Dark Heresy: The Rose-Petal Men

[LeSwordfish]

The Rose-Petal Men


Prologue: They've found Ferris

When Nicodemus bursts through the door of your lodgings it takes you completely by surprise. The young Interrogator is not known for his enthusiasm, and had already informed you that he would never contact you directly. You understand immediately that this must be important, and Nicodemus's first words serve only to confirm this.

"They've found Ferris." He grins, and pauses to catch his breath. "Transport's outside. I'll explain on the way."

Some things need no explanation. You already know Marco Ferris well. Number one target of the Ordo Xenos in the area, Ferris has been smuggling xenotech into the subsector for decades. Twenty percent of all seized xenotech has been traced back through Ferris and his extensive network. Allegations of smuggling narcotics, heretical machinery, and illegal weapons have also been linked to him; the more dark of the rumours suggest sales of slaves to Eldar reavers in exchange for weaponry. Three times the inquisition has tracked down Ferris and attempted to apprehend him, and three times he has escaped the emperors justice. He has personally killed two inquisitorial agents and several arbites, and had vanished from the inquisition's eye for nearly ten years. Until now.

"Ferris is meeting two men in the concourse of the Nayleweed prime rail station" Nicodemus explains, once you've joined him in the back of a cargo truck, now racing through the steep city streets. "Unusually, he's not accompanied by his gang, and seems to be unaware that we're active on-planet. This isn't just the only opportunity to take him down we've had in years, it's the best one we're ever going to get. You are the only acolyte team on the planet. You are the only people able to do this."

You've been in the Ordo Xenos for almost a year now, placed in a cell and occasionally called upon for minor duties. Nayleweed, the planet you are currently stationed on, is a hive world. Cities are built on the upper slopes of mountains, and linked by a network of rail lines , high above the surface, along which powerful, turbine-driven engines run. The grand stations for these trains are the pride of the planet, with arched iron roofs and brass fittings.

"If at all possible we want to take Ferris and the men he's meeting alive." Nicodemus explains. "Until I give the direct order, no shooting to kill. That said, when I've given the order, shoot well. If we can't take him alive, we bring him down for good."

"Apparently the men Ferris is meeting, a bald man and a man with an augumetic eye, will be attempting to give him a black leather attaché case. We also want to retrieve this case if possible, though Ferris himself is more important."


He pauses for breath and slips a clip of shells into his own weapon, a heavy hand cannon.

"When we get in there, Aemilia and Grak with me, after Ferris himself. Cromwell and the tech-priest take the bald man. Posh girl, weirdboy, get the man with the eye. Any questions?"

OOC: Now is as good a time as any to post character descriptions etc. OOC thread here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12829395)

[Caimheul]

Prior to the doors bursting open, the feral worlder is intently cleaning his guard issued las rifle seated closer to the door than the Sister, muttering the rituals that he was required to memorize. Despite missing the pinky on his left hand (long buried in his birth village), his fingers deftly clean the weapon, despite the fact that his green eyes never looks at the weapon. Instead, he is constantly scanning the room for threats to his mistress, long-saber easily within arm's reach. His guard issue helmet sits on the arm of the chair he is using, close shaved red hair to allow for the snug helmet to seat properly, just covering the brand of the Aquila on his forehead. He is just about to re-seat the charge pack in the freshly cleaned rifle when Nicodemus bursts in. Luckily for the foolish Interrogator, this means he cannot be shot at, nor have the rifle aimed at him. The bodyguard instead reaches for his sword, stopping just short of picking up the weapon upon identifying the intruder. The lengthy explanation means little to the fairly simple barbarian, all he understands is that "Xenos" are an abomination to the mighty Emperor-god, and those dealing with them are therefore evil. Something in the briefing catches Grak's attention though, and he speaks up. "When Jeopard found without pack, pack is hunting you. Grak smell trap."

[Lycan 01]

A faint smirk tugs at the corner of Vincent's mouth. The Interrogator had referred to him by name, unlike several of the other Acolytes. He was clearly doing something right so far. Best not to mess this up, for his own sake, and for the glory of the Emperor...

"What is our course of action to be?" he asks, folding his hands together and resting his chin on his fingertips, in a gesture of thought and attention. "Are we to mingle with the crowd and close in on them incognito? Find some sort of ambush point and strike at an opportune moment? Or simply rush them and deal with the problem directly?" the priest inquires.

In his red ecclesiarchal robes, Vincent wouldn't be too out of place. Sure he had weapons, but his pistol was concealed, and the sword at his hip and crossbow slung over his shoulder were not too uncommon amongst fanatical street preachers. It would be easy for him to pass himself off as a traveling fanatic, caught up in militant proselytizing and the street-crusading mentality. All he needed was a soap-box... or an Eviscerator...

Direct confrontation, though, would be messy. Ferris could use the crowd to his advantage, either to escape, or as human shields. Vincent was not sure how he felt about collateral damage. In the grand scheme of things, it was important that Ferris be brought to justice. But cutting down innocent civilians in the process... The prospect weighed heavily on the young cleric's heart.

[Whiskeyjack]

Sitting quietly, hands clasped upon the small tome chained around her neck, Aemilia looks down at the floor as she listens to the words of her cell. Finally when their voices have fallen silent, she looks up and directly at the Interrogator, pale eyes shining out, brimming with concern. "Interrogator, the heretic's actions are suspicious when compared to his previous pattern of behavior. The heretic has not survived so long by being careless or flippant in his dealings, especially knowing that he has been declared Excommuniucated. There are a number of cerebral pathologies or failures of spirit which could be at play to explain the change in behavior, any or all of which could be exacerbated by his dealings with xenos filth or their foul devices." She sits back to ponder, fingers tracing across her medicae tool's datascreen to pull up the relevant data, eyes looking up again as she adjusts the rebreather hanging beneath her armored cowl. "Regardless of pathology, such brazen behavior and sloppy operations could evince desperation instead of sheer arrogance. The heretic appears not to have acquired intel and appears to have not brought a guard, even to a meeting point where such a thing would not seem out of place. Conscript Grak is correct: the cornered megapede with nowhere to go is the most dangerous, so they say, and doubly so if the wall it's up against is really a warren of its hidden kindred. By your leave, Interrogator, we are with you. Though I must point out: my holy wargear is quite obvious and I am not skilled with concealing it. Everyone there will see me for what I am, and I doubt Sisters Hospitaller are terribly common walking around train stations here." She smiles and nods to Grak. "May the Emperor's holy light flense something worth saving from the stinking dross of the heretic's soul. So we pray." She closes her eyes for a moment in solemn contemplation of the task set before her in His name.

