Twisted Faith (IC)

[Serafina]

Distant explosions resound through the rock, even kilometers underground in the depts of the Golgotha mines
You have deceived the defenders of Sepheris Secundus - a massive bombardment of some dug-in token forces, supplanted by illusions, while most of your forces lay in wait in the tunnels above. Before you lies the entrance to a vast cavern, hopefully containing the prize you came here for.

As soon as you cross the threshold into the cavern, all the distant sounds vanish, replaced by an eerie music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVodyoHhNto)that seems to echo from every direction. As soon as one of the few mortals you have taken with you steps through, her flesh evaporates off her skin. She obviously screams in agony, but all sound gets swallowed by the still silent and distant music.

Your daemonic nature recognizes the obvious effect of an open breach to the warp - how such energies could be contained so sharply shall be worthy of investigation. But its presence is fortunate, since it becomes obvious that nothing has been removed from the cavern - aside from battle damage, all seems to be intact. Massive glass containers, filled with bubbling liquids and dozens of half-grown clones. Torture racks with the broken corpses of space-marine sized humans - and equally sophisticated devices that contain bodies of normal size that are fully intact. Banks of cogiators and memory machines, imprinting devices, imperial shrines, plasma furnaces, a platform with runic inscriptions, notes and books and hundreds of crates.

The rest of your retinue is smart enough to stay ouside - you will have to investigate this place on your own. For now you have time, the imperial fools delayed outside until they see through your sorcery.

[Raunchel]

Enyo stands resplendant in her golden armour. In her left hand she carries her shield and in the right her spear, from which a small red cloth flutters, proclaiming her devotion. Her helmet covers most of her face, and one of its most striking features is the complete lack of eyeslits. She hasn't had eyes since ven before Khorne chose her for immortality. Her instincts scream at her to leave this place, to go to the war that is being fought. But she denies them. Of her master's eternal chosen she is special. It is why she was given this task. Together even with the three beings that surround her. She wants to break them, to push her spear through them and to drive them into the Realm of Chaos to utterly destroy them. But they are allies. Hated allies, but still. No matter how distasteful they are, they must be allowed to exist.

"Brothers in arms, warriors of the true gods. Before us lies the goal of our quest, and the desire of our masters. Our serrvants make war in our name, but the war they fight is not the war we are fighting. We fight for eternity, not for fleeting glories. Let us go forwards, knowing that we shall stand together, shielding each other and in the knowledge that every step takes us closer to greater glories for our masters!"

She has a beautiful voice. If things had been different she could have been a singer. But she chose war, and war took her for itself. She takes her first steps through the boundary, fearing only that she might fail the Lord of Blood.

[Emperor Ing]

Among the gargantuan beings assembled, it is the Angel that seems the most out-of-place. The naked yet androgynous figure of a human approximately 18 feet tall floats amongst them, its figure flawless and untarnished, with a skin of immaculate gleaming silver covering the whole of its body. Behind it is a halo of free-floating radially arranged plates of metal, each one a device of unknown purpose and design, slowly rotating around a nimbus of white light that seems to backlight the Angel no matter which direction one looks at it. The Angel's head is smooth, bald, and free of any blemishes. Its eyes are neutral and impassive, yet its smile seems sinister at all times.

The one who calls itself the Angel of the Omnissiah finds itself interested in the technology and data surround it, and who this man may be who is willing to go to such lengths to accomplish such a goal. Such an innovative and free-thinking mind would be a welcome addition to the ranks of the brilliant minds and free-thinkers of Helix Secundus.

On the bright side, the Khornate warhost seems to be behaving itself well enough that the Helixian Skitarii aren't having to fight a two-front confict. Between the assembled warhosts, and The Inconsistent One being on the battlefield, it seems extremely unlikely that even when the illusion is broken through, that any reinforcements will come in from behind them.

Let us stand together. For the Blood God, for the Omnissiah, and for the glory of the True Gods. With that the Angel floats his way into the laboratory, highly suspicious of any trap that might have been left behind.

