LeSwordfish
2012-06-18, 05:49 AM
Dark Heresy: Kennet's Gambit
Chapter One: Do Not Investigate
The message had been circulated to all your rooms a few minutes ago, by one of the freighter's hundred bustling stewards. Would Lady de Candra Borjya, Mr Trellis, madam Kalt, care to come to the communications deck? Madam Meredith requests an audience. I'm sorry sir, ma'am, I have no other information. Just the message.
When you have joined the others in the communications room, a dark circle lit by the blue glow of dancing shapes on a hefty holodesk in the centre of the room, the messenger bids you politely goodbye, and leaves, instructing you to inform the steward once you are done. The placeholder shapes rotate once more, and then flicker, coruscate, and resolve into the shape of Inquisitor Meredith, revolving slowly.
"Cell Theta" She says, and smiles. "Apologies for the time taken to send this message. Preparing a secure signal took quite some time. I assure you I had no intention of sending you off into the warp with no explanation or plan. Events, as always, transpire as they will."
Meredith's image shrinks and reduces, to be replaced by that of a planet, wreathed in a tracery of high cirrostratus.
"This is your target, the planet of Ventus Commercia, colloquially known as "Tradewind". A minor agri-world, with a few unusual features. Located near to an anomaly in warp-space, meaning transmission and transit are unusually smooth. As such, it's home to a network of orbital stations dedicated to refuelling and repair of starships, and the College of Gilead, a major astropathic relay, capable of shooting a message across the whole subsector. Otherwise though, largely insignificant. Farming, mining, and so on. Small population, only major tithe fuel for the orbitals."
The planet disappears, and a man replaces it. The image is fuzzy but recognisable as an action shot, perhaps caught by a security pict-caster. The man is sallow, with blond hair pulled back from his face, a pair of large glare-glasses, and a set of starched administratum robes. He is skeletally thin, with a narrow skull sharply stretching his face, and hands like spiders. The shot is of him striding forward, holding a long-barrelled pistol.
"You probably know this man. Alric Kennet, freelance mercenary and cult facilitator. Responsible for several of the most high-profile acts of heresy across the subsector in the last thirty standard years.. Known employers include the Pilgrims of Hayte, Marco Ferris the xenotech smuggler, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. I won't bore you with the details- I've attached his file to your data slates- but suffice to say he's a damn intelligent man. The Ordo's been after him for decades, and we've never so much as felt his collar."
"Last attempt was two years ago. A group of three inquisitors cornered him aboard the Lineage Of Victris. None of them, or him, were ever seen again. We never really expected he was dead, of course, and now it appears he's re-emerged. Sighted aboard a ship headed for Tradewind. Our best efforts have brought up no further evidence, and the rumour is still unconfirmed."
"So that's your secondary task. Keep your eyes peeled for Kennet. He's most likely causing havoc a subsector away, but the rumour of his presence on the planet below adds... interest... to the incident you'll be investigating as your primary task. And frankly-" here a pause, a small sigh- "-its too damn interesting already."
OOC
Here we go. A pause here to avoid too much text at once, and let the PC's get a word in edgeways.
Cell Theta OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13414877#post13414877)
File/0336321/hereticus/Kennet
++ Kennet, Alric ++
++ Clearance required: Veridian ++
Alric Baren Kennet grew up the son of a planetary governor, on the hive world of Albion's Wake. At an early age he was identified as a savant of extraordinary ability, and schooled at the famous Schola Progenia Taura. Schola reports have him as a model student, but rumours dogged his time there, including the death of a teacher and the theft of several tomes from the scholam's restricted library.
Upon leaving the Schola, Kennet fell into the company of powerful influences. Few records exist of his whereabouts for the next ten years, but it is believed that it is around this time that he began his facilitator work. Certainly several companies in competition to his father's shipping interests collapsed over this period. The next record of Kennet's location was ten years after his graduation, back on his home world of Skell's World. Kennet was caught on camera raiding an imperial faculty, and would not have been recognised but for one of his scholam tutors being seconded to the investigation into the incident.