[AvianMalkavian]

Avdatya furrowed her brow in annoyance at the title that the Interrogator had placed upon her. It was hardly fitting anymore, seeing how the Inquisition had taken much from her by inducting her into their cell of acolytes on Nayleweed. She only had a pittance of thrones to her name, much less the vast fortune that waited for her on Volistad. Bitterly stewing over her past, she barely heard the words of the rest of her cell, only bothering to make sure that her laspistol, customized to be smaller and much easier to conceal, was still on her person, tucked inside one of the folds of her rather luxurious dress.

Sliding a hand across the fabric, it was enough to distract her from her previous, more pessimistic, thoughts. She had recently acquired the outfit, at great expense (or at least what counted for that given her limited funds). While this wasn't the most ideal situation in which to put it on display, it certainly wasn't the worst either. There was an image to be maintained, after all. Blackmailed servant of the Inquisition or not, she was still of noble birth, a Petchenko, daughter of a proud bloodline that had ruled Volistad ever since the Imperium had reclaimed the planet.

It was enough to make her smile, thinking upon the glory of her family and her name, and how she might one day return to it, if she could ever find a way out of her Inquisitorial obligations, "Hmm? Oh.. yes, of course. Almost certainly a trap, I would say. I have something of an understanding for the ways of war. My family has a long history of great military prowess, you know."

Deceive Test: [roll0] Hah, and I fail miserably.

[Caimheul]

Grak sits up noticeably at the Sister saying he is correct, like a dog praised by its master. At the words so we pray, his lips begin moving along silently to the words of one of the many prayers he has had to memorize while in service to the sister. "Grak tend to draw stares of city people." he says when he finishes the short, simple prayer.

[LeSwordfish]

Nicodemus seems to be choosing his words carefully. "To an extent... To an extent, it doesn't matter. This is a good opportunity. Confirmed intel. Even if we knew it was a trap, we'd probably go in anyway." He shuffles, slightly uneasily. "We're pretty sure it's not a trap. For one thing, we think Ferris is unaware of an inquisition presence on-planet. For another, he's too smart for it. He's got everything to lose and nothing to gain from this. Or, well, so we think."

"As for the plan, there's only so much blending in we can do. Hopefully we can get pretty close to Ferris under cover of the crowds before he spots us. From then, it'll have to be a bit on-the-fly." He grins ruefully. "The local Arbites have been given a tip-off, and are going to seal off the station on my say-so. So no-one but us is getting in or out. They don't know most of why we arranged that though."

He responds to Avdatya's boasts with a raised eyebrow.

[Caimheul]

The feral worlder looks at the Interrogator with a raised eyebrow. "Grak think crowded station also good way for heretic man to hide rest of tribe. Grak say that prey always act as if being hunted, even when no see predator."

[Mekboy]

Sweeping up his weaponry, Ramos hurries to join his cell in the truck. He needed little preparation to go - he'd taken to wearing his flak-armour almost permanently during his time with the Imperial Guard, and was finding the habit difficult to shake. As they begin moving, he starts his usual pre-combat Rites of Maintenance, knowing the importance of keeping the weapons' easily angered Machine Spirits placated. He'd seen far too many men fail to complete the Rites, and pay dearly for it. He did not particularly want to be one of them.

As he did so, he considered the specifics of the combat ahead. His master had taught him much of the Art of Combat, and he apprieciated the intellectual challenge it provided. Surroundings - the station. Should be relatively easy to mingle with the crowd, providing weapons are kept hidden. The Mechanicus robes will help hide them. Should be a quite a bit of cover too - always useful. The civilians might be a problem though. They give us the aspect of surprise on our targets, but could also prove a liability when the fight itself breaks out. Target - Ferris and two unknowns. Ferris usually had gang backup, but for once had none, so shouldn't be too dangerous. The others may be a problem - we know nothing of their combat capabilities. We need to try and take them alive too - best not use the Meat Hammer. It tended to leave people in quite a mess.

"Do we know anything more about these two associates of his? It's possible that they have brought men with them too. It just seems a little too good to be true, with Ferris just turning up right under out noses."

[LeSwordfish]

Nicodemus shakes his head. "We have no idea who they are. Myself and the inquisitor have a few theories. Clients is most likely. Either delivering some choice technology or owed payment. Though that leaves some questions to be asked. Like why ferris is travelling alone if this is a standard exchange. Or why men who can be as completely below the radar as these two are going through Ferris." He grins nervously. "We can ask all of this to'em when we have the excruciators, right?"

[Steilos]

Cornelius Pletcher said nothing much, as was his wont. Being called a wierdboy was nothing new to the psyker, and even if he didn't know any better it was exceptionally difficult to make him angry. Looking up at the Interrogator, Pletcher began speaking softly. "I can only... echo my companion's assertions that this is a trap. Still, if you are... absolutely sure that you have countermeasures in place in case of such an eventuality..." He set his hooded gaze back towards the ground and stopped moving once more, only the motion of his breathing distinguishing him from a statue... or a corpse.

[Whiskeyjack]

"I do believe we are the countermeasures, Pletcher," Aemilia says, perhaps a bit too sharply. Even after a year, the presence of the witch--sanctioned or not--still struck a sore nerve, especially after seeing the capabilities of the twist-witches on Tranch. "If capturing Ferris to put him to the question was not essential, I would simply suggest closing off the station and deploying through a closed vent loop a mixture of mustard-sulphurus with a 4% infusion of Ricinus communis fibroids and .05% cyclosarinus diabolis. We could pick over the bodies with impunity for evidence and clues as to his network in such a case. In the absence of dealing with things so simply..." she slowly field-strips her pistol, checking it for impurities. "The old-fashioned way should suffice, so long as no major artery is hit, and should minimize disruption of the station in a way that a chemical cleanse would not. By your command, Interrogator."