[ArcturusV]

Karsten Falis

He had a sneer on his face seeing the heretic woman liquified, and hearing that so called music drifting through the air, borne of sorcery. His hand reached over his shoulder for his Weapon, his tool, his divine inspiration. The sonic weapon and electric guitar fed off the energies of a Daemonette and the best sonic technology that the forges of Ghilbelline could muster. It had been with him for years, killed thousands, enthralled millions. He could hear that music in the wind subsiding in his minds. The quiet whispers of the Daemonette Vixela within the Clarion Cannon whispering into his mind.

Desere, Daemon Engine, not mortal, slithered up behind him, for the moment docile and controlled, waiting for battle and the sensations it would bring. Tirana? Up with the Children of the Stars, overseeing the hosts and preparing them for battle. A role he was well suited for and had served as many times before. Karsten had no doubts that Tirana would be successful, or at the very least, burn down whatever Imperial defenders dared to counter attack them. No fear of some Imperial Stormies coming up the rear, he doubted they would ever get through his Warband... and the others would probably help too.

All that was down here was a hole, a Heretek's wet dream apparently, music, and the various daemonically inclined among him and his divinely mandated allies. He lovingly caressed his guitar, feeling the Daemonette practically humming with anticipation in his mind. The power output was low, not a blast as a weapon, but playing it as an instrument for the moment. He started playing something, trying to block out the sonic warp sorcery with his own Slaaneshi gifted talent for music, and the daemonic will behind him and his instrument. No telling what tricks the sound did other than melt humans after all. So he started hitting a different song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFxY_hqTJTo), counter to the mellow tones of the mystical music. Fitting for the arrival of a Daemon Prince such as him.

Successful in breaking the ritual (At least in his vicinity) and drowning it out with his own music or not, he headed in, hardly fitting for a follower of the Lord of Excess to sit on the side and wait for others to experience things first. The Khornate woman was making a speech, he was hearing it, but he was focused on his playing, letting the music pump him up (even if he couldn't hear it, he knew what it sounded like and playing it in his mind focused him).

He figured the others had their own priorities, some skills or reasons they would be here. Leave the Cogitators to the Heretekal inclined, leave the SPESS MEHREENS to the former Space Marine. He knew what he knew though, and came in to inspect the runic inscriptions on the platform.

First, a Trade (Remembrancer) test for Music Countersong. :smallbiggrin: I am not going to be upset if it is an autofailure, just a weird idea.
[roll0] vs 53 Int, +10 Trade (Remembrancer) training, +5 Armor Bonus from Good/Best Craftsmanship.
And for the Mystical Runes:
[roll1] vs 53 Int, Scholastic Lore (Occult) trained.

[Emperor Ing]

The Angel hovered over to the bank of Cogitors. The presence of such a beautiful and terrifying being already being recognized as the machines spoke in harsh digital noises their feelings of fear and awe towards the Angel. Raising a finger towards them only increased these noises as three of the plates from the Angel's halo flew out towards the cogitors, floating mere inches from them yet forcing their systems into a configuration more favorable to the so-called Angel. One where the cogitor only functioned using code purified by the energies of the Warp. One much more...favorable to the Angel's desires.


Using Scrap Code Generator to reconfigure the Cogitor Bank into something more...malleable.
Tech Use target 90 to use the Scrap Code Generator
[roll0]

On success, interfacing with the Cogitors gains a +40 bonus for simplicity
Then, Tech Use to convince the Cogitor to give its data to the Angel

Target 150 (+1 degree of success for Unnatural Intelligence +2)
[roll1]


edit: 15 degrees of success

[Serafina]

The cogiator banks fight back against The Angels efforts. Their machine spirits are clearly not a standard design and keep reinforcing themselves against the attack until they form a near-impenetrable barrier against the virus intrusion. Nor do the warp energies seem to have a notable effect.

