room) The sight that greets you is quite the spectacular one. The room is richly furnished. Ancient, rare, dark wooden furniture to rare leather upholstery and lavish carpets and tapestries spun with silks and rare metals. Towards the end of the room is a large desk with many drawers, its top clear except for two books and a large, ornate key. Behind the desk is a large pedestal on which you can make out another book and an obsidian axe. This pedestal is surrounded by the faint shimmer of a void shield. On the tapestry hanging behind it, and between cabinets, housing what look to be snifters of rare alcohol, are the words "Here Lies My Lesson, The Enemy From Which I Learned." emblazoned below an image of a faceless, angelic figure standing atop a demonic head, pierced through by a sword. Aside from this the room is filled with books upon books, of varying subjects and age. Another peculiar feature is the ceiling, which seems to be an ever-moving depiction of the sector's night sky. Finally, there is a door set to one side of the desk.

Tybalt:
(I did indeed mean lighting, sorry for the typo.) The security measures are fairly standard, for a military complex. One thing of note is an elevator control paired with a door in a room upstairs. Additionally, when investigating the Pict-Feed system, one particular archive, the most recent, begins blinking and issuing a chiming sound.

Dross:
The bolt pistol had a single clip lying next to it.

Rat:
The blade is fairly simplistic. Its hilt is carved with that of a saintly figure and the actual edge is razor sharp. Not one inch displays any signs of corrosion or wear. Aside form this you can glean no details about the item.

[LeSwordfish]

"It's new-ish. Or at least well-maintained. Inlaid saint, and so on. Might be monofilament, I can't tell. Damn sharp though." She looked up at Dross. "You want it back, or shall i keep it? I'm good with blades."

Rat glanced up at the ceiling. She'd never much liked the glimpses of night sky she'd got, and having so much of it, so unnaturally, was enough to unnerve her. Why build a building underground, then invite the sky in? she muttered, before turning her attention to the pedestal, giving it a practised thief's looking over.

"Have you tried that key?" She asked aloud.

[Caimheul]

I'd rather hang on to it thank you. However..." Dross starts off slightly gruffly as he doesn't like the idea of parting with his trophy. He pulls out the stub revolver he found on the dead man in the control booth and any spare ammo. "You any good with a pistol? I happen to have a spare."
After Rat replies and Dross hands over the pistol or keeps it as appropriate, he replies to her last question. Not yet. It looks to deactivate the Void Shield, but I'm a little wary to do so without knowing if it will set off an alarm or trap of some kind. We should probably check out the other room first anyway. If we take the key with us, I doubt the stuff in there is going anywhere."

[LeSwordfish]

"Pistol would be damn nice." Rat admitted, slipping it into her belt next to her kitchen knife. "And good call on the trap. I'll see if i can see if there's anything suspicious about it."

What test do i need for that? Awareness, Security, Tech-Use?

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor bit his tongue at the open discussion of breaking the Emperor's Laws with the long ease of practice, and quietly slid around to examine the podium at mention of a de-activated void shield.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt opens up the most recent pict archive and begins examining it to see why exactly it is so insistent. He also makes a note to investigate why a mansion would have such unexpected levels of security later.

[canjowolf]

Being more of a picture person than a reader, Jon takes a look at the picture of the sword on the book, comparing it to the swords carried by the other two party members. He is currently using the poker as a pointy walking stick and taking in his surroundings. While he has some choice words bubbling about in his brain for the rapscallions he decides that insulting someone with a bolt gun is not a good idea and keeps his mouth shut.

If he notices a good resemblance between the sword on the book and the real swords he announces such.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Fraid I can't tell you anything. It's nothing I've ever seen before. This is a very odd house. It reminds me..." Acerbus shook his head, banishing the thought. "Never mind. What's the title of that book on the pedestal?"

While he waited for an anser, the Cleric moved to check the door beside the desk, opening it carefully if it was unlocked.

[SublimeShadow]

Tybalt:
The Pict-Feed opens up the most recent archives and footage begins rolling. The lights in the mansion are on and the camera begins rotating shots. Everything seems normal until a figure appears and footage begins to fuzz with occasional static. Man in a robe wearing a Heron Mask is making his way through the mansion until he reaches a door that appears locked upstairs. He reaches a hand for the door, touches it, and howls in agony while withdrawing his hand. The footage flickers and you can barely make out a portal appearing before the wounded man/thing. He disappears through it and the footage cuts out as the lights go out.

Acerbus:
The door is open and leads to a hallway that ends in what appears to be an elevator.

[LeSwordfish]

Rat begins searching the pedestal for some signs of an alarm, or a way to deactivate the sheild silently.