[Lycan 01]

"You would kill a station full of women and children just to make sure the job was done? Your devotion to duty is both inspiring and chilling..." Father Cromwell smirks pleasantly at the Sister Hospitaler.

He does not respond to the Psyker, though. The Schola had taught him many lessons regarding Psykers, some of which contradicted. Burn the witch, hate the Psyker, despise the wyrd, kill the unsanctioned... Yet they were also taught that Psykers were valuable assets, and that some, such as the noble Astropaths, were a blessing from the Emperor and deserving of respect. In the end, Vincent chose the less fanatical viewpoint. He is not overly fond of Psykers, but he tolerates them, particularly when they are friendly, useful, and not screaming incoherent blasphemy.

In regards to Mr. Pletcher, Vincent has tried to be respectful towards him, even pleasant when possible. However, the spook still unnerved him slightly, especially when he does things like this, standing stock-still like a cadaver. It was, to be blunt, downright creepy.

[LeSwordfish]

Nicodemus nods. "If you have a non-fatal shot, take it. I'll leave that to your judgement."

He leans back, and raps on the metal, to speak to the driver. "What's the ETA, Skink?"

"Two minutes." The driver replies.

"Two minutes." Nicodemus echoes. "Any other questions?"

[Whiskeyjack]

"Heresy is a cancer, dear preacher. In some cases it might be cut away, the surrounding tissue scarred by its excision but ultimately healthy and strong. At other times, its presence has rotted tissue to the point of gangrene - removing just the tumor itself would release toxins lethal to surrounding tissue, perpetuating the cycle of corruption. If the situation calls for celerity and force over finesse, cutting off a finger so the body could live is the most efficient means of ensuring survival with minimal spread of necrotizing influence." Aemilia shrugs with a smile. "If that answers your comment. What is one train station of people compared to the health of a hive world? Less than a finger. Less than a single hair follicle. What is a world compared to the safety of the Imperium? To prevent needless civilian death is of course the best option - let His servants not spill their blood in vain. But in a critical moment...the needs of the many outweigh clearly, so speaks holy Scripture." She grows silent as the Interrogator speaks, closing her eyes to offer prayer to Him on Terra for guidance and protection.

[Caimheul]

Many of the words the Sister says are beyond Grak's comprehension, but still he nods in agreement. If she or the Emperor-God's agent Nicodemus wanted people dead, who was Grak to argue?

[AvianMalkavian]

Avdatya crossed her arms, idly looking over the other members of the cell, her gaze quickly passing over the psyker, not wishing to look upon him for any longer than was necessary. She offered a small shrug in response to the question from the Interrogator, crossing her arms, "I don't believe so. The team certainly appears more than capable of dealing with this Ferris individual. I will not let the Inquisitor down, I assure you."

[Lycan 01]

"The Emperor will know His own..." Father Cromwell smirks at the Sister. He then looks at the Interrogator and nods. "No further questions. I am prepared to do my duty."

[LeSwordfish]

The truck pulls sharply, to a halt and Nicodemus stands up. Before leaving, he turns and makes the sign of the aquila breifly, and utters a short bark of laughter. "We'll be dead or heroes in an hour." And with no further comment, he opens the truck doors and steps out into the courtyard.

The air outside is crisp and cold, and you shiver in the shadow that the courtyard is in. High buildings of stone and glass rise up on all sides, and two large arches inscribed with the names of imperial heroes are evident: one behind you leads out into the street, and the one Nicodemus heads for into the station proper.

The station and courtyard are both heavily crowded, with throngs of imperial citizens dodging past you in all directions and manners. Your attire draws attention, but imperial groups are not unusual here and you move largely uncommented on.

OOC: Should the situation heat up, however, the squirming mass of humanity will sincerely cause problems. All agility and perception tests taken until i say-so are at -10. Ballistic Skill tests are treated as "Shooting into Close Combat"- you take a -20 and if it misses it hits a civilian, basically.

The station building has a set of stone arches heading down its center, at ground level massive pillars around which people cluster. To your left, a flight of stairs leads down to a lower set of platforms, and to your right a wide corridor leads to the station's commercia. Directly ahead is two arches through to the station platforms and the clock Ferris will apparently be meeting the others under.

"See him?" Nicodemus mutters through gritted teeth, slowing to a walk and glaring around the crowd.

OOC: Awareness or Search test to see Ferris before he sees you.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse.png

Sorry for the lack of decoration, i'm by no means an artist. I'll add scale if/when combat starts. Presume each of the "Pillars" is around 2 meters square for now.

EDIT: Apologies for the slightly odd writing style of this, i'll make it more coherent when i've got some sleep.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia walks forward slowly, smiling beatifically at any faces that turn to look at the very apparent habit of her order. She keeps her hands folded in her robes, one over the other, holding her pistol deep in the folds of cloth. Should anyone look too long or speaks to her, she offers merely a few kind words from Ministorum scripture before continuing on, her eyes drifting about the large chamber.

Awareness vs TN 27 (37-10): [roll0]

[Mekboy]

Keeping one hand on his pistol, concealed within the dark folds of his robes, Ramos opens his data-slate, attempting to look like he was on some important maintenance task. Glancing around, he does his best to spot his target amongst the unwashed masses.

Awareness:[roll0] vs 3. (25/2 -10)

[Steilos]

Almost gliding amongst the crowd, the hooded figure becomes almost indistinguishable from the masses around him as his eyes scan the crowd for his target.

Awareness vs. 8 (36/2-10): [roll0]

[AvianMalkavian]

Avdatya strode imperiously through the crowd, not minding the usual rabble that traveled through the station and ignoring any attention that they might have focused upon her. Of course, she was more subtle in her efforts to keep her eyes open for Ferris and his compatriots.

Awarness (33): [roll0]

[Caimheul]

Grak stays close to the Sister, holding his rifle at the ready and glaring at anyone whose gaze lingers to long on the sister.

Awareness: [roll0] TN 4 (28/2 - 10)
Grak is clearly distracted by guarding the sister... lets hear it for acolytes not being able to chew gum at walk at basic character creation! :smalltongue:

[LeSwordfish]

Those who see Ferris
He's a little off to the side of where you expect him, sitting on a decorative ledge, leaning forward on his knees and talking to two men stood in front of him. One of them is definitely bald, and possibly carrying something, although it's hard to see. He hasn't noticed you.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse-%20Ferris.png


Those who don't see Ferris
The crowd is too thick, and casting around doesn't find you anything.