Falling back on more standard methods, The Angel manages to break into the cogiator banks regardless.
An enormous amount of information is disgorged. Most of it seems to consist of inquisitorial records on imperial saints, witnessed miracles, acts of faith and sheer determination. Classified information from dozens of sources, following the heretical thought that there may be alternate explanations for each miracle. Notes of that nature mark the vast majority of the records as useless - the remaining few have dozens of files attached to them and were clearly of interest.

The remaining files allude to some sort of experimentation. Test subjects are listed, with experimentation ranging from measures of social influence over pain thresholds to resistance to pure warp energy. Unfortunately, the nature of the test subjects and the outcome of the experiments does not seem to be contained in the data - with one exception on the oldest of them:

"The child was not worth the effort to capture a sister. The natures seem to cancel each other out, neither aspect of the soul shows promise. Vain hope of future development remains, but its best to discard her. I can resort to more extreme methods with others."



After pushing back the music around him, Karsten inspects the runes - they seem to be a standard imperial teleporter platform at first, but further inspection shows them to have a hidden second function. It takes a while to reveal it, if only because it is so inane - all it does is teleport the subject onto the platform it came from, hurling it through the warp without any movement in the material world.



As she speaks, Enyo notices the comforting smell of human blood. A small but steady dripping from the ceiling, pushed out by a still-beating heart that only those accustomed to such delicacies can notice above the music.

[ArcturusV]

Karsten could think of only one reason for such a thing to be done. And that was simply enough to expose unprotected people to the warp in minor, somewhat controlled, methods. Perhaps to slowly mutate them, or to test out wards against possession. He didn't know. But it seemed a sound reason for such a thing. Particularly with the nature of the SCIENCE! about them as well.

"A teleportarium, set to blink a subject into the warp and right back here," Karsten informed the others with a shrug. He made a note to try to loot and fix it at a later date. Being able to teleport someone would be a handy addition to The Gilded Lady.

As he finished up the first song, he smoothly transitioned into the next song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEP3vM3JZZY&feature=youtu.be) of his set. His lithe body gliding over towards the shrines of the Imperium, "We need Madness to the Method," he sang along. Clearly the Big I here had some of that.

First, inspecting them for any possible Heresy and desecration, might give a link to the particular sorts of madness that their Inquisitor was entranced with, from out and out Heresy to points suggesting a deviant philosophy from how the shrines were arranged/treated, or someone who had gone mad with number theory and patterns, perhaps arraying the shrines due to some significance to one of the esoteric cosmic numbering patterns out there, either real or imagined.

If he had time, no one else was pressing on, still busy with their own stuff, investigating something else like the Machine Spirits, bodies, crates, notes, etc, he would take the time to start "properly" desecrating the shrines. Why? Why not? All for the glory of Slaanesh to change these alters of "purity" and "humility" and "sacrifice" to what they should be, shrines to "Perfection" and "Peace" and "Love", Slaaneshi style.

Well, a few of these here. First up, my random Trade (Remembrancer) for my counter song I got going:
[roll0] vs 53 Int, +10 Trade (Remembrancer), +5 Armor Craftsmanship Bonus, I do put on a show. :smallbiggrin: Total of 68.
Inspecting the shrines for HERESY!:
[roll1] vs 53 Int, Trained in Forbidden Lore (Heresy). Total of 53.
Philosophical leanings of the Shrines, and any potential Heresies already done to them:
[roll2] vs 53 Int, +10 Scholastic Lore (Philosophy), total of 63.
Crazy insane number theory Nerd style obsession with something like the number 9 or other insanities among the multiple shrines:
[roll3] vs 53 Int, Trained in Scholastic Lore (Numerology), total of 53.
And if the shrines are not properly desecrated, I have time, etc:
[roll4] vs 53 Int, +10 Trade (Remembrancer) to go properly dedicate and decorate these Shrines to Slaanesh. Because Apostate.