[roll0] vs 35

[Caimheul]

Seeing the preacher head towards the unexplored door, Dross readies himself just in case something should be hiding there. When nothing immediately springs out, he relaxes"Anything over that way preacher?" he asks, looking at the mural again.

Forgot I had access to these:Common Lore(Ecclexiarchy) [roll0] vs 14 ,Common Lore(Imperial Creed) [roll1] vs 14 .... and thus continue's Dross's streak of passing things he isn't trained in... this is SOOO going to bite me in the rear later...

[SublimeShadow]

Rat:
There seem to be no alarms of any kind. The void shield is turned off with the key Dross found, plain and simple.

Dross:
You cannot discern anything special about the tapestry.

Acerbus:
The book on the pedestal has no title. It is simply embossed with an icon identical to the one etched into your new blade.

[LeSwordfish]

Rat shrugged "I can't see any wires, or anything that could be an alarm. Where'd you put that key? I want to see what this stuff is, because it's important enough that the shield is designed to survive all this"- She waved a hand airily at the abandonment around them- "And, frankly, i'm in the mood for pissing these people off right now." She straightened up and sniffed, pulling a face at the sour smell of ozone.

[canjowolf]

Jon, thinking back on his military training, remembers that voidshields are both rare and expensive and that keeping them working is the duty of the techpriests. Calling to the others he says "Perhaps we should have the magos look at this? He would know the dangers and powers of a void shield better then the rest of us".

[LeSwordfish]

"Point." Rat admitted, stepping away from the shield. "Where's he got to?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"Elevator, looks like. I wouldn't want to try it alone, though. Can't be sure what it leads to." Acerbus left the door open, so they'd be able to hear if the elevator started moving on its own.

"Book's a bit odd, too. Not title I can see. Emblem matches the one on the swords. Think it might've been some kind of house symbol?" The last was directed at Viktor. A noble would have a better idea of Noble customs.

[Caimheul]

"Should probably wait until we're sure we have everything this part of the house has to offer, and it wouldn't surprise me if was some noble or another, not many can afford void shields. Dross replies to the cleric, fitting scorn into the word noble. He then turns to Rat, "Cogboy probably found some bit of technology or another to pray too, I'll go check on him make sure he's still alive." Dross heads downstairs to try to find the tech-priest.

[LeSwordfish]

"Much as i'm happy to grab some weapons and get some rest, is clearing out the entire house the best thing to do?" Rat shrugged. "The void and it's stuff has to be important, we can grab that, sure, but something about this place has got my hackles up. We should move on... like, get out of here."

And come back later with a few of Grice's men and a sack. Rat though, shifting uneasily. Tempting as the idea was, the longer she stayed in this building, the more uneasy she got. She made an effort to push it to the back of her mind, helping herself to focus by checking the borrowed gun.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
You find the techpriest in what appears to be a security room, checking some footage from the pict-recorders.

Viktor:
Your memory of the symbol is in the OOC.

[Caimheul]

Dross walks up behind the tech priest, not bothering to try to hide his presence. "Glad to see you're not dead, what did you find?" he peers at the monitors trying to see what's playing on them.

[LeSwordfish]

Still up in the office with the Arbite and the Redemptionist, Rat begins searching for the footprnts she heard mentioned, scuffing one bare foot in the dust while she looked around for other disturbances.

Is it just me, she thought, or did the footprints go into this room and not out.

Search test vs awareness 35. [roll0]

[SublimeShadow]

Rat:
The footprints led UP TO the room, there seem to be none IN the room.

[LeSwordfish]

With no footprints inside the room, Rat walks out into the corridor and starts searching around.

[roll0]vs 35, or do i keep my old success?

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt doesn't even glance up from his manipulations of the console as he runs an inventory on what security systems are still functioning. "I have found this mansion's security systems. They appear to be more extensive and in better condition than I would have expected. I have also found footage of a sorcerer attempting to breach a door on the upper levels and then vanishing into the warp."

[Thanatos 51-50]

"I..." Viktor began, thinking about it.
Reflecting on the sigil, the sign.
"It could be. They showed up once. I recall the pin, but... I don't know. They are... at least, were powerful. Power changes hands quickly. Scared us. Or - scared the adults. de Umbra-Vindicus knows who they are, I could... when we're out of here... contact home... ask questions."

[Caimheul]

"Huh. Well, I think I got into the room he couldn't, and might have found what he was looking for. It's behind a void shield though, so thought you should look it over and make sure no alarms were going to go off if we opened it up."

[SublimeShadow]

Rat:
Aside from the footprints leading to the door you see no others.