Setting Images
Station courtyard
http://urbandesign.tfl.gov.uk/getattachment/Heritage-Library/Underground/Kings-Cross---St-Pancras-(St-Pancras-terminus-(1)/St-Pancras-1-(1).png.aspx
General station design
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~hyde/England2004/Images1/IMG_3184Copying.jpg
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~hyde/England2004/Images1/IMG_3179Copying.jpg

Any resemblance to other stations, living or Kings Cross, is purely coincidental. :smalltongue:

Also, imagine the trains are a bit more 40k-y


Those who ARE Ferris
[roll0]

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia tilts her head slightly to the Interrogator and murmurs, "Contact. Sitting over there on the ledge to the right of the clock. Associates are standing. One of them is holding something. I suggest a flanking maneuver, cut off attempted escape avenues." She looks around for the other teams.

[LeSwordfish]

OOC: I should note, the map has been updated with scale and, now Aemilia has pointed him out, Ferris's location.

[Lycan 01]

Father Cromwell is not able to look around for the target, as he is swiftly accosted by a few of the faithful. "Yes, yes, thank you for your kind words. Yes, I will pray for your son. No, the Emperor will forgive you. Ave Imperator, brother. Light of Terra guide you, Sister..." he meekly waves off those who implore him for aid and attention, reciting responses that have been drilled into his skull since a young age.

When the Sister points out the target, Father Cromwell plays dumb, and pretends to keep his attention focused on the civilians.

[LeSwordfish]

"Good idea." Nicodemus opines. "We can split up and- Sek!" Ferris has spotted you. "Go active. Move in on them!"

OOC:
Roll initiative. You have one turn's activity before Ferris gets a chance to react. You also have surprise.

Ferris' initiative: [roll0] +5
One-eye initiative: [roll1] +3
Baldy initiative: [roll2] +3

Ferris stands sharply, staring directly at Nicodemus. You can't hear him, but you can see him swear, and start scrabbling for a weapon. The two men he is with do the same thing.

[Whiskeyjack]

"Sir, the lockdown!" she hisses, keeping her eyes on the target.

[Steilos]

Pletcher focuses upon the one-eyed man he was ordered to go after, continuing to move through the crowd and attempting to move in closer while trying to seem to just be a part of the crowd. His hand is on his laspistol and ready to draw - but he doesn't make a move just yet, going around the flank of the trio in an attempt to catch them off guard while they were focused on Nicodemus.

OOC: What sort of check do I need to make for this, if any?

[Mekboy]

Ramos too decides that the best plan of action is to keep moving, and try and cover any escape roots. Trying to blend as much as is possible a looming red-robed tech priest, he keeps walking at the same pace towards the entrance to the Commercia.

OOC: Assuming that Commercia isn't a proper noun, as I'm not sure what one actually is. Also, any test needed to try and act natural?

[AvianMalkavian]

As it appeared chaos was about to ensue, Avdatya did what seemed best. Focusing her attention on the one eyed man, she moved through the crowd to get closer, drawing her compact laspistol from her dress but keeping it low and, hopefully, out of view.

[LeSwordfish]

"Like the lady said, Skink." Nicodemus says into his microbead.

"Arbites are already inbound, interrogator." Skink replies. "Wouldn't want to keep you waiting."

"Good good." Nicodemus responds, almost to himself, still striding forward, eyes locked on Ferris.

OOC:

What sort of check do I need to make for this, if any?




Assuming that Commercia isn't a proper noun, as I'm not sure what one actually is. Also, any test needed to try and act natural?

Check is Concealment/Shadowing/Deceive, opposed vs Ferris' awareness. I can't find what we want in the rulebook, but rolling against one of those should cover it.

A commercia is like a grimdark shopping center. This one is a bit market-like.

In combat terms, am i to presume that you two are both moving at walking speed in one direction and taking the test for your move? And that Avdatya is Readying* a weapon and moving?

Also, because i forgot, Nicodemus' initiative: [roll0]

*Yeah, i guess it can be ready and concealed.

[Lycan 01]

Cromwell continues to walk along with the others, pretending to be minding his own business. He makes signs of benediction and mutters in High Gothic to random passerby's, trying to give the illusion that he's just a traveling priest. Hiding in plain sight, so to speak.


Deceive, I suppose: [roll0] vs Fel 41/2 = 20

[Caimheul]

"Sister, Grak move faster, may catch evil man." Grak says, before his muscles tense up from the drugs flooding into his system. He then starts moving through the crowd, elbowing people slow to move out of the way.


Half action for the Slaught to kick in, then Half action move 6 meters.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia lowers her head as Grak moves forward. She walks slightly behind the Interrogator, still speaking to passerby, as if playing off that what she said to the Interrogator was a simple benefiction. She prepares to raise her pistol and fire.

[LeSwordfish]

Actions

Ramnos Blending in, moving to cut off exit to commercia
Nicodemus Advancing, readying Hand Cannon
Aemilia Readying Weapon, blending in, following interrogator
One-Eye Surprised
Gamma Flanking, Blending in.
Baldy Surprised
Grak WAAAAAAAGH. Slaught injection, half action 6m move.
Ferris Surprised
Cromwell Blending in, following interrogator.
Avdatya Blending in, following interrogator, Readying weapon


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse-%20surprise%20round.png

Apologies if i've moved your character wrongly. When in doubt, i decided to keep the pairs that Nicodemus asked for roughly together. I also hope the colour-coding is clear enough. I'll probably need to swap out colours for friendly NPCs and bad guys at some point.

I also never clarified the rules for blending in and moving: it's a free action, but limits you to a half turn's worth of movement. Fair enough?

Ferris takes in the situation calculatingly. Panic is visible in his eyes, and he flicks them back and forth between the interrogator and Grak. He's clearly suspicious, but hasn't picked out any of you from the crowd.

Ferris is a handsome man, tall and fair-haired, with the slender build of an acrobat or athlete. He's well-dressed, wearing a long storm-coat over a elaborate shirt. The two men he is with are both grim-faced and middle-aged, dressed entirely in black robes, with amber amulets around their necks.

