Deathwatch from a Desperate World (Deathwatch - Living Campaign Game IC)

[ArcturusV]

Aboard the Swift Vengeance

Shipboard Time: 6th Hour, Third Shift

For 5 weeks now your ships have been at Sublight, burning to reach that void beyond the outer planets of the system. Too short for a Warp Jump, too far to be crossed quickly.

For most on ship, this has been a pleasant time. Voidsmen of the Swift Vengeance loved trips like this, with long sublight burns, sticking to real space and avoiding the constant problems of Warp Travel. Routine had set in, morale among the serfs was high, and you could often see them relaxed, cracking jokes and swapping stories rather than living in constant discipline.

This was a stark contrast to the example set by the Space Marines, and in particular Watch Captain Dubois. You had an inkling of what you were coming to. That the pristine, polished ship was likely being put forth into battle against something that could be a splinter of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, or some bizarre new enemy species of wholly unknown capabilities. Perhaps finally something that could more than meet you as a match. Drilling was constant, Watch Captain Dubois notorious for staging unannounced intruder drills, setting one Kill-Team to invade the quarters of another Kill-Team's members, and anti-boarder drills. Flight Rated Space Marines were kept busy on patrols with their small voidcraft, worked equally hard on boarding and evacuation drills.

Those marines with chapters that had more, elaborate, daily rites had found themselves hardly having time to fully practice the rituals of their chapters. Those who's rites involved getting drilled into the dirt and taking a nap there felt right at home. The one thing that didn't feel at home for anyone was really just how... clean... the ship was.

There wasn't much else you could say about the Swift Vengeance. While most Space Marine Fleets would pride their vessels on their immaculate appearances, floating shrines to the Astartes way of life and thought, the Swift Vengeance was different. Part of it was merely it's status as being part of the Deathwatch's service. No Primarch images decked the halls, no shrines to the Codex Astartes, no grand halls with the honors and accolades of the chapter. A few paltry shrines to the Emperor, and of course Main Engineering was a shrine to the Omnissiah. But outside of that? Everything seemed to be stripped down to bare bulkheads and deck plating.

But even beyond that, it seemed the serfs religiously must have scrubbed and painted the vessel, black coating everything, not a bit of dust or grease to be found. They kept out of sight, scurrying to avoid the passage of the Astartes, only to return to their duties when they thought the Space Marine was out of sight. About the only place you could actually pin down a member of the crew was the bridge, or Main Engineering. Even those serfs who served in areas like the Galley and Armory that HAD to deal with people seemed to make an art of trying to stay out of sight, letting their black robes and work jumpers blend into the ship itself.

As you all had been informed, contact with the Unknown Object would occur in 47 minutes. A moment for the last rituals of your wargear, to prepare yourself for the coming battle. The ship was filled with the sound of prayers from various Kill-Teams, and the percussive noises of Wargear Rites finished.

You have been gathered near Drop-Pod Access Hatch 257. Your Kill-Team gathered together for your first true mission in the Deathwatch, on standby until you received the call. The Shipboard Vox Caster has been silent. You've had your moment for Prayers and Rites, all that remained now was the last, hard wait before you'd feel the thunder of a voidship in battle around you. You had no idea if the ships would be drawn into a firefight, but it was a distinct possibility.

[Jyssika]

Torox stood silently with his Kill Team; although... silent was his default setting.
By now the group had learnt him to be extremely enthusiastic for training drills
and combat practice, although not as strong, tough or skillful as other members
of the group he was viciously dedicated.

He stood in his newly painted Black Armour; although as is fitting for a Librarian
distinct knee pads, neck guards and backpack have been left Ultramar Blue.
His scruffy cloak of scalps hangs around his shoulders and smells as pleasant
as usual, it seemed disgusting at first to some of the Marines but after setting eyes
on Torox's own almost scalped head it made a little more sence.

Checking his chrono; he began checking his wargear for a third or forth time.
Particularly enjoying the weight and feel of his Flaying Knife in his hands.

[Cosmic Traveler]

Vance rechecked the seals of his armor to insure the rites had been properly respected and found no sign of fault. He picked up his bolt revolver and inspected it, spinning the barrel and quickly snapping it back onto place with a quick move of the wrist and holstered it back.

He gave a look towards his new battle-brothers and chuckled lightly. He passed his left hand on the silver pauldron of the Deathwatch, feeling the inscribed runes upon it. He felt a rush of excitement run through his spine, his usual battle anxiety. Not a bad kind of anxiety, the kind one feels when they have a hard time to wait for something.

"You folks are ready to lay down the Emperor's law?

[thebothan]

The fully armored form of the devastator simply stood, at attention, the great heavy bolter held in tensed hands. Encased within the venerable suit of armor, the wiry marine thought deeply. The work of true heroes is not sung or remembered. Expect not the rewards, never falter, never fear... Never feel. Standing rigidly, Husasco internally went through a mental dialogue, examining the finer points of action and what it meant to follow the path of a space marine, comparing his own personal reflections to the cannon of knowledge he had been taught from the Knights Leiurus. All the while he tried not to let his ill ease show to his fellow members of the Deathwatch.

It wasn't the ships atmosphere nor the way things were run, the work and constant drilling was an relief from the months of isolation and silent humiliation he endured back on Dromopa, and the chance to again engage in the trials of combat was one he welcomed. Though he was sure to prevent even an ounce of the joy his soul felt from being manifested in his efforts.
It wasn't the presence of the blue marked librarian besides him, though his skin crawled at the very though, and his mind doubted when he saw how he was clad in gruesome trophies. He had already prayed trice-over each of the hundred litanies his chapter had taught him to guard ones soul and mind from the work of witches, space marine or no.
It wasn't the rumors of the hated tyranids, though he knew if they were true his very soul now stood at a chasm, any failure would not only bring shame to his chapter, but would also do the ultimate disgrace to his armor, and his essence. To fall before the massed beasts would prevent his body from ever returning to the chapter halls, he would not be enshrined within the halls of the Chelicerah, nor would his armor be allowed to pass to a more worthy recruit than he, instead it would be turned and warped into a mindless form to be thrown against the Imperium.

The reason for the great warriors ill ease was the markings of the armored figures besides him.. All wearing illustrious and well honored plate, heroic deeds preformed a thousand times over in their venerable forms, the finery adorning the shoulder pads marking them all as heroes. Between them, practically the entire expanse of remembered human history had passed, a trillion battlefields across a billion worlds all resulting in great victories and a rich and practiced military strategy becoming embedded in the very essence of their training and their implants.