Tybalt:
There are no alarms connected to the door or void shielded pedestal on the floor above.

[Destro_Yersul]

"That sounds like a good plan.I, for one, would like to know more about the people that used to live here. If only because they payed for this sword."

Acerbus took another look at the book under the shield. "Like to get a look at this thing, too. It might need to be destroyed."

[canjowolf]

"Tread carefully. Chaos is dangerous..." says Jon.

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt turns to the others. "There do not appear to be any alarms connected to the shield. I suggest that if you are going to take the book you do so. Then we should take this elevator out of this mansion as I do not believe there are any more answers to be found here, only more questions."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Tread carefully. Chaos is dangerous..." says Jon.

"I assure you, I am well aware of that. But it is the duty of a true servant of the Emperor to see such things cast down and purged by fire, is it not?" A tinge of fire seemed to have made its way into the cleric's voice. Acerbus rounded on the book, staring at it with an intensity he had not displayed before. "The works of the enemy are all around us, sir, and if we don't act, they will rise to consume us all. The only thing necessary for chaos to triumph is that good men do nothing."

[LeSwordfish]

OOC: Sorry, didn't notice this had started again.

Rat sticks her head around the door. "I think we should go. We can take the book and stuff, and hand it over to someone who can deal with it. For now, we should leave here." She swung herself fully into the room. "The footprints outside vanish. There's no way that's a good thing."

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt nods, "Yes that is because the maker of those footprints is a chaos sorcerer who utilized a warp portal to escape after being unable to go through the door."

[Caimheul]

"Any identifying marks so we know who to shoot as soon as we spot them?" Dross asks as he grabs the key off the desk. "Regardless let's get this stuff and then get moving." he says as he deactivates the void shield.

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
As Dross turns the key a faint static fills the room for a moment before the slight buzz of the shield dies away. The room becomes truly silent, making you acutely aware of just how much of a hum the void barrier had been making. A slight chill fills the air and the book and axe lie exposed.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Whomever still requires a weapon beyond old bones, it seems we now have an axe." Viktor announced to his assembled allies, even as he reached for the mysterious book.
"And - Tainted or not - we might be able to use this to lure those who trapped us here into an ambuch."

He placed his free hand on the book.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Let's find out the 'or not' bit first." Acerbus looked at the book with suspicion. "Open it to a random page."

[Caimheul]

"Well, until I learn how to use this bolt pistol I'm limited to this here fancy knife, but that axe doesn't look to sturdy being made of stone... and if it was worth being protected by a void shield, something must be special about it. Only two types of things are likely to be locked up like that, expensive stuff and dangerous stuff. Expensive weapons don't always work too well in combat, and not sure we need to be borrowing more trouble."

[LeSwordfish]

"You're planning to read it?" Rat said, with her eyes wide. "You sekking stupid? You don't find if a Carniv is rabid by putting your ass in it's mouth!"
The knife was in her hand again, as if by magic. "Is there anything that thing can do to you that wouldn't be faster if you read the damn thing? I dunno about chaos, but my old gunman was ex-guard, and he told me stuff. Stuff like, if you think something's tainted, you don't let it get anywhere near your brain."

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor shot Rat something resembling a harsh glare, and then reached over to tap his arbites Electoo, lighting it up and drawing everyone's attention.
"We determine the Guilty." He said, before holding the book up.
"I believe our mechanically-inclined companion said the Sorcer was trying to get in. He didn't this is probably evidence. Evidence is valuable. It tells us who is guilty - and the Guilty don't want to hear what Lex Imperialis has to say - so they try and take it from us first."

The detective paused for effect, just a half-beat, before levelling the book and opening the cover.

He commenced reading.
It was probably just a ledger or a roster or something.

[Caimheul]

"If you start foaming at the mouth I'll try to make it quick." Dross promises with a smile, relishing that he might have an excuse to kill the arbite.

[canjowolf]

Jon looks at the axe for a time, glancing between it and the poker that he was now holding. Eventually he decided that a fancy new axe wasn't worth the danger to his soul.

Seeing the arbitrator open up the possibly tainted manuscript sent a shiver down his spine and caused him to change his grip on the poker from 'walking stick' to 'pointy club' as he silently moved towards the arbitrator and made ready to strike. He remembered from his days in the guard that a person surrendered all rights and ranks as a member of the Imperium if they ever choose to embrace chaos. Perhaps the book was not tainted, and perhaps the arbitrator would not foolishly unleash malign forces into the world, but Jon planned on being ready in either case.