From then on, Kennet has rarely left the interest of the inquisition. His Facilitator work became considerably more radical soon after, working directly for anti-imperial influences such as the Pilgrims of Hayte, Marco Ferris, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. Kennet's influence on each group usually marks a definite increase in their activity and efficiency, and it is believed that, amongst other successful attacks, Kennet has been personally responsible for the opening of two warp portals and the manifestation of one major Daemon. All three events lead to the enaction of Exterminatus on their source planets.
Kennet has evaded inquisitorial sanction for nearly a century now. The most recent attempt to capture him is particularly notable: a ordo hereticus coalition of Inquisitors Solomon, Verence, and Bach and their retinues tracked Kennet to a place on the Lineage of Victris, a rogue trader vessel. Their final transmission reported a confirmed sighting and preparations for an imminent attack. Thirty minutes later an automated message from the Lineage Of Victris reported a catastrophic failure of its Geller field whilst entering warp. The ship, the three Inquisitors, and Kennet were never seen again.*Kennet is not believed dead and should still be regarded as active.
Kennet himself is only an average physical combatant, with reasonable sword and rifle skills, and no known psychic abilities. His mind and senses are extremely sharp though, and he is a skilled speaker. He is also extremely wealthy, and usually carries multiple Xenotech devices, often including a personal shield.
File/1249677/planetaria/Tradewind
++ "Ventus Commercia" aka "Tradewind" ++
Note: Data does not include Tradewind orbital stations. For data on Tradewind Orbital Stations, reference file 64/29/2887/130/Ca/TO
Reference number: 1249677/ca/3419
Population: 2.88x10^7
++ Military and Governance ++
Aestimare: X136
Imperial Fleet Presence: Minimal
Governor's capital: Gilead Palaces
Planetary Garrisons: None permanent.
Imperial Garrison Strength: n/a
Planetary Draft: n/a
Prefix Inquisitoria: Of Interest
++Production++
Tithe Grade: Exactis Minima
Chief Exports: Banedax Ore, Foodstuffs
++Additional Information++
The planet of Tradewind, a small, largely watery world near the center of the Calixis Subsector, was colonised some time during M38, and remains in much the same state as it was originally, with a population of less than thirty million.
Geographically, it consists of two large continents surrounded by ocean. The northern continent is heavily mountainous, with glaciers at high latitude and altitude, large areas of tundra and coniferous forest on mountain slopes and, along the southernmost coast, meadows and moors. The human population largely lives on this continent, with fifty percent in the capital city, thirty per cent spread amongst the other cities and agricultural land along the coast, and ten per cent living in farms and industrial sites in the mountains. Most of these farms keep livestock, with porcine and bovine xenoforms being popular.
The remaining ten percent of the population lives on the southernmost, equatorial continent. This continent is almost entirely desert and brushland, and human activity there tends toward mining for the small reserves of minerals and promethium found underground.
Tradewind has an indigenous population of bipedal xenoforms living in the forests on the northern continent, known for their green skin as the greenmen. Rumours that this population are mutated humans left over from a failed previous colonisation event have been investigated by teams from the Ordo Xenos, though results were not published. The indigens propensity for raiding attacks on imperial centers, using primitive weapons and armour but large numbers have caused segmentum command to assign a regiment of imperial guard to Tradewind to augment the PDF in protecting important locations. This posting is considered something of a joke by segmentum command, and "Posted to Tradewind" or "Doing the Greenman shift" has become a euphemism amongst guardsmen for dull or easy duties.
Tradewind's main notable features are due to its position near to a minor fold in warp-space. This makes it an extremely popular location for ships to refuel and repair, and much of its economy depends on the host of orbital stations servicing this trade. In addition, the astropathic relay known as the College of Gilead is based on Tradewind. The College is notable for having one of the largest ranges and powers of any astropathic relay, and as a hub of further education on matters of the warp and psykers. Its library, in particular, is one of the most extensive in private hands within the subsector.
Tradewind's orbital period is approximately twice that of earth, and days there last approximately thirteen hours. As such, citizens use a two-day sleep/wake cycle.