Who was he to stand among such a flock? What did his chapter, a meager blip on Imperial history, have to compare to such figures, adorned in the very livery of the tales of heroes long past. He wished to adjust his own armor, to clean it again, somehow prove his right to wear the relic, though he knew it was spotless. Every rare waking moment had been devoted to its maintenance, after all, filling in the long periods of his life while he simply existed, throwing himself into the act of doing homage to the great relic he wore into battle. Despite these misgivings, the marines thoughts were not without turbulence, unavoidable questions surfacing in his mind. Could the others stray off the path, into the unavoidable perils of the warriors existence? He could not help but notice the same disturbing symptoms of violent emotion. Husasco had never heard of any honored chapters falling prey to that which blighted his own chapters existence, but he was still made uncomfortable by the presence of such a disturbing possibility.

The words of Brother Vance brought his mind away from the cloudy future, back to the present. Banishing the thoughts, the marine quieted his mind again: Only in the heart of ones enemies can one truly prove oneself. Surrounded by all one is not, one is defined the clearest., Finishing his introspection with that singular thought, Husasco hefted his heavy bolter, and gently placed it so its barrel rested on the ground. Clearing his throat, the space marines inflection-less voice was level and quiet. I stand ready, may our vigil be forged in the fires of battle, our enemies rent asunder and no battle brother found wanting. From his belt he drew the heft weight of the Codex Astartes, feeling the guiding words that aided all of the Angels of Death to achieve perfection. It was not his place to speak here, but he felt he must, to simply head into battle with no clear plan would be to invite the differing elements and tactics of the group to fracture them.. He must be like water, but would the others be as flexible?
Honored Brethren, in light of our differing approaches to the art of war, would it be acceptable to each of you if we maintain a Code of Conduct on the battlefield? So as to prevent any decisions on the part of one to appear rash, while in reality only an extension of a Chapter strategy.

[Calimos]

Brother Cadmos walked towards the Drop-Pod Access Hatch 257, a calm expression in his scarred face, his stride long and his footsteps echoing in the ship's metallic corridors, heavier now that they were encased in his armored boots. He had gladly endured the previous weeks of training, because this would contribute to their collective combat readiness, and given that the enemy was so far unknown, such a readiness was paramount to the success of their mission. He felt almost elated, at the chance to discover and deal with a new threat to the Imperium, safeguarding its loyal citizens even before they had the regrettable chance to meet it, like so many other dangers before.

Confident that he was here for a purpose, cleansed in mind and soul after his ordeal in Nocturne, Cadmos marched with renewed vigor and promised to himself and to the Emperor that he would endure any ordeal and risk posed by this new enemy, until its destruction.

Arriving at the Access Hatch, his helmet still clasped in his left palm, he greeted all the assembled battle-brothers of the kill-team he belonged in, and he nodded respectfully to those kill-teams of higher rank that were assembling nearby. The tension in the air seemed tangible. Then battle-brother Husasco spoke up and he turned to face him.

"A sound proposition brother. What do you have in mind?"

[thebothan]

Turning his armored helm to face Brother Cadmos, Husasco found himself almost at loss as he looked upon the Salamander... What did he plan to say, before such proven heroes. He tried to brush aside the feeling of inadequacy, though it was not entirely banished from his mind. As most of us seem to follow the paragon of mobility, why not allow such a shared focus to be a natural starting point? However, if such a strategy proves ill-advised wherever we are going, I might advise we adapt it, perhaps set a maximum cohesion for the squad. Opening the Codex Astartes absent mildly, Brother Husasco knew this next part was going to be the most difficult, the wording would need to be precise. I feel ill suited to adopt the mantle of command, having little knowledge of how to best utilize the forces at hand. He avoided indicating the librarian besides him, no sense telling the others of his specific inadequacies, though the witch was probably reading his mind even as he thought it. Such a thought was disturbing to say the least. However, his voice showed no sign of the ill ease. I would leave the exact specifics to the Brother better suited to lead.

[Jyssika]

Torox inclinded his head to the monkey reading from the book;
his founding Chapter master had told Guilliam himself that he
believed the codex astartes to be rat frak, but, he was supposed
to be on his best behavior so perhaps that was not the best course.

I have no wish to command; however I would rather a Marine
lead our Kill-Team as opposed to some school text book.

The Marine spoke through gritted teeth; those unaware of the
Flesh Tearers might misunderstand him as being confrontational
but in actual fact he was simply angry, for no reason in particular,
just angry was his default.

[Calimos]

Cadmos raised his hand, interfering, in an attempt to difuse a potentially awkward situation. Now was certainly not the time to let their individual demeanours and chapter heritage get the better of them. His voice was calm and his tone even, as he addressed them.

"Brother Librarian Torox. There is really no need for this. Tensions are always high on the eve of deployment and an unidentified enemy is certainly a daunting prospect. Yet I am sure that Brother Husasco did not mean for us to blindly follow a book, even one as hallowed and proven as Codex Astartes. As I am equally sure that yours was a lapse of tongue and you did not mean to insult the collective works of tactical wisdom of one of the Primarchs. There is wisdom though in your words as well, that a kill-team should be leaded by one of the participating battle-brothers. To that I will agree. As good as the Codex may be, it is the actual leadership and cooperation of a Kill-team that ensures success".

[Jyssika]

Pain stabbed at the back of Torox's eyes and a red tinge
seemed to wash over everything, a metal taste burning
in his nose and mouth.

I care not for your long sermons, Cousin, but I would warn
you a great deal of chapters consider this sacred book you
flaunt as nothing better than the attempt of a single Primarch
to assert his will upon all chapters. Some of our glorious leaders
fought and died in the Horus Heresy whilst others sat writing books.

[Cosmic Traveler]

Vance noted the rising tension among his battle-brothers and decided it wise to perhaps attempt to defuse the situation with the proper use of words to calm even the more blood thirsty of his kindred.

"Alright brothers, let us cool down before the mission, we do not need to brew bad blood between us on the first day, right?" The assault marine said with a voice smooth and deep as a wise grizzled man. "As much as the Codex Astartes is a good reference guide, it shouldn't be taken entirely up to the letter. One could lose sight of what truly is the real objective of what being an Astartes is: To uphold the Emperor's law and dominion across the stars and to destroy his enemy, no matter the cost."