[SublimeShadow]

Viktor:
The illuminated script within contains scenes of demons, mighty men, and all sorts of romanticized, holy combat. All of it seems to favor mankind. Unfortunately, the text is the most ancient of High Gothic and its antiquated form is nearly incomprehensible to you. Perhaps you should have put more effort into your studies as a child.

Everyone:
The world does not end. A demon does not manifest. All is right when Viktor opens the book. If anything, the shadows seem to recede from him.

[Caimheul]

"You understand any of it? Well, you aren't dead, so the axe is probably alright then..." Dross picks up the axe tentatively, as if it might bite.

[ArcaneStomper]

Satisfied that Viktor hasn't unleashed some form of eldritch evil upon them all Tybalt moves to the door leading to the elevator. "Now that we have dealt with that I suggest we move on. Whatever the book contains would be best dealt with after careful study and that is unlikely to happen in the middle of an abandoned mansion to which a chaos sorcerer may or may not be returning with reinforcements to break through a door that stopped him before, and the defenses of which we have likely deactivated. Since there seems no reason not to take the book with us now, we should do so and further analyze it in a safer location."

[LeSwordfish]

"Yeah. We should go. I got stuff to get back to." Rat said thoughtfully, before crossing the room and grabbing a few bottles off the shelves at random. She scowled at any disapproving looks. "I'm not getting blasted down here, they look old and valuable, people up above might buy them. Back in real life i need this money."

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor surpressed a laugh for a moment. It was - basically - a story book. And everyone was afraid of it, cowering away from the illuminated text.
The Arbites rolled his eyes back in his head for a half-moment befre shouting, in is best friebrand-preacher voice "Ave Imperetor!"

Then he relaxed and chuckled.
"The text is perfectly pure, I assure you. If anything, it's far too pure. Written in some really thick High Gothic, so it's hard to read.

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to a roster or a ledger or something that presented actual, hard evidence."

[Destro_Yersul]

"We'll take it with us, then. Have to find someone to translate it later. That doesn't look like a dialect I know, either." Acerbus placed a hand on the book. "Do you want to carry it, or shall I?"

[canjowolf]

Jon was unsettled by the other's lack of caution when dealing with books. However, no one had been blasted to ashes, and he could always kill the arbitrator in his sleep if he suspected possession. For now he would follow along with the group, warily watching for signs of damnation.

[SublimeShadow]

Dross:
The axe does not bite. It feels cool and heavy in your grasp.

Tybalt:
The elevator controls seem fairly basic, there is simply one button to press.

Rat:
The vintages and various scrawl on the bottles is all in High Gothic.

[Caimheul]

"Errr, if it's a dialect of High Gothic, I'll give it a look later." Dross admits his linguistic knowledge reluctantly. "For now I saw we give the elevator a look."

[ArcaneStomper]

Tybalt goes to the elevator and examines it. Then he waits for the others.

What kind of elevator is it. A box, a cage, just a platform. Can I see how far up it goes?

[SublimeShadow]

Tybalt:
Its a box. Think corporate skyscraper elevator. You only see the door, no clue where it goes.

[LeSwordfish]

Rat wanders over to join Tybalt by the elevator. "Do we know where this goes?"

[canjowolf]

"To adventure most likely" answers Jon, his contempt for adventure dripping from his voice.

OOC
I don't dislike adventure, but I am considering making Jon a grumpy bear. He knows that adventures have a tendency of leaving corpses behind.

[Caimheul]

"Better than waiting here for the witch to come back. Mansion was only two stories right? Then it likely leads down. Might as well get this over with." Dross enters the elevator and leans against the wall, waiting for the others to get in.

[canjowolf]

Jon follows into the elevator, his poker returned to its service as a walking stick.

[LeSwordfish]

"Adventure." Rat said drily. "This current little escapade is all in a morning's wok for you."

(What about the other people we rescued from the pit)

[Thanatos 51-50]

"I take it nobody else is of the opinon we can move the other surviviors here? Have them use it as a safe house?" Viktor asks to nobody in particular, still miffed that the others seemed so keen on abandoning their fellow men, even as he surrendered the book to the Cleric - it seemed to be more his specialty, anyway.

[Caimheul]

Dross shrugs. "Don't really care what they do. Although the witch might be delayed in following us by torturing them for information if it comes back for whatever it was looking for. Because I get the feeling that that book is what it wants."

[LeSwordfish]

"Any volunteers to stay here and nursemaid them, then?"

[canjowolf]

"They aren't grox or our slaves. They can make their own decisions, as we have. It is neither our duty nor our prerogative to decide their fates for them" says Jon, curious as to why this noble is taking responsibility for the fates of the others from the pit.