[Steilos]

Pletcher drew his laspistol as gently as he could, motioning to Advataya to follow with a glance as he moved in towards the one-eyed man. Trying to keep both weapon and intent concealed, he approaches his mark and prepares to fire as soon as they take the bait...

Decieve [roll0] vs 30

[AvianMalkavian]

Avdatya noticed Pletcher's little glance, deciding with a small sigh to follow along though making sure to keep her distance, lest anyone believe she possibly knew him. Of course, she also made certain to keep an eye out for nearby cover. She wasn't a soldier and her knowledge of battle was.. limited. Still, she knew enough to point and fire, which was really all that mattered, wasn't it?

Deceive: [roll0] vs. 50

[Caimheul]

Grak slings his lasgun across his back, freeing his long blade but keeping it down at his side. He continues to elbow his way through the crowd, eyes staying straight ahead, not looking at the targets.


Half action ready weapon, Half action move, diagonally towards the archway to the right of the targets, don't want to end move within 4 m of them though (Berserk Charge) End on the grey tile to the left of the pillar closest to them

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia's eyes flick across each man, looking for weapons.

[Mekboy]

Ramos keeps moving, trying to find a place hidden from Ferris's line of sight.
Full move to the grey square up one and across 5 from the middle pillar.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia moves behind the Interrogator and to the right slightly. She looks at the trio of men, seeing them looking at the Interrogator, and smiles pleasantly - as if they are actually looking at her and have caught her eye. She continues moving towards them to come preach His Holy Word to them. It's only polite after all!


Awareness - looking for weapons vs TN 37: [roll0]

Aemilia takes a half move ending in the grey square at the top left corner of the middle right pillar.

GM, can you also color-code the PC names in your action summary on the map, so it's easier to identify which character goes with which dot? I know which one I am but haven't memorized everyone else's text color.

[LeSwordfish]

Each of the two men in black is carrying a light pistol, perhaps a las or auto. Ferris's sidearm is considerably heavier, but you don't recognise the make.* It's of a similar size to a bolt pistol, but without the distinctive silhouette. It seems squarish and blocky, with no obvious barrel.

All three men also carry some kind of knife.

*Not without an awareness test or some good OOC deduction. Never mind, you pass.

Ferris' Weapon
It's a pulse pistol. A Tau weapon. It seems to have been repainted a more dull grey to blend in with imperial hardware better.

RE: Names: would color-coded letters instead of dots do? Saves on visual clutter, and almost all the names start with different letters.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia's eyes flash flinty for a split second as she recognizes the foul xenos device. She chokes back a string of holy invective and condemnation, forcing her face to remain passive and pleasant as she walks closer, just one of many nameless servants of the Throne keeping the faith strong and present in everyday life.

Yeah, colored letters would work great.

[Lycan 01]

Cromwell continues to play along as a missionary, walking along and mingling with the crowd. He begins to move his hands to and fro making signs of blessing and benediction. But with each movement, his hands move closer and closer to his waiting weapons. He knows its about to get ugly; he wants to be as close as he can before his cover is fully blown.

[LeSwordfish]

Ferris glances from Nicodemus to Grak, panicked and wide-eyed. So fixed on them is he that he almost fails to notice the two men turning to leave.

“Hey” he shouts after them. “Hey, come back, you bastard! I need that- sek!” Grak has drawn his blade. Ferris teeters with indecision for a moment before turning and sprinting, flat out, towards the arch into the platforms. The two men run in opposite directions, one heading for the Commercia entrance, the other toward the route down to the lower levels of the station.

Thanks to the deceptive skill of Pletcher and Avdatya, the one-eyed man nearly runs fully into them. His attention is elsewhere, concentrating on Grak and Nicodemus, as the two charge towards Ferris.

Actions
More full action details later. All the NPCs are basically making full moves. For now, map:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse-%20round%201.png

[Caimheul]

Grak's eyes glint like a cat watching a mouse futilely attempt to scurry away. With a roar he charges at the the fleeing target.

Full Action: CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!
[roll0] TN 57 (WS 37 +20 Berserk Charge)
If he ran last turn, that becomes TN 77... never mind, whiff either way
Damage: [roll1]
Pen: 4

[Steilos]

Pletcher levels his pistol at the surprised one-eyed chap. He was wanted alive, after all... but that didn't mean he had to be unharmed.

OOC:
Half Aim
Standard Ranged Attack (Full auto would very probably krump the poor guy)
To Hit: [roll0] vs. either 61 or 71 depending on if he's pointblank or close range
Damage:[roll1] Energy
Penetration 0
Crit Confirm:[roll2] vs. 31
EMPRA'S FUREH: [roll3]

[Mekboy]

As the bald man hurried past him, Ramos followed. The one-eyed man may have been his original target, but it seemed that the rest of the cell had him sorted. "Omnissiah guide my aim."

Half action move, standard attack.
[roll0] vs 75 (-10 if people in the way will count if it's at point blank.)
Damage: [roll1] Energy, Pen 0.
Confirm righteous fury: [roll2]
Extra damage: [roll3]

[Whiskeyjack]

Seeing Ferris take off, Aemilia brings her pistol up from her robes, takes careful aim at the heretic, and fires a single shot at his back.

Aim and shoot: 1d100 vs 57 (base 37 + 10 Aim + 10 sight): [roll0]

If it hits: Dmg [roll1]

[LeSwordfish]

Ferris catches a glimpse of Aemilia's raised pistol, and twists himself frantically out of the way, the shot missing him by little enough to cut through the long coat he is wearing. He's unprepared and off-balance when Grak's blade comes swinging in, but he turns the stumble into a long dive that dodges the blade and takes him over the platform edge, into a handspring that brings him back to his feet, jumping back away from Grak's scything sword. Ferris is obviously extremely agile.

Reactions

[roll0] Dodge
[roll1] Dodge

Across under the arch, Pletcher's carefully aimed shot hits the one-eyed man perfectly in the leg, punching through his thigh with a wet thwack, leaving a sizzling wound and a spurt of blood across the tiles. The man drops to his knees with a screech of pain, and clamps his hands around the wound, hissing and grunting in pain.

The omnissiah guides Ramnos' aim, but some other power conspires against him, and the one-eyed man avoids the shot easily, before turning to Ramnos, and aiming his weapon, a stub automatic with a squared, sawn-off muzzle, and firing a brief automatic burst.