Vance turned towards Brother Torox, raising his hat slightly so he could look at him better "Remember brother: do not let your anger control you, control it, and loose it against the Xenos, the heretic and the traitor. Steel your resolve on the mission He has granted us." Vance told the Flesh Tearer, lending a friendly hand towards him

"The law cometh"

[thebothan]

Brother Husasco simply closed the Codex Astartes, and reattached it to his belt, his peace had been made, and his words were being considered. It seemed his assumption had been false, the inevitable fate of the warrior crept upon even those with the heroics of ages long past besides them. He had no say in matters which did not concern his Chapter, and so he had no opinion on the Codex, it served as the guiding word of his chapter in order to assist them to walk the path of battle, for they had no experiences to guide them. He did however, see this situations similarities to another in his life and returned his heavy bolter to its readied position, better to be prepared than to be caught off guard. Now only passively listening to his brothers, Husasco resumed his mental exercise If a tactical advantage is lost, do not meekly recede to the next advantageous spot, push forward to claim tactical advantage within the ranks of the foe. To surrender ground is to disrespect the heroes who died to take it. However, do not risk victory in vain attempts to honor the lost. Space Marines are only remembered if those they protected survive to immortalize their deeds...

[Jyssika]

Torox bats the hand away, only managing barely to use an open
hand as opposed to the stinging Flaying Knife in his other hand.

The day you become a Chaplain of Sanguinius you may lend
me your words of advice Cousin. Unless you wish me to begin
advising you on the best way to rear grox.

Meanwhile in an attempt to end the pointless argument he turns
to Husasco;
Do not be affected by my oppinion of your ways Knight Leiurus.

[Cosmic Traveler]

Vance had a short laugh at the sheer coincidence Torox unknowingly uttered.
"That's funny because before I became an Astartes, that's what my old family did for a living"he said completely serious.
"Torox, it is not my intention to summon your anger, as a matter of fact, I am trying to help you, I mean you not ill will, you have your own ways and its fine with me, just remember that we're brothers in the end, bonded by the blood of our primarchs to the Emperor. We are his grandchildren, we're family, and family sticks together" Vance said turning towards the Salamander "Am I right Brother Cadmos?"

[thebothan]

As long as you are not affected by my opinion of yours. Brother Husasco inclined his head to the Librarian.

[Jyssika]

The day you become a Flesh Tearer you will be
my brother, not a moment sooner and unless I have
a Carnifex bearing down upon me... presume I do not
need your help.

The Flesh Tearer inclines his head in return, revealing
more of his knarled and torn-at head.
I look forward to hearing them.

[Calimos]

"Torox, it is not my intention to summon your anger, as a matter of fact, I am trying to help you, I mean you not ill will, you have your own ways and its fine with me, just remember that we're brothers in the end, bonded by the blood of our primarchs to the Emperor. We are his grandchildren, we're family, and family sticks together" Vance said turning towards the Salamander "Am I right Brother Cadmos?"

"Right indeed brother Vance. No need though to continue this verbal conflict, since it does seem to agitate our spirits. We should preserve our ire for the unknown enemy", replied the Salamander, with an even tone and a calm face.

[HandofCrom]

Librarian Nikomedes was attending to his meditations, and witnessed the tail end of the conversation, choosing to simply watch his new brothers. The tensions between those of different fathers was undeniable and would be an obstacle to overcome if they were to come together into a stronger whole. The constant drillings had brought unity while exacerbating the clashing doctrines of the warriors, and he knew it would be in the fire of battle they would be forged into a greater unit or broken completely.

The contact draws near, and we must be ready for anything. None shall find us wanting.

[ArcturusV]

36 minutes later

You have managed to finally agree to follow the Promethean Warrior as your designated leader, he seemed fairly level headed and all, and about the only person in the group no one had another complaint about apparently. Once designated he lead you in Oaths to the Emperor for the battle, steeling your minds and creating a bond of shared vows between the Kill-Team that is being glazed over in the interest in moving things along and getting to the meat of the situation.

At this moment you could feel a subtle vibration going through the ship's decking. Just a minute little quiver but in order to shake a vessel this large, well, those of you with Void Combat Experience (Should be pretty much everyone really) knew that meant that there was combat going on. No general quarters klaxons sounded, or calls to repel boarders, but from the tremors in the hull you had to figure that vast numbers of macrocannon batteries had been fired from the vessel, and that it might be getting peppered by return fire as well.

You didn't have long to ponder the situation when your data-link squeaked up with an Incoming Message alarm, and in your helmet's HUD a new message scrolled out:

Mission Update.

New Objective.

Silence Orbital Defense Platform.
Mission Priority: Majoris

Insertion via drop pod to Xenos Orbital Defense Platform Romeo-236. Assault enemy fortification.

Unknown Xenos Opposition.
Unknown Capabilities.
Exterminate on sight.

In the Emperor's Name:
Watch Captain Dubois

The hatch to Drop Pod 257 slid open with a hiss as authorization codes flashed through cogitator banks, waiting for the Kill-Team to board and strap in before the Machine Spirits fired them off into the unknown.

[Jyssika]

The Flesh Tearer applies his helmet in one fluid
movement whilst stepping into the drop pod.

Unknown...

He mutters to himself; its an angry mutter.

[thebothan]

The oath of the Emperor remains on Brother Husasco's mind, reciting the litanies of heroism as he steps into the drop pod. Seating himself, he bows his head against his heavy bolter, So be it, there shall be war, let the heavens fall among our foes, and they shall know fear. No Mercy, No respite. With the call to war of the Knights Leiurus, Husasco awaited for the chance to again experience the righteous art of war.

[HandofCrom]

"We shall do what the Emperor made us to do. We will be cautious, but hit hard. We must learn what we face so our brothers know what to expect." Nikomedes prepares with bolter with kraken and standard rounds.

[Cosmic Traveler]

Vances steps inside the drop pod and straps himself in, making sure his cloak and hat didnt get in the way of the mechanisms.

"Let us teach these filthy xenos with whom them are messing with. None shall be left standing. Honor to the brother with the first blood of the mission" Vance said as he turned towards the Flesh Tearer

[Calimos]

As soon as the oath to the Emperor had been taken and all of his battle brothers were inside the pod, Cadmos made the sign of the aquila over his chest, thanked reverently the Master of Mankind and entered, thumping the rune to seal the pod and prepare for initialization of launch procedures. He strapped himself to his seat and looked around, bringing up his helmet's HUD to check on the vitals of all kill-team members, prior to their departure.