[Destro_Yersul]

"The emperor will see to them, or he won't." Acerbus tucked the book into his robes, climbing into the elevator with the others. "Let them come with us or stay as they wish. I'm going, and dead weight is worse less than nothing on a holy mission."

[LeSwordfish]

"Fine." Rat said, waiting for the elevator doors to close behind the last of the group before hitting the button. "I'm sure i'm not alone in having other things and people that need me more than that bunch, a few of whom i care about."

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
Leaving the other, quieter individuals from the pit behind your group gathers in the elevator and pushes the only available button. With a slight sense of vibration and a dull hum you being to move. You cannot tell in which direction however. Eventually the doors open up to a vast vaulted room filled with huge crates and boxes and all manner of cargo-esque looking things. Off in the distance you can see an elevator shaft rising into ceiling.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Way up. I'd say that's our destination. Come on, but let's be careful about it." The many boxes and crates would provide plenty of opportunity for ambush. Far too much for the cleric's liking, what with the many broken lines of sight. It would likely be all too easy to miss something important...

Acerbus stalked carefully forwards, peering around the corner of the nearest crate.

[LeSwordfish]

Rat drew her pistol and stalked out of the lift. "Anyone recognise any of this stuff?" She scanned one of the crates, hoping she'd recognise it, and it would give her a clue if they were even on the same planet.

[Caimheul]

Dross steps out of the elevator holding the ax casually on his shoulder. "Dunno, let me see if there's a label." Dross looks for any visible labels on the nearby crates.

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
Aside from mechanical sounds churning away in the darkness above the room seems silent.

Acerbus:
The crates seem unguarded, though what with the maze-like complexity of the haphazard crate placement its hard to tell.

Rat:
The crate is labeled "LHO"

Dross:
A nearby crate is labeled "OBSCURA"

[Caimheul]

"Huh. Obscura over here, must be some kind of drug storage. Anyone see any lho? Been awhile since I had a decent smoke."

[LeSwordfish]

"This one's lho. If they're all drugs, we've hit some ganger's motherlode... surely no stash this big could be legit."

[ArcaneStomper]

Ignoring the crates Tybalt moves towards the elevator. He is however on the lookout for anything else that might be laying around such as manifests or logs.

[Destro_Yersul]

"That would, I imagine, depend on what world this turns out to be. I'm sure the hives on some worlds go through more than this in a day, even." Acerbus followed Tybalt towards the elevator, watching carefully for any signs of movement other than their own.

[canjowolf]

Jon also travels through the area, looking on the crates for the names of weapon manufacturers (or other armament related names).

[SublimeShadow]

Everyone:
Your searches take a while and lead you closer and closer to the center of the room. Most crates seem to be filled with basic consumable goods of questionable legality. It is not until you are very close the elevator shaft and approaching a brightly lit area that you see signs of other human presence. Those signs? Blood, lots of it.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Viktor sulked to the rear of the party, growing increasingly more hesitat to abandon the fellows from the pit. Some of those men had fought and died to get people like the tube-necked Guardsmen out. They desereved respect.
As for the Emporer's Providence, They were it, they were what the Emperor sent and they had ignored the call to...

Was that blood?

Viktor flipped his sword back into a defensive stance and almost shocved his way to the front of the party, wary, calculating, trained eyes examining the blood, searching for a clue.

"Did anybody actually open the crates or did we just read them?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"I didn't open any. That said, there was no blood back near where we came up. There is here." Acerbus looked at one of the nearby crates with something approaching suspicion. Not nearly as much suspicion as he reserved for the blood, though.

"You reckon whoever spilled it is still around?"

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Could be intelligent, and just waiting to spring a trap." Viktor reasoned aloud, before flipping his sword again and finding a likely-looking crate, preferably one labeled "Spook". Stuff caused no end of trouble in the Underhive and, if his guess was wrong, at least he'd destroy sme witch-drug.

Sighting his target, the Arbite swung the sword in a two-handed grip, hoping to bisect it.

[Spoiler][roll0]
[roll1]

[LeSwordfish]

Rat looks distastefully at the blood, but makes little effort to avoid stepping in it, even with bare feet. Should've stolen some boots from the manse, she thought, but largely ignored it, instead trying to see from the blood what had happened. Had anyone been dragged off? any splatters on walls or crates. She'd seen enough spilled blood to take a few guesses, at least.

[Caimheul]

Seeing the arbite ready to swing against a crate, Dross makes sure there is something between him and the crate, just in case it was mislabeled...

[canjowolf]

Jon quietly continues looking around, the presence of blood doing little to alter the mood of the day.