Shooting At Ramnos
Semi automatic fire. No aim action. No -10 due to crowds. [roll2]vs 65
[roll3] Damage
[roll4] Damage
[roll5] Damage
0 penetration.
[roll6] Reaction.
Final damage: None. Successful Dodge avoids all three hits.


Nicodemus curses as Ferris successfully dodges, and fires a snap shot from his own weapon that blows a skull-sized chunk of masonry out of the nearest pillar. He swears again and runs after Ferris.

The bursts of gunfire have started attracting the crowds attention. As a mass, they are moving, running in all directions. A woman trips and is trampled, mere feet from Cromwell. Screams ring out. An announcement calls for calm, but the mass of humanity is too loud and panicked to hear it. Every one of you is buffeted by the crowd.

OOC: The crowd are retreating from the shooting, attempting to run to the exit. All of you must take a Strength or Agility* test to keep your feet (Though not if you have the "Accustomed To Crowds" Trait.) If failed, you are knocked down. For this test, and all tests after this test is taken, all penalties due to crowds are removed.


Actions
RamnosAim, Shoot
Nicodemus Miss, half move
Aemilia Aim, Shoot
One-Eye Saying "Ow" repeatedly.
Gamma Aim, shoot
Baldy Semi-automatic fire.
Grak Charge, miss.
Ferris Disengage
Cromwell No response, presumably holding position. You get a free "Delay" action.
Avdatya No response, presumably holding position. You get a free "Delay" action.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/platform.png

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse-%20round%202.png

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia struggles to press through the crowd in pursuit of Ferris.

Agility vs TN 40: [roll0]

[Caimheul]

Through sheer brute strength Grak retains his feet in the face of the stampeding mass of humanity. Remembering that Interrogator wanted the target alive, he switches back to his lasgun and tries to hit the target's legs.

Half action Ready lasgun, Half action called shot to the legs [roll0] TN 31 +10 short range, -20 Called Shot = 21

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia slips between the fleeing civilians, chasing after Ferris.

Run - 24m of running, ending in the grey square in the same column as Ferris, just not in the railway pit.

[Mekboy]

Doing what he can to avoid the worst of the stampede, Ramos keeps firing at the one-eyed man

Semi-auto.

[roll0] vs 85 (35+30(Point blank)+10(Sight)+10(Semi-auto)
Damage:[roll1],[roll2]

EDIT: I am good at damage...
EDIT 2: Just noticed that it's damage 1d10+3, so those should both be 4 damage.

[AvianMalkavian]

As it appears the fighting has begun, Avdatya is quick to raise her compact laspistol, steadying her breath as she aims before firing, hopefully to maim the one eyed man rather than kill.

Taking a half round to aim and another half round action to shoot.

Ballistic Skill [roll0] vs. 52

Compact Laspistol [roll1]

[Lycan 01]

Father Cromwell lunges for cover when the gunfire breaks out. Slamming himself behind the support pillar adjacent to him, the cleric reaches into his robes and draws his Puritan-14. He peeks around the corner, and watches the events as they unfold. He flicks the safety off, and idly begins to mutter a catechism.


Half action, move to the pillar and use it for cover from Baldy.

Half action to draw weapon.

[Steilos]

Pletcher doesn't move at all, the crowd seeming to flow around him. He refrains on pulling the trigger, but steps forward and points the weapon at One-eye's head after Advataya's shot flies towards him. "You... are coming with us." the psyker says in a disconcertingly serene voice, holding the laspistol levelly at the man's head, ready to pull the trigger should Advatay's laspistol fail to hit her mark.

Which it does.

He pulls the trigger.

Delaying my initative till after Advataya's turn. If she misses, half aim and fire. If she hits... Intimidation I suppose.
Half aim, Fire
To hit: [roll0] vs. 71
Damage: [roll1] Energy
Penetration 0

Otherwise...
Intimidation [roll2] vs. 32. Mind Cleansed FTW!
Oh she missed. Fire away, don't bother with silly intimidation OR delaying my initiative!
Shame, that was a good intimidation roll

[LeSwordfish]

Ramnos Semi-auto fire
Nicodemus Stand, move.
Aemilia Run
One-Eye Phase, suppressive fire
Gamma Aim, shoot
Baldy Aim, shoot,
Grak Readies lasgun, shoots, misses.
Ferris Half move run, Quick Draw, half shoot.
Cromwell Taking cover, drawing pistol.
Avdatya Failing to hit a barn door with a banjo.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/platform%20round%203.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/Dark%20Heresy/station%20concourse-%20round%203.png


All of you manage to keep your footing but Nicodemus. The interrogator is buffeted from several directions and falls hard, his heavy pistol jolting out of his hand and bouncing away as Aemilia catches up with him. He curses and starts clambering to his feet.

As both Avdatya and Gamma aim their pistols at him, the one-eyed man looks up at them, eyes watering with pain, and spits heavily on the floor. "Inquisition scum." he mutters, and then vanishes.

It's so sudden, that both your las-shots sear through the air and shatter floor tiles. The disappearance is almost silent, with a whip-crack of inrushing air, and nothing is left of the man, but for a handful of red petals, spiralling gently in air-currents. The crowd has by now almost escaped, and there's a feeling of eerie silence. Both Avdatya and Gamma taste ozone.

And then he reappears. He's on the other side of the room, in the same kneeling position as before, mere feet from Ferris, but now he's holding his pistol. He takes the briefest of aims, and opens fire. Heavy, rattling shots shatter off time tiles around you.

OOC
From his new position, One-eye's 45 degree killzone is marked. Everyone within it (Aemilia, Grak) should take a pinning test (willpower at -20. failure means you can only take half actions and must take cover.)

Roll to hit anyone: [roll0]
Who: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] [roll3]

With bullets bouncing off the tiles around him, Nicodemus begins bellying across the tiles towards the cover of the luggage case. He nearly makes it, when the Pulse beam hits him. The thin, continuous beam of silver makes a roaring noise, and when it impacts against his sholder, expands into a horrific glow. When the light dies away, Nicodemus is horrifically wounded. His shoulder and arm have been reduced to scorched bone and flaps of smoking muscle. Inch-deep burns cross his face and chest. Screaming, writhing, the interrogator begins to die in a spreading pool of his own blood. Across the room, Ferris lowers his pulse pistol and smiles grimly.