"Fasten seatbelts, don helmets, make sure suits are sealed and hold tight. We know not the face of the enemy for now, but we know our cause is just. The safety of our brothers, of our people, of the Imperium depends on our actions as well, this day. Your courage is noted, your bravery is acknowledged, your purity unquestioned. Your faith immoveable, your determination evident. You are Astartes, Angels of Death. You are brothers-in-arms and I am deeply honoured to bear the burden of leading, as first among equals and not as superior, such excellent warriors into the fires of battle, into the anvil of war.

Once on the ground stay focused, stay close. Upon arrival we disembark, prepared for immediate contact. If this doesn't happen, we scout ahead in the enemy's orbital defence platform and neutralize all threats up to and including the structure's sabotage and destruction. Get ready brothers".

[thebothan]

Acknowledged Husasco, sits unmoving, his mind calmly envisioning the battles to come.

[ArcturusV]

On the Way

The pod jolts as it's fired from the Frigate, screaming through the void towards some distant target. Until this point, none of you had known what you faced. Merely that there was a "Shadow in the Warp", and a large object out in the void between stars. However with the pod free, the tac-display inside started working, showing the surroundings in preparation for a hot landing, and you got your first look at the expedition's primary objective.

A world. It wasn't artificial from the look of it. A dark world of hard stone, and clear patches of life upon it, probably an atmosphere of some sort on it. Despite the Rogue Planet's millennia long travels (likely) through areas that were so contrary to life itself, it seemed to have flourished on this rock. Maybe the Magos Biologis attached to the Ordo Xenos would have theories about it, but with just your relatively low level of training in the knowledge of the Xenos you only knew that such things weren't entirely unheard of. Rare, but not impossible.

One of the Imperial Naval escort frigates was burning brightly. The starboard front third of the ship looked as though it had sustained a heavy impact, crushing and rending the thick hull of the vessel, escaping atmosphere on fire as the ship itself seemed to be listing on a 20 degree angle compared to the plane of entry that the Imperial Fleet had been taking. You could see the plasma engines burning hot as it seemed to be trying to haul the damaged section away from the target.

Macrobattery fire was being stormed from the Expedition fleet over towards the Rogue Planet in great volumes, though as your eyes followed the bombardment in you noticed it was in fact not aimed at the planet, but at a series of orbital platforms about it. And not having much effect. What appeared to be some class of Blue Las Weapon bursting from the platforms, targeting the building sized projectiles of the batteries, most vaporized or knocked off course, careening into the deep void, those that weren't seeming to slam into and be stopped by what you could only guess was some form of void shielding.

The Rogue Planet beyond seemed untouched by the fires of war yet. Just sitting there peacefully as the void around it was in a fiery storm.

You were aimed towards one of the Defense Platforms, noting no other Drop Pods currently on route to it. The Kill-Teams seemed spread thin, you hardly saw two teams going to the same platform. Waves of Imperial Naval Assault boats were being launched, likely your ticket home, and possibly reinforcements to come later.

[Jyssika]

If the defensive platforms are capable of stopping macrobattery rounds,
what stops them from targetting and destroying our Drop Pod?

Torox's voice is harsh and defiant.

I did not leave my Chapter to be reduced to void dust.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes chuckles. When my life ends, I too hope it to be sword in hand, facing my enemy. The machine spirits and defenses of this craft may deliver us to them, but war is never a sure thing. If it happens, it will be so quick we will be here one moment and before the Emperor the next.

[thebothan]

Husasco kept his head bowed and tried his best to ignore the planet out the window. He would have time enough to see the world first hand, at this scale the terrain would not be conducive to tactical maneuvering. He instead recited a litany of peace for the souls aboard the Naval vessel, those men and women had fought valiantly against an unknown foe, no more could be asked of any citizen. Husasco could only ask that the same fate might find him one day.

[Cosmic Traveler]

Vance was used to drop pod assault, and kept to himself during the ride and waited for the moment deploy and lay waste to the alien scum

[ArcturusV]

The pod screamed closer to the target platform. It was slower moving than the Macrobatteries, but minor thrusters were jinking about, preventing (hopefully) a target lock on the pod and the Kill-Team. Shells from the macrobatteries were still streaming in around you, you could see the volume of fire was starting to get through a bit. At least a few of the macrobattery shells were making their way to the Rogue Planet. No telling what damage they were actually doing, each shell a devastating weapon in and of itself but on the scale of planetary damage might as well be spitting at it.

One of the Orbital Platforms let out a wide, heavy blue beam that reminded you of a Lance strike. You could see it coming from the damaged Imperial Frigate. The void shields held for a moment, before crumbling against the assault, the beam crushing a large section of its port side midship, the very vessel seeming to recoil from the blow. You could see the macrobattery fire from the frigate stopping, and the ship slowing down in its turning.

But the realities of your own situation where coming into play now. You were entering the area of the "void shield". You could see the blue beams shooting past you, hitting macrobattery shells. The pod was jinking wildly in the void, correcting both to slow for a safe landing, and to be on target for the coordinates of the strike.

With a thunderous crash the pod slammed down. You could see outside the pod that the platform seemed to be covered in thick ice that was cracked and splintered by your landing. The bolters on the pod were already opening up on what you soon figured must be the 'turrets' of this defense platform. The blue beams were coming from creatures rising up from the broken ice. A good 100m tall. Thick hide from the look of it, the color of white blue ice with a snake like body, and a head that seemed all jaw, opened wide and apparently spitting out the blue beams, with a tangle of 12 eye stalks ringing its mouth.

For the moment, the beast didn't seem to notice you. Nor did it seem to care about the Bolter Fire it was drawing from the Machine Spirit of your Drop Pod, taking about as much damage from the explosive shells as your Power Armor might from a stone knife.

The surface of the platform looked like it belonged more on Fenris than manufactured by spare farers. Pressure ridges broke up the surface of the platform, creating harsh, jagged terrain that provided quite a bit of cover for someone more Astartes sized, and lots of places for local defenders to possibly hide. Not that the Drop Pod's machine spirit seemed to detect any enemy assets so far beyond the behemoth "turret" firing at inbound ordinance.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes pulls himself from the pod and takes cover, bolter in hand. He voxes Brother Cadmos, ++Brother Commander, I will report our findings to command as I can.++

He then attempts to use his vox caster to report in as the squad assembles. ++Imperial Command, this is Librarian Nikomedes of the Deathwatch. We have visual on the orbital platform weapons. They seem to be some form of bio-titan...++ and he attempts to formally describe the beast as well as he can.