[Emperor Ing]

The Cogitors are a pan-ultimate blasphemy. So tainted by the flesh are they that they reject the touch of true machine code and the power of the Omnissiah. The Angel replies to Karsten, the wheels in his head, physically, metaphysically, and metaphorically, turning.

It seems to me these scientists sought to create wards against the power of the True Gods. He looks back at the modified teleportarium. There is where a warded device or mortal would be tested. If this device could be reverse-engineered by the Techsorcerers of Helix Secundus, it may be of tremendous boon.

Furthermore, would you be willing to play a song more...powerful?
The silver-skinned being turned back to the cogitors, subsuming the information within. He thought to take special notice of the "heretical" interpretations, expecting there to be a time where it can be used as blackmail at some point in the future, while sifting through the records of miracles and saints in the blink of an eye, attempting to discern patterns in the data. Commonalities, a frequent theme or conflict, anything that might betray the thoughts or reasons for anyone wanting to collect these kinds of records.


Logic Target 90 (Unnatural Intelligence +2, +1 DoS)
[roll0]
(1 DoF)

Scholastic Lore (numerology) Target 70 (Unnatural Intelligence +2, +1 DoS)
[roll1]
(7 DoS)

[Serafina]

The iconography does not seem to contain any outright heretical thoughts - it is standard-fare, with emphasis on the omnipresence of the Emperor, guarding humanity against the warp and how faith can make his will manifest. All of which seems like a rather minor way for a supposed god to manifest - which the deceased Inquisitor seemed to agree with, given that several inscriptions refer to "making The Emperors Will manifest in flesh and soul".
Rumors have it that there is a faction within the Inquisition that takes it name from the purported saint Sebastian Thor. The teachings seem to fit that, but it seems unlikely to Karsten that many are comfortable the implication that the answers to imperial saints can be found in the warp and the powers of psykers, as a careful reading of some of the texts and scenes seems to suggest.


The Angels efforts bear some fruit - while the details of any successes have been stricken from the records, a few contain minor notes on failings. From those, criteria can be inferred. The apparent baseline that the experiments sought to reach were manifestations of power.
One category were feats of will in the name of the corpse-emperor, banishing of daemons and spontaneous recoveries - in other words, so-called miracles.
The other goal seems to reach for the power of alpha-psykers, power a human being can not maintain while retaining health and sanity.

It is speculation, but would explain the gathered records and evident experimentation - the goal seemed to be a human being that manifest both powerful psionics and be pure enough to serve as a channel for "divine miracles".



When Karsten changed the tune of his music and then amplified its power at The Angels urging, the faint atmospheric music stopped. The inspection continues undisturbed by it, but soon the formerly stale air comes to life. A minor breeze picks up from several direction, but soon gathers more and more strength. The phenomenon doesn't stay natural - soon the winds begin to gain tangibility and flow like liquid, taking on hues of all colors and change their shape into impossible forms.

There is no way for a Daemon Prince to miss what is happening - the room is starting to behave like the Warp.

[Tychris1]

Lurking about the area, Trazlyarn decided to stay back as the others moved forward. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the company he was keeping at present, but as he saw it so many years ago, they are just another necessary action in the grand scheme of fate. Given time they would prove their usefulness. Perhaps he would even find some form of friendship with them, given enough time and exposure, but in the end it didn't matter much to the Emperor Reborn.