OOC
Nicodemus has taken 6 points of energy critical damage to Head, Body, and Right Arm. Consider him to have passed any Toughness or Agility tests, although he is suffering from Blood Loss.

The bald man stumbles backward from Ramnos's well-aimed shots to the torso, although he seems uninterested. He curses, breifly, and looks around at the situation. Then, as rapidly as his colleague did, he vanishes, again leaving nothing but a cluster of red petals, drifting in the air. The briefcase goes with him.

[Lycan 01]

"What is this black magic?!" Father Cromwell snarls, shaking off the vague disorientation that comes from close proximity teleportation.

His eyes widen in horror as he sees the Interrogator go down. Leaning around the corner of the pillar, he aims down the barrel of his Puritan-14, and fires a shot at the weapon clutched in Ferris' hand.


Called Shot on Ferris' weapon.

BS 37 + 10 for close range + 10 for red dot laser sight - 20 for Called Shot - 20 for size (I think) = 17.

Attack: [roll0] vs 17

[Steilos]

Pletcher gazes upon Nicodemus, wondering if he should fire upon Ferris or save Nicodemus' life. Either way looked like it would need psychic powers at this point. Speaking of psychic powers... what just happened? He nodded at Advataya. "The Interrogator... requires my assistance. It would be best... if you helped the Feral Worlder... and Sister Aemilia..." And then he took off for Nicodemus' position, aiming to to accomplish all three - heal Nicodemus then blow Ferris' head off his smug shoulders. Huh... wonder where that last bit came from. Ah well. It looked like his comrades would need a distraction, however...

OOC:

RUN to the corner where Nicodemus is, stay behind wall.
DISTORT VISION (Free Action) - [roll0] vs. 9


A simulacrum of Cornelius Pletcher marches into open at the platforms area, hissing at those on his side to get into cover as he made like he was drawing his laspistol and stepping towards the nearest cover.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia sees the xenos-weapon tear into Nicodemus just as the witch re-appears in a flash of petals, the tiles exploding around her feet as bullets spray the air. Hunching over, she makes a dash for the Interrogator. "Grak, secure that heretic! You, wit---Pletcher, pull the Interrogator into cover! I can't work if I'm getting shot up!" Aemilia looks around, seeing allies far away through the crowd. "We need to regroup. Throne-damned witches!" she hisses.

Not sure if that's my whole action. If I can I'd like to Test Medicae on Nicodemus, try to keep him stable.

[Steilos]

Pletcher nods, invisibly, before creeping out of cover to move Nicodemus to safety. The Sister and everyone concerned unfortunately can still only see the fake Pletcher, so it seems to her that the body moves on its own towards the building corner.

OOC:
HALF ACTION - Drag Nicodemus to Pletcher's location. Combined with the effects of Distort Vision, this has some rather amusing implications.

[LeSwordfish]

Ramnos ---
Nicodemus Bleed a bit.
Aemilia Cover
One-Eye Suppressive fire
Gamma Move Nicodemus
Grak --- (Considered Pinned)
Ferris Run
Cromwell Aim, shoot
Avdatya ---

Map up soon. Ferris has run to stand just behind One-eye.

Seeing the simulacra of Gamma stepping out, the One-eyed man continues suppressive fire, but concentrates on the vision.

OOC
If i'm right, you have to take the pinning test again. However, you get a +20 bonus for there being an obvious better target.

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] for who.
[roll2] for damage.

Ferris pauses in his run, and squints back at the pinned group. He sees the vision, standing tall against the gunfire. He sees the body, being dragged by nothing, and grins. He brings the pulse pistol up, pointed roughly at the area where someone dragging the body would be, and switches to semi-automatic.

The pistol is blown out of his hands by a pinpoint accuracy shot from Cornelius. Ferris yelps in pain and clutches his hand. Three of his fingers have been broken. The pistol skitters away into a recess under the platform. Ferris grimaces and turns to run again.

[Caimheul]

OOC:Guess I might as well post both round's actions

Faced with a barrage of fire, Grak moves to behind the nearest pillar to catch his breath. "Which one m'lady?" Grak asks, as he briefly steps out of cover to throw a fire bomb at the one-eyed man. The hurried throw results in the grenade arcing off to the right, however upon landing nothing occurs. Grak curses himself for forgetting to recite the litany of arming, having got caught up in the thrill of the fight.

I figure he is just at the maximum range (12 meters)
[roll0] TN 31
Scatter: [roll1] (if needed)[roll2]
Damage: [roll3] Pen 6 Blast (3)

[Lycan 01]

Leaning around the corner, Cromwell aims down his gunsights at Ferris as he turns to leave. Taking aim at the heretics left kneecap, the Cleric fires off another shot, praying to the Emperor that it will find its mark.


Aim and Called Shot.

[roll0] vs 27 (BS 37 +10 -20)

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia tries to get the Interrogator into better cover and then goes to work on his charred body, the high whine of her bone saw and hiss of injector muted by the sounds of gunfire and shattering tiles. "Stay with me, sir. God-Emperor, keep Your loyal servant close, let Your fury flow through him and keep his heart hammering with hate for the traitor and the xenos, give him the strength to continue smiting Your foul enemies. In Your name, I pray for benediction for Your loyal servant," she says loudly, holding Nicodemus in place with her free hand while the arm equipped with medicae tools goes to work.

Medicae vs TN 70: [roll0]

If the Interrogator needs to test Toughness or lose an arm, I give him +20 to the Test. Please let me know if his arm looks recoverable or if it looks like it will require amputation to save his life.

EDIT: not a great roll, but it's a success. Thank Him-on-Terra for bonuses! The Interrogator heals 2 Critical Damage.

[LeSwordfish]

Note: I'm now away from my computer for the next two months, and posting on an iPad. The upshot of this is, no more maps (sorry) and likely some weird-ass autocorrects slipping in.


Nicodemus Bleed a bit.
Aemilia Heal
One-Eye Suppressive fire
Grak Grenade
Ferris Stab
Cromwell Aim, shoot


When the One-eyed man stops shooting, the silence in the room is somehow more oppressive than the noise. You can hear his ragged breathing, and the clatter of falling fragments of stone.