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) TN 38: [roll0]

I don't have tech use, if we have interference only our leader will be able to use my vox caster.

[thebothan]

Seeing the enormous beast Husascos eyes quickly checked his visual displays, the machine spirits may have not noticed any other targets yet, but only the Tech-priests could understand what protocols it operated under. The turret seemed a high priority target, and an enormous weight of fire would be needed to bring it down.

Unstrapping himself, Husasco stepped from the drop pod, Heavy bolter at the ready, as he took cover using one of the landing fins.

Awareness test to see anything else that might be lurking around the LZ. [roll0] vs 40 +15 from armor +10 from Heightened senses (sight), Total: 65
And a Forbidden Lore (xenos) test to try and identify the beast. [roll1] vs 42 +15 from armor, Total: 57

[Jyssika]

Torox errupts from the pod, Force sword in one hand and
bolter/chainsword in the other, his posture almost demands
combat. When he finds the station wanting he snorts and
turns to face the bio titan.

++ Is there only one beast per platform? ++

[ArcturusV]

It's hard to make any presumptions based on first glance with an unknown Xenos. There is no atmosphere here on the platform though, so you can presume that whatever biology it has it can resist the extremes of both hot and cold temperatures. No idea what its diet must be, or what if anything it does 'eat', if it is in fact biological considering you haven't yet seen anything large enough to really work as prey for such a beast.

You don't recognize it as an esoteric strain of any known xenos, yet. This doesn't eliminate the idea that it might be some new form of Tyranid creature, that would seem to fit with what you have seen so far, a seemingly biological creature with heavy weapons and adapted to its environment... but it could just as easily be unrelated. It's hard to tell.

The Vox Caster spirit seemed to be able to successfully reach the chain of command, as a moment later it crackled out, "Acknowledged." The vox was silent for a moment more, before crackling to life again. "Engage Enemy Titan at own risk. Seems to have aggressive defensive capabilities."

What more could it mean? Well... time would tell. You had to presume that they were getting similar reports from other Kill-Teams on the other platforms.

[Calimos]

Exiting last from the drop pod, Cadmos acknowledged Nicodemus' initiative to inform Mission Command of the enemy contact. It did seem strange to him, that titanic alien beast in front of them, looking nothing like he'd encountered ever before. Yet another creature deviating from the norm, yet another threat to Mankind. And a potent one at that, if he could judge from its gigantic, repulsive appearance, immunity -as it seemed - to the heavy bolt shells and destructive capabilities, not to mention its sustenance in the absence of any atmosphere.

He glanced around and took in their apparent field of battle on the platform itself. At least they could take cover in the frost trenches, yet the alien standing between them and the incapacitation of this platform would most likely need something far more potent than a boltgun shell to be felled.

++Brothers stand fast as we face this abomination. Readings so no other enemies on site but be alert. Fall in. We utilize the ridges to take cover as we make our approach to the target. Report on heavy weapons and explosives requisitioned and ready to use, if any. Discerning any vulnerabilities on this behemoth is considered a priority before engaging it. Move on.++

OOC


Awareness [roll0] vs 65

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) [roll1] vs 45

Hard (-20) Command test to see if the team can benefit from my Chapter's attack/defence patterns upon entering squad mode. [roll2] vs 35

If all agree to enter Squad Mode:
Squad Cohesion 6 (My Fel bonus=5, plus 1 for the Command skill)

Available Squad Mode Abilities as per our Oath.

Fire for Effect
Action: Half Action
Cost: 2
Sustained: Yes
Effects: Working as a single well-oiled machine, the Kill-team can snap off shots at targets as they appear. While this power is in effect, the Kill-team may use their Reactions to make a Standard Attack with a ranged weapon.

Regroup
Action: Full Action
Cost: 2
Sustained: No
Effects: A Kill-team stands united and is always stronger supporting each other against their foes. As a Full Action,
the Battle-Brother may order a Regroup to allow himself and those in Support Range of him to move up to twice their
Agility Bonus in any direction, just as if they had made a Full Move Action. In addition, Regroup move does not trigger enemy Overwatch or Suppression Fire.

Strongpoint
Action: Full Action
Cost: 3
Sustained: Yes
Effects: Sometimes a Space Marine squad needs to hold a position at all costs, setting up fields of overlapping fire
and holding the enemy back with a hail of bolt shells. A Battle-Brother can establish a Strongpoint, nominating either
himself or a member of his Kill-team within Support Range as the Centre of the Strongpoint. The Centre must remain
stationary for the ability to remain in effect. The Centre may then Call Targets either as a Free Action in his turn or as a Reaction. Battle-Brothers in Support Range of the Centre (including the Centre himself ) then gain a +20 to Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill Tests against a Called Target, may reroll Damage against it, and may use their Reactions to make Standard Attacks against it. A target remains marked in this way until either the Centre moves (ending the Strongpoint) or the Centre marks a new target.


Into the Fires of Battle (attack)
Chapter: Salamanders
Action: Free Action
Cost: 3
Sustained: No

Effects: The Salamanders are relentless on the attack, pushing forward inexorably to crush their foes. When the Battle-Brother uses this ability, both he and those in Support Range may make an immediate Half Move and two Standard Attacks with any ranged weapon

Unto the Anvil of War (defence)
Chapter: Salamanders
Action: Full Action
Cost: 3
Sustained: Yes

Effects: A squad of Salamanders Space Marines in defence is an immovable object, standing resolute in the face of any foe or peril. Shoulder to shoulder, they are as unyielding as the adamantium anvils that sit in the hearts of their forges. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of him gain a +2 Toughness bonus, though all those affected by this ability count their Agility Bonus as half its normal value (rounding up) for the purposes of movement.

[thebothan]

Hitting the activation rune on the stummer at his waist, Husasco let the suppressing waves cover his form, his armor compensated for the void-like silence, and prepared to move to the first ridge. He subvocalized into the squads vox frequency, since his voice wouldn't carry through the bubble of silence easily. I advise we keep a covering fire zone as we advance. It may slow our advance, but it will ensure that no brother exposes himself to the enemy. I will cover the first advance.

I am delaying, to see what the others say/do.

[HandofCrom]

These things are reaping a toll on our fleet, I would recommend we advance swiftly through the available cover.

While waiting for orders, Nikomedes goes through the steps of his training, and he briefly closes his eyes, opens them, and opens them yet again to try to study the psychic impressions of the landscape and the target.