Slowly stalking forward, Trazlyarn was bedecked in armor warped beyond recognition. What could once be called Artificer Armor from the age of the Horus Heresy itself has now transformed into a scaly set of plate armor, intricately designed with curving tentacle patterns, hydra heads, and imperial aquilla's fused with the star of Chaos (With the most prominent one being on his belt). A massive reptilian tail extends from behind him, curving and slithering about on the ground, feeling anything he walked by with its muscular frame. Greenish blueish scales cover it on the top, slowly fading away until a softer fleshy side can be revealed underneath the tail. Were Trazlyarn to be removed from his armor, a commoner from a backwater feudal world might have mistaken him for a Dragon or mythical Hydra, considering his massive four digit claws, enlarged toe talons on his feet, and the countless hydra heads that sat upon his neck. Five of them stood out prominently as the largest and most visual, with eyes like rubies and the same scales and flesh as the tail. Yet laying within the shadows of his armors neck guard there seemed to be countless more smaller heads were waiting within. In one claw he held a massive reaper autocannon, seemingly a normal variant of its kind used by the Alpha Legion, save for the extra imperial iconography onnit, were one to pierce the illusion they would see it as a massive writhing mutated weapon, with warpflame enveloping its frame and several eyes projecting magical lights from it. In his other claw was a force sword, bent and folded into the massive shape of a katana, the blade itself forged of some kind of strange green material, with an ambiently glowing blue hue about it.

Among his five lead heads, two of them have turned to face each other, biting and wrapping around the other as they fought, a third head darted about energetically looking at everything in the room, a fourth head laid low and cautious, growlig and carefully eyeing the newly lresent warp energies, and the middle fifth head merely looked ahead to the books and notes laid about. The fifth head seemed to be the lead head, and so where it looked the body followed. Picking up the books , Trazlyarns heads soon began to soak in and absorb all the knowledge he could glean by reading physical copies of data, having always preferred that method of information storing anyway.


Legacy of Change Bonus:[roll0]
Bonus Infamy Points:[roll1]

Forbidden Lore (The Warp):[roll2] vs TN 82
Forbidden Lore (Archeotech):[roll3] vs TN 82
Forbidden Lore (Inquisition):[roll4] vs. TN 92
Forbidden Lore (Psykers):[roll5] vs TN 82
Scholastic Lore (Occult):[roll6] vs TN 82
Common Lore (Imperium):[roll7] vs TN 82

[Emperor Ing]

The Angel frowns as the room begins to twist and distort for reasons he did not entirely understand. You might wish to stop playing. The being suggests to Karsten as he reached out, attempting to decipher just what it is that is causing this phenomenon and whether or not he could control it.


Forbidden Knowledge (The Warp) Target 80 (+1 DOS from Unnatural Intelligence +2)
[roll0]

Focus Power test to try and control the ebb and flow of the Warp in the area Target 153 (Base 80 + 50 from Psy Rating 10 + 10 Psy Focus (Pandemonium Staff) + 8 from Living Magic (Pandemonium Staff) and + 5 from Psychic Hood) (+1 DoS from Unnatural Willpower +2)
[roll1]

[ArcturusV]

Karsten took in a stuttering breath as the warp spawned liquid breeze washed over him. A new sensation, unnatural as it was, but a new sensation, and one to be relished fully in the moment, not yet stopping playing as he experienced the dual pleasures of his music and the experience of the warp responding to it.

Slowly however, he rounded out the number, letting silence reign. No breathing, no heartbeat, pure silence coming from Karsten as he waited to see what new experience the Warp Eddies of this sorcery might bring. Eyes wide open, his skin practically tingling in anticipation with a wide smile on his face.

A daemonic realm, where Warp and Reality crossed? Just like Ashura. Or so the immediate parallel came to mind. It didn't scare him. After all, Slaanesh lead him to create Ashura in that fashion, perfect. Why fear perfection?

[Serafina]

As reality breaks apart around you, a cry of furious agony comes from the ceiling. Eyes are drawn towards it and spot a human impaled on silver rune-engraved spikes. Lightning arcs from their tips and constantly sears away his flesh, but it regenerates at unnatural speeds. Despite that and the warp energies swirling through the room, the body still seems perfectly immaculate and free of mutation - it even lacks any scars, or signs of injury except for currently unhealed wounds and a small trickle of blood from the mouth.