Chapter One: Do Not Investigate
The message had been circulated to all your rooms a few minutes ago, by one of the freighter's hundred bustling stewards. Would Lady de Candra Borjya, Mr Trellis, madam Kalt, care to come to the communications deck? Madam Meredith requests an audience. I'm sorry sir, ma'am, I have no other information. Just the message.
When you have joined the others in the communications room, a dark circle lit by the blue glow of dancing shapes on a hefty holodesk in the centre of the room, the messenger bids you politely goodbye, and leaves, instructing you to inform the steward once you are done. The placeholder shapes rotate once more, and then flicker, coruscate, and resolve into the shape of Inquisitor Meredith, revolving slowly.
"Cell Theta" She says, and smiles. "Apologies for the time taken to send this message. Preparing a secure signal took quite some time. I assure you I had no intention of sending you off into the warp with no explanation or plan. Events, as always, transpire as they will."
Meredith's image shrinks and reduces, to be replaced by that of a planet, wreathed in a tracery of high cirrostratus.
"This is your target, the planet of Ventus Commercia, colloquially known as "Tradewind". A minor agri-world, with a few unusual features. Located near to an anomaly in warp-space, meaning transmission and transit are unusually smooth. As such, it's home to a network of orbital stations dedicated to refuelling and repair of starships, and the College of Gilead, a major astropathic relay, capable of shooting a message across the whole subsector. Otherwise though, largely insignificant. Farming, mining, and so on. Small population, only major tithe fuel for the orbitals."
The planet disappears, and a man replaces it. The image is fuzzy but recognisable as an action shot, perhaps caught by a security pict-caster. The man is sallow, with blond hair pulled back from his face, a pair of large glare-glasses, and a set of starched administratum robes. He is skeletally thin, with a narrow skull sharply stretching his face, and hands like spiders. The shot is of him striding forward, holding a long-barrelled pistol.
"You probably know this man. Alric Kennet, freelance mercenary and cult facilitator. Responsible for several of the most high-profile acts of heresy across the subsector in the last thirty standard years.. Known employers include the Pilgrims of Hayte, Marco Ferris the xenotech smuggler, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. I won't bore you with the details- I've attached his file to your data slates- but suffice to say he's a damn intelligent man. The Ordo's been after him for decades, and we've never so much as felt his collar."
"Last attempt was two years ago. A group of three inquisitors cornered him aboard the Lineage Of Victris. None of them, or him, were ever seen again. We never really expected he was dead, of course, and now it appears he's re-emerged. Sighted aboard a ship headed for Tradewind. Our best efforts have brought up no further evidence, and the rumour is still unconfirmed."
"So that's your secondary task. Keep your eyes peeled for Kennet. He's most likely causing havoc a subsector away, but the rumour of his presence on the planet below adds... interest... to the incident you'll be investigating as your primary task. And frankly-" here a pause, a small sigh- "-its too damn interesting already."
OOC
Here we go. A pause here to avoid too much text at once, and let the PC's get a word in edgeways.
Cell Theta OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13414877#post13414877)
File/0336321/hereticus/Kennet
++ Kennet, Alric ++
++ Clearance required: Veridian ++
Alric Baren Kennet grew up the son of a planetary governor, on the hive world of Albion's Wake. At an early age he was identified as a savant of extraordinary ability, and schooled at the famous Schola Progenia Taura. Schola reports have him as a model student, but rumours dogged his time there, including the death of a teacher and the theft of several tomes from the scholam's restricted library.
Upon leaving the Schola, Kennet fell into the company of powerful influences. Few records exist of his whereabouts for the next ten years, but it is believed that it is around this time that he began his facilitator work. Certainly several companies in competition to his father's shipping interests collapsed over this period. The next record of Kennet's location was ten years after his graduation, back on his home world of Skell's World. Kennet was caught on camera raiding an imperial faculty, and would not have been recognised but for one of his scholam tutors being seconded to the investigation into the incident.