Psyniscience TN 43: [roll0]

[ArcturusV]

Movin' Along

Calimos is now in Squad Mode.

As Nikomedes tries to read the psychic energies within the area there is a distinct chill that settles over his body. An unsettling feeling that, if you were a 'mere mortal' might have deeply disturbed you. The immaterium seems farther away here than it normally is, difficult for the warp to pierce the boundary into reality. It was, as near as you could tell with your quick glance, a psychic wasteland, devoid of bonds to the Immaterium beyond your fellow Librarians.

[Jyssika]

Torox drops down into the trench; slightly hunched.
+Shall I take point Salamander?+

[roll0] DC 39+20, 1 Success?

[Calimos]

+Affirmative. Proceed with caution.+

[Jyssika]

+If a large worm drags me into the ice, be sure to throw plenty of frags after me.+


Torox's mind was on nothing but killing now, the
rage growing behind his eyes... part of him hoped
something would ambush him but he knew he had
to remain as focussed as possible.

[HandofCrom]

Librarian Nikomedes falls into rank, and is ready to move.

Thanks to my deed We Are All One, as long as I am within 30 meters of Calimos, his support range is 60 meters.

[thebothan]

Brother Husasco nods for Torox to move. I will ensure that doesn't happen. His heavy bolter remains trained on the landscape around them.

[ArcturusV]

As the squad moved out, and Torox lead the way his sharpened senses and armor spirits picked up something beneath one of the pressure ridges. It was hard to tell, the ice distorted the image and blurred it badly. But it looked like there was something beneath the ice. Possibly a hab block? Maybe an access hatch? Maybe a life sustainer generator? It's hard to tell.

The Bio-Titan, for its part, doesn't seem to even notice the Kill-Team approaching it. An odd thing, until you realize that by comparison you were as large to it, as you are to the smallest of insects. How often did you notice the ants crawling around the world, after all? It seemed to be winding up for another major shot, the bulk of the beast swelling up.

[Jyssika]

+Something artificial under the ice... Do we proceed or stop and investigate?+

Torox's speech reminds other members of the team
of an Imperial Guard officer attempting to remain
awake and alert despite being exhausted. The more
skeptical might even wonder if the Marine is even
trust worthy enough to make rational decisions...

[Calimos]

+Acknowledged. Brief stop. Stay sharp and let's see if I can get a reading in the auspex.+

Cadmos held his hand up, his fist balled, for the team to halt its advance. He then retrieved his auspex from a pouch in his belt and reciting the proper litanies to appease its inquisitive and greatly perceptive machine spirit, attempted to discern what might lay beneath the surface indicated as suspicious, by brother Torox.

OOC

Awareness test utilising auspex: [roll0] vs 85
Tech - Use test to discern things not normally detectable by human senses alone: [roll1] vs 45

[thebothan]

Husasco stood by awaiting the findings of his sergeant.. He kept his eyes on the land around the squad, his heavy bolter ready for any new contacts.

[ArcturusV]

As the Auspex goes about it's super detection stuff, the display starts scrolling off its information, parting the secrets of the world to you.

The material beneath you is not normal water ice (Ice 1 for the SCIENCE! inclined) but seems to be some sort of Exotic Ice. At this point in the Pressure Ridge, 4m thick. Beneath it, a protrusion, clearly metal, unknown composition though it warns of Xenos Origin. Clearly looks like a hatch of some kind, meant to be opened Iris Style, though it cannot detect a means of triggering the entrance nearby, if there is one. It's hard to get reading beyond that, due to the intervening ice, but it seems there is a larger structure below the door, as fainter readings of the same metal seem to be coming from up to 16m away from you, before the Auspex's spirit is completely foiled by the ice.

[Jyssika]

Torox meanwhile stamps the heel of his boot into the ice,
attempting to decern how difficult it would be to clear if the
Auspex came back with an interesting result.

[HandofCrom]

Brother commander, we may try breaking through, this may be a promising lead, or it may be a pointless dead end. It is your decision if we shall pursue it.


Calimos would likely know Torox and me may cast Avenger, acting as a heavy flamer, as a half action every turn with a good chance of success at force 2 (fettered) and may be able to melt through the ice pretty quickly. I don't know how the water produced by Ice X would react, if it would boil off or promptly reinforce the ice or what.

[Calimos]

Cadmos knelt down for a moment, his gauntleted palm touching the ice and running slightly across its surface. Then he stood back up and responded.

+Go forth brothers. We may uncover more about the alien platform this way. If we are lucky and this titan stands upon a similar surface we could even try weakening it from below, to destabilize it and give our forces a window of clear shots that could compromise it.+

[thebothan]

Husasco again voxed the squad, having recently noticed a possible method of granting the Navy a moment of respite. Sergeant. I have given some thought to the xenos beast that poses such a threat to our naval fleet. It seems to ignore us, if we get close to it we could make it pay for such a mistake. We all carry Krak grenades, such charges could be placed on the ice around the beast, if not on it directly to send it to a swift death.. If we opened up an entrance to this structure below we might even have a refuge in case our efforts trigger the beats attentions.

[Jyssika]

Torox nods as they all speak; containing the urge to pace.

+I believed it wise to bring Melta Charges also, they should
provide a more useful weapon against the beast than krak
grenades.+

He sheaves his weapons and focusses his mind as much
as he can. The other librarian feels a surge of warp energy
building up within Torox it looks as though Torox might
even lose control, coming a hairs width away from ripping
himself to bloody chunks and dragging a deamon into the
reality but manages to collect himself at the last moment.

The failure infront of his new Kill Team does nothing to
lighten the already angry Torox, he turns to the others
and adresses in a furious tone.

+Perhaps we should do this in a more reliable manner+


[roll0] DC 46
If double [roll1]
If 75+ [roll2]

If Succeeds [roll3]

[ArcturusV]

As Torox flails, failing to reach the Immaterium, it's not exactly unexpected. The Warp feels distant here after all. You were told "There's a Shadow in the Warp" centered over this place. Even a Librarian would find it hard to contact the powers of the Sea of Souls in this situation.

The ice is pretty hard, it doesn't crack very easily when Torox puts his heel to it. It's more like hitting plates of steel than ice. But with enough effort, yes, the power armor started to crack it. Probably would take too long to dig through the ice with mere weapons, all things considered.

[HandofCrom]

Stand back, I will try to get us through.

Nikomedes focuses, and tries to unleash warpflame on the ice when the kill team is clear.