The man - or creature - continues to scream, but it doesn't seem like the torture just started. A few words can be heard from amongst the incoherent rage - warding words against mutation and blasphemy.
They are without effect as the flesh begins to deform, too much energy coursing to be contained. It liquifies, shifts and hardens into new structures. Maws form around the spikes, lashing with sawed tongues and sharpened teeth that bite through the metal.

The whole process only takes seconds, then the figure breaks free. Giant radiant wings break from its back, the head morphs into a two-headed eagle, golden armoured scales begin to cover its body. The incoherent screaming stops for a second before the figure unleashes a torrent of searing golden beams.
DIE, FOUL DAEMONS!

Everyone gets hit by a psychic attack for 3D10+10 Felling 5 Holy Concussive 3 damage with a Penetration of 10.
You can Evade like against an autofire attack. 1 DOS reduces the damage to 3D10+10 Holy Concussive 3. 2 reduce it to 2D10+10 Holy. 3 reduce it to 1D10+10 Holy, 4 take away the penetration and 5 dodge it entirely. Resistance (Psychic) applies of course.
Forcefields effectively have to stop 5 separate attacks, so each succesful stop by a forcefield has the same effect as a succesful Evade (and it stacks, so 1 succesful field + 2 succesful evades= 1D10+10 Pen 10 Holy

Other applicabble defenses against psychic barrages can apply. Please roll your defenses and damage yourself, saves me some work while i am away.

[Emperor Ing]

The Angel raised an arm in a subtle gesture to shield himself from the bursts of light that he, with subtle, almost imperceptible movement, manages to avoid completely. A Daemon Prince of The Emperor? That is new.

Not daemon. He corrects, the halo of free-floating cybernetics on his back bristling with mechanical movements. Angel.


Dodge target 50
[roll0]

Force Field target 60
[roll1]

Spent 3 infamy points saved 1 in the OOC roll to get 6 degrees of success

[Tychris1]

Trazlyarn weaves the tapestry of fate, his countless eyes glowing with golden light as time slows down to an attosecond. Beams of light seem to move at a snails pace as Trazlyarn considers his current situation. An ambush certainly was unexpected in this sort of an environment, though he was unsure of the nature of this assault. Which of the Chaos Gods would have sent there minions here to strike against the God Emperor? Invariably Trazlyarn draws the conclusion that it must be Nurgle, seeking to kill the God Emperor while he is still being reborn. His eyes begin to peter out, the glimmering golden quality of them fading as time readjusts itself and the Alpha Marine Prince slides to the side to dodge the blasts with ease.


Dodge:[roll0] vs TN 50

Force Field:[roll1] vs 90 (Overload 1-10)

[ArcturusV]

Karsten was a nimble bastard, fed by the glories of Slaaneshi Lifestyle, feeling the barbed hooks on the inside of his armor catch his skin and give him sweet, delicious sensations of pain and glory. It made him feel... alive. A smile on his face as the tortured psyker, if that was in fact what it was, shouted his anger and shot Deathbeams of gaudy, golden light at him. Despite his size he moved with the grace and speed of the Daemonette he resembled, spinning and dancing as he deftly avoided five finger beams of golden death, the field protecting him flashing once, a beam that got a bit too close as he teased a shot at his leg, pulling it out of the psyker's firing line at the last possible moment.

He had a smile on his face, strummed a single chord on his Guitar of death, standing amid an area of charred, death beamed flooring with not a scratch on him, holding up his Rocker Fist in the wake of the guitar's sound. Standing defiant, his trophy rack showing the ragged, torn banners and emblems of those he had defeated, Imperial Naval Colors, Imperial Guard, Pirate Warbands, Planetary flags, etc. The standard of Slaanesh flying tall and proud, the shiny gems and pendants on his armor, drawing the eye away from the spikes that lined in and the tail that snapped and writhed behind him as he stood ready to throw down against this thing that dared attack him.

I presume since we're under fire, Initiative is going to be a thing now.
Initiative Roll: [roll0] + 6 Agility Bonus (4 natural, 2 Unnatural) + 2 The Quick and the Dead.