"Are we good?" he asks Ferris, "Are we good? Can we go?"

"Right behind you." Ferris assures him, and slices his gut open with a hook-bladed knife. The bright spurt of blood across the floor tiles ahead of the two men is such sudden, vivid movement that the One-eyed man almost seems transfixed by it, dropping to his knees as if mesmerised. Slowly, almost tenderly, Ferris reaches around him and yanks the amulet he is wearing off, wrapping the chain tightly around the wrist and fingers of his broken hand. He pulls the pistol from the man's hand and spins it in his own, before giving the man a shove to the back of the head with one boot. The one-eyed man slumps down, and, clutching his wound, begins to bleed to death on the tiles.

Glancing around, seemingly satisfied, Ferris turns and begins to move along the platform, toward the exit along the rail.

Aemilia's ministrations have brought Nicodemus briefly back to consciousness. He buckles, spasms and gasps in pain, clawing at the vox-bead on his coat front with his non-ruined hand.

"Code Theta" he gasps, his hands barely touching the bead, let alone activating it. "Code Theta"

Amelia
Nicodemus' arm is thoroughly ruined. Amputating it will make no difference, but there's no way he's keeping the arm after the damage it has taken.

[Lycan 01]

"Shoulda just kept running..." Cromwell mutters under his breath, drawing a bead on Ferris and firing off another shot, this time aiming at the medallion he'd just stolen.


Called Shot: [roll0] vs 27

Damage: [roll1] +?

[Caimheul]

Seeing Ferris attempt to flee, Grak charges the target's unprotected back, the drugs coursing through his system increasing the speed of his movement. The momentum from his charge causes him to barely miss with the first thrust of his bayonet, leaving a tear in Ferris's sleeve.


As long as Ferris is within 18 meters, he's in charge range (I think he should be considering that one eye was roughly 13 meters away from Grak's position, and Ferris I assume only took a half action move...
Charge! [roll0] TN 57 (37 +10 Charge, +10 Berserk Charge)
Damage: [roll1] Pen 2

[Whiskeyjack]

"Remember! Take him alive!" Aemilia shouts to her feral bodyguard, trying to discern what Nicodemus was trying to do.

If I can, I'll activate the vox bead...just let me know, GM

[LeSwordfish]

OOC
It's the work of a second to activate the bead and relay the gasped code. It's a free action, so you can medic on if necessary.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia flicks the vox link. "This is Sister Aemilia. Nicodemus is in critical condition. In pursuit of heretic. Nicodemus was trying to issue a Code Theta, repeat, Code Theta. Copy?" She says into the bead.

I can't do any more healing on him unless amputation of his ruined arm can somehow help him with Fatigue and Blood Loss due to Master Chirurgeon and my tools. If not I'll leave his healing to the psyker after relaying the message and try to help with Ferris.

[LeSwordfish]

Skink's voice crackles back across the bead. "Copy that." A crackle. "You read that, Genadzy? Code theta." A second man's voice on the line. "Got it. Going in now. If the good sister could keep her men away from the windows, that'd be dandy."

Amputating the arm will provide no game benefits. Nicodemus is stable enough for you to go chasing Ferris.

[Whiskeyjack]

"I will not fail you, my lord," she says quietly to him, rolling him gently onto his side near the wall and pulling his cloak up. "Keep your head covered, the Arbites are coming in."

Aemilia draws her pistol and calls out to her fellows, "Incoming!"

[Steilos]

OOC:

Wow, this came back from the dead. I didn't post till now because I thought it had had it. Apologies.

Pletcher holds out his hand over Nicodemus, allowing his power to flow into the man's wounds. Strange, he felt like he'd done this before... Leaving off that train of thought, he spoke to Nicodemus. "Stay still... and let the arbites handle this... my lord. You'll... survive."

OOC:

FULL ACTION: Healer[roll0]
Healing: [roll1]
Threshold was 7 so Nicodemus is now three wounds on the up!

[LeSwordfish]

Nicodemus Bleed a bit.
Aemilia, uh, communicate? Not sure what you're actually doing? Pressing on anyway.
One-Eye Gibbed
Gamma Heal
Grak Charge
Ferris Disarm attempt
Cromwell Aim, shoot


The thrust bayonet slices through Ferris's coat but misses the man himself. Ferris responds with a rapid twist. Both his hands are full, so he turns his momentum into a tricky twist and roll, kicking with his right leg at the barrel of the lasgun, trying to turn it aside.

Disarm attempt. Hopefully I can remember how disarm works. Opposed WS, yes, with a win disarming them and a win by 20 taking their weapon.
Ferris: [roll0]
Grak: [roll1]

Both fail, no result.

As the desperate brawl begins, a roaring noise can be heard outside the windows, growing louder and higher. Finally, as Cromwell takes his shot, and ferris launches his kick, the windows shatter inward, one by one, forced in by a powerful burst of assault cannon fire. Glass pours across the floor of the room, and the stench of the air outside the hive burns your nostrils. The burst of firepower turns a long stretch of tiles into shattered, scarred fragments, and turns the one-eyed man into a mist of blood and bone fragments. When it reaches Ferris and Grak it breaks, leaving them unharmed. A black flicker rushes past a second later.

"Code Theta." Comes Genadzy's voice through the link, with a certain air of satisfaction. "Orders were, no chance of escape, and if he's got warp powers... besides, there's not much that can shoot to wound on a Vulture." The background noise changes tone, as if the vulture is turning. "Couldn't hit the other man without mincing your bodyguard. Requesting permission to take that shot."

[Lycan 01]

"Emperor damn it, we need him alive!" Father Cromwell snarls, leaping out from behind the pillar. He then sprints as far as he can towards the two sparring individuals, hoping to close the distant and aid Grak in his fight.


Full Round Move.

Not sure how far away Ferris and Grak are, so I dunno if I can charge or anything.

[Whiskeyjack]

Aemilia pulls teh vox-bead free, snapping it to her habit. "Hold, Arbite, my man will take him down. If you see anyone try to intervene, end them."

Aemilia lines up a shot, aims, and fires at the heretic, trying not to hit her bondsman.


Half action Aim + Fire vs TN 47 (+30 Aim/sight/short range, -20 firing into melee): [roll0]