Avenger at fettered TN 70: [roll0]
Effect: Just like a heavy flamer with PEN 4.

Wait, I forgot the Oath of the Emperor, it's TN 80!

[ArcturusV]

It takes some struggling, the Warp is not easy to reach here, but slowly you manage to make a connection to the warp, and calling forth the flames assault the ice, burning down into it over several long moments. Huge hissing clouds of steam rising up before the water vapor freezes in the void, becoming an ice crystal mist drifting off into the darkness. The hatchway is clear before your eyes, looking none the worse for wear after the flames have washed over it except for a glow of retained (And rapidly dissipating) heat, and the small sheen of what water was left freezing as it boils along the sides of the hole you had blasted.

... perhaps most disconcerting however, was that the ice beneath the feet of the squad was starting to rumble. You couldn't call it an Earth... er... Ice Quake. Because as you glanced down you saw it was something else entirely. The ice was roiling and churning. Parts of it rising up in swells, part of it quivering, part of it seeming to sink away as its neighbors rose up.

[thebothan]

Brother Husasco prickles with unease as the work of the witch makes itself manifest behind him. He chooses to instead focus his attention on the massive Xeno in the distance, looking with something akin to annoyance at the ice as it begins to shake around him. His eyes dart around to see any evidence of anything breaking through the ice around them, or if the previous focus of his attentions had finally noticed them.. With a final thought the marine turned his gaze to the sky if they were lucky, the ice shake would make any nearby ground defenses less reliable, if they were unlucky then some of the Imperial Ordinance might be streaking for them as they stood here. With witches you could never be certain, to twist the nature of reality was to dance with a fate worse than damnation.

Awareness again, checking out my big 3 worries.. (the ice below and around us, the xeno monster and, the patterns of ordinance/ships above) [roll0] vs 65.

Apparently, I REALLY REALLY don't trust psykers.. woke me right out of my meh rolls. My apologies in advance for calling all witches, its nothing personal..

[ArcturusV]

Husasco notices a few things right off the bat. The first being that the "bio-titan" seemed uneffected by whatever was going on. The second that whatever disturbance was on the ice, it was highly localized, centered on the Squad and the hole that the warp flame had carved. There didn't seem to be anything lurking under the ice. No void ice sharks or the like swimming around in it. It seemed just like the ice itself was roiling around the feet of the Kill-Team. The defensive fire seemed to still be going on, you could see the Assault boats were closing in, and leading the way with some missiles, maybe hoping to soak up and distract the defenses.

It was just about then you noticed that the ice near Nikodemus had an "eye", least it looked like one. And it looked like the "eye" on the Bio-Titan. The roiling of the ice was getting worse, the swells and shallows growing.

Husasco's sharp eyes, and potentially timely warning, can help you avoid the ice here counting as Difficult Terrain if you want to quickly move (At least for the first few seconds, it's getting worse).

Structured Time starting now. You got one round before Something Bad (r) happens. Throw your initiative.

[thebothan]

Something large has spotted us, It comes from below us, move brothers! Husasco's armor began to work almost as soon as the eye was noticed by his sensors. His armor servos began to glide as his armor pushed him to safety.

Throwing my initiative: [roll0]+4 from AG +1 from armor.

Once my initiative arrives I am going to run away from the eye (and towards the other bio titan) I don't trust my chances if I were to take cover inside the xeno structure, and let it take the burnt of the creatures attack, better to trust the open air and the emperor.

As a devoted Tyranid player staying in the open ice seems a terrible idea, but scattering seems a good plan as a space marine.. That way whatever it is has to pick which of us to eat/engage..And the rest can start injuring it at a distance. If anyone has a jump pack I would advise making a jump off the ice to hover in the air and go on over-watch the next turn (provided it doesn't crack the surface turn 1, which isn't really a likely event but we can always hope it has crappy initiative). For those of us on the ground, do what you think will best prepare you for this things arrival.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes hustles away from the moving ice and tries to get to somewhat higher ground, his sword and bolter at the ready.

Brothers, prepare yourselves! Let's give these xenos the welcome they deserve!


Awareness TN 63: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1]

[Jyssika]

Torox does not hesitate, his anger has pushed him
almost full tilt now and his actions seem entirely
impulse.

The oppertunity to his the beast before it rises, perhaps
before its defenses are fully active and certainly whilst
its vital parts are within such close rage to the squad
was too great.

[roll0] Focus vs 46+30+10-10. (76)
[roll1] Phenomena (Auto due to push)
[roll2] Perils if 75+
Smite dmg if all goes well.
[roll3] Pen 6 Dmg.

[Jyssika]

[roll0] Fate to reroll Focus test! (vs 76 again)

A huge build up of warp energy swells within Torox
but he cannot seem to control it, however, unlike
with the previous attempt he is no longer ready to
accept failure. Letting out a rawr of anger that is barely
understandable as:
"FAR THY EMPAROR!"

He manages to call a devestating blood red beam of
energy directed towards the eye of the creature.

[Calimos]

Cadmos recoils instinctively from the churning ice floor, as soon as Brother Husasco gives the warning, attempting to get to a more stable place.

+Try to keep your footing. Get ready brothers.+

OOC

Initiative: [roll0]

[ArcturusV]

Round Two:

Initiative 14: Cadmos
Initiative 14: Husasco
Initiative 9: Nikodemus
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: ????

The lighting surges as the ground protests. Most manage to stay out of the rumble of Warp Churned Ice, or manage to keep their footing on the rough terrain. The Eye seems to shatter beneath the blast, turning into a fine mist before Torox's fury. Another 'eye', and another starts to appear as the ice rumbles. There are 6 of them now, not counting the shattered remains of the smote one, spread out in a circle about 20m across, centered over the squad as they spread out, needing about 5m for those who had run from the initial site to escape the encirclement of those eyes that were scanning around.

If you want to smite an eye with an attack (Including the Smite Power since it uses Ranged Attack Modifiers), the eyes are considered Size 3, a -10 to hit.

With the "Ice Quake" And the Warp Churned up Ice, the terrain in that 20m circle now counts as Difficult Terrain. Halves movement rate, and if you charge or run you have to make a +0 Agility Test or fall prone. Of course those of you with jump packs are basically immune to it because... flying.

[Jyssika]

Perhaps to mock the Space Wrangler or perhaps
to inspire his cousins Torox roars triumphantly as
the eye shatters.

+Honour to The Flesh Tearers, first blood of the mission!+

His voice no longer an irritated time bomb of festering
rage but rejoicing in the carnage of battle and his
enventual success at connecting with the immaterium.