From then on, Kennet has rarely left the interest of the inquisition. His Facilitator work became considerably more radical soon after, working directly for anti-imperial influences such as the Pilgrims of Hayte, Marco Ferris, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. Kennet's influence on each group usually marks a definite increase in their activity and efficiency, and it is believed that, amongst other successful attacks, Kennet has been personally responsible for the opening of two warp portals and the manifestation of one major Daemon. All three events lead to the enaction of Exterminatus on their source planets.
Kennet has evaded inquisitorial sanction for nearly a century now. The most recent attempt to capture him is particularly notable: a ordo hereticus coalition of Inquisitors Solomon, Verence, and Bach and their retinues tracked Kennet to a place on the Lineage of Victris, a rogue trader vessel. Their final transmission reported a confirmed sighting and preparations for an imminent attack. Thirty minutes later an automated message from the Lineage Of Victris reported a catastrophic failure of its Geller field whilst entering warp. The ship, the three Inquisitors, and Kennet were never seen again.*Kennet is not believed dead and should still be regarded as active.
Kennet himself is only an average physical combatant, with reasonable sword and rifle skills, and no known psychic abilities. His mind and senses are extremely sharp though, and he is a skilled speaker. He is also extremely wealthy, and usually carries multiple Xenotech devices, often including a personal shield.
File/1249677/planetaria/Tradewind
++ "Ventus Commercia" aka "Tradewind" ++
Note: Data does not include Tradewind orbital stations. For data on Tradewind Orbital Stations, reference file 64/29/2887/130/Ca/TO
Reference number: 1249677/ca/3419
Population: 2.88x10^7
++ Military and Governance ++
Aestimare: X136
Imperial Fleet Presence: Minimal
Governor's capital: Gilead Palaces
Planetary Garrisons: None permanent.
Imperial Garrison Strength: n/a
Planetary Draft: n/a
Prefix Inquisitoria: Of Interest
++Production++
Tithe Grade: Exactis Minima
Chief Exports: Banedax Ore, Foodstuffs
++Additional Information++
The planet of Tradewind, a small, largely watery world near the center of the Calixis Subsector, was colonised some time during M38, and remains in much the same state as it was originally, with a population of less than thirty million.
Geographically, it consists of two large continents surrounded by ocean. The northern continent is heavily mountainous, with glaciers at high latitude and altitude, large areas of tundra and coniferous forest on mountain slopes and, along the southernmost coast, meadows and moors. The human population largely lives on this continent, with fifty percent in the capital city, thirty per cent spread amongst the other cities and agricultural land along the coast, and ten per cent living in farms and industrial sites in the mountains. Most of these farms keep livestock, with porcine and bovine xenoforms being popular.
The remaining ten percent of the population lives on the southernmost, equatorial continent. This continent is almost entirely desert and brushland, and human activity there tends toward mining for the small reserves of minerals and promethium found underground.
Tradewind has an indigenous population of bipedal xenoforms living in the forests on the northern continent, known for their green skin as the greenmen. Rumours that this population are mutated humans left over from a failed previous colonisation event have been investigated by teams from the Ordo Xenos, though results were not published. The indigens propensity for raiding attacks on imperial centers, using primitive weapons and armour but large numbers have caused segmentum command to assign a regiment of imperial guard to Tradewind to augment the PDF in protecting important locations. This posting is considered something of a joke by segmentum command, and "Posted to Tradewind" or "Doing the Greenman shift" has become a euphemism amongst guardsmen for dull or easy duties.
Tradewind's main notable features are due to its position near to a minor fold in warp-space. This makes it an extremely popular location for ships to refuel and repair, and much of its economy depends on the host of orbital stations servicing this trade. In addition, the astropathic relay known as the College of Gilead is based on Tradewind. The College is notable for having one of the largest ranges and powers of any astropathic relay, and as a hub of further education on matters of the warp and psykers. Its library, in particular, is one of the most extensive in private hands within the subsector.
Tradewind's orbital period is approximately twice that of earth, and days there last approximately thirteen hours. As such, citizens use a two-day sleep/wake cycle.