[thebothan]

Take your honor, but do not endanger us all. It seems we are calling these things up from the depths by disrupting the ice. Husasco moves outside the circle of eyes, bolter at the ready. As he does so, he takes a moment to examine the thing in the ice, preferring to glimpse the form behind the eye rather than potentially enrage a blinded beast much larger than him.

I am taking a full move to get 5 meters closer to the outside of the circle (agility bonus 4 and I move as a hulking creature in the armor, so AG +1), firing a heavy bolter into the ice seems counter productive at this point, and as I do so I want to see if I recognize the type of creature that this eye is behind. I figure the ice is somewhat see through, and I might have better luck since it is pretty close to me. [roll0] vs 57 forbidden lore xenos, meh still no.

[Jyssika]

Torox attempts to reign in his raging emotions;
perhaps he did not need to push himself so hard..
He had expected the eye to be a weak spot and
hoped a decisive strike would bring low the beast
but perhaps he would not be so lucky.

[roll0] Focus vs 46+15+10-10. (61)
[roll1] Phenomena (If double)
[roll2] Perils if 75+
Smite dmg if all goes well.
[roll3] Pen 3 Dmg.

Once again he fails to make a connection to the
warp; his attempts to contain his rage clearly
a hinderance to his combat potential.

Internally he scolds himself, he should care not
the opinions of the others and be proud to his
Chapter but the fizzling feeling as all his attempts
to draw from the warp disapate into nothingness
does not make him feel proud at all.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes seems to hesitate for just a second as he analyzes the beast tearing from the ice or perhaps forming from the ice, and he charges the nearest eye, wytchfrost forming on his sword as he swings.


Awareness TN 63: [roll0]
Charge attack TN 51+20: [roll1]
Damage (pen 5): [roll2]
Fettered focus power for sword TN 60+10+10-10: [roll3]

[Calimos]

Cadmos glances around quickly, as he regains his feet after the terrible ice-quake beneath him and retreats a few steps back to have a better view of the developing situation on the ice-trenches of the platform. His eyes dart to his trusted auspex and with a quick prayer to its inquisitive machine spirit attempts to discern the nature of the enemy that rises from beneath the kill-team, while his mind scours his memory for any pertinent knowledge of it.

+Stand ready brothers. The chosen of the Emperor shall be the bane of all xenos.+

OOC

Awareness utilising auspex: [roll0] vs 85

Tech - Use test to discern things not normally detectable by human senses alone: [roll1] vs 45

Forbidden Lore (Xenos): [roll2] vs 45

[ArcturusV]

End of Round, Start of Round Three

Initiative 14: Cadmos
Initiative 14: Husasco
Initiative 9: Nikodemus
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: ????

Nikomedes charges across the roiling ice and unsteady ground, until he reached one of the Eyes, going over in a fall as his sword swung out, cutting a bit into the stalk of one eye, drawing a long cut that nearly went clean through the appendage, leaving it flapping on a small bit of 'skin', and notably that it wasn't bleeding or spurting out like you might have expected from something that just got sworded to the eyestalk.

Most the readings don't really make sense to you, strange Chymist Readings and Materials that are beyond your understanding of the mysteries of the Omnissiah and all of that. But one thing does strike out as plain and simple. Lifesigns. A lot of them. Or maybe just one large one, it was all one indistinct, large blur beneath the feet of most of the squad (really everyone but Husasco). It's an indistinct life sign, more akin to what you might see out of a servitor than a man, but it definitely is picking it up as a life sign, along with a lot of energy transmissions going on all around you.

Due to your Scannery, get a +20 bonus to the upcoming Evasion. If you wish to shout a warning out to your kill-team they get a +10 bonus.

With a crack and a rumble, the ice starts to surge upwards rapidly in that 20m wide circle the ice rising up along with the eyestalks, and the ice beneath the feet of Torox, Nikomedes, Cadmos, shooting up rapidly, and you could swear you heard a loud beastial scream coming from the ice, heard through the soles of your power armored magboots and rumbling through your armor as the creature started shooting up very, very quickly.

You're being attacked by a large 'bio-titan' rising out of the ice. For Cadmos and Nikomedes you have the option of Dodging (Effectively stepping off the titan/rolling off the edge) or Parrying. Either will work, you're close enough to the edge. Cadmos remember your Scan Bonus and others remember your "Look Out!" bonus from his scan if he points it out.

Success on a Dodge means you land outside of the rising titan's footprint. And if Nikomedes gets 2 DoS on a Dodge I'll say you landed on your feet outside so you won't be prone.

If you parry (And Torox only has the option of parrying, he can't get to the edge on a half move), you're riding the Titan up and fending off whatever defenses it might have.

Failure on an Evasion means you're going to get Grappled, which I'll roll off in the OOC once I know what targets I have for an appropriate moment. If you want to post on a successful parry well, it's a mouth that has a lot of prehensile tentacle like 'teeth' that is trying to grapple and pull you in, so feel free to describe slapping away those, cutting through some, etc.

Being outside of the 'Bio-Titan' footprint as it rises up gives you a free melee strike if you want to take it. You can't miss it as, it's literally the broad side of a barn about 2-4 feet in front of you.

Otherwise you may, if you wish, choose to assist either Cadmos or Nikomedes with getting the hell out of there, giving them a +10 to their Dodge test if you choose otherwise. Free action either way but you can only take one, so your choice.

[Calimos]

Cadmus took only a split second to take in the readings from his auspex. The results urged for immediate action. The welfare and security of his kill-team being paramount, the imposing Son of Nocturne let out a brief but intense vocal command, his manner still disciplined, despite the gravity of the developing situation.

+Look out. Enemy emerging from below.+

At the same moment, he executed a backwards jump, willing the whirring and whining servos of his ancient armor to compensate for this sudden change in direction, in an attempt to land clearly outside the radius of the entity's emergence.

OOC

Dodge: [roll0] vs 70

[Jyssika]

+Cousin! You promised you would not let this happen.
I hope you brought plenty of Frags!+

As the gargantuan worm erupts from the floor Torox
firmly plants his feet and begins swatting tentacles
with his now angrily humming force sword.

Torox, now firmly holding onto the belief that attempting
to restrain his anger is the reason he was unable to access
the Warp is seemingly now embracing his inherent anger.

From the ever increasing hight of the biotitan he howls in
gutteral rage.

+Honour for the Flesh Tearers, I will have its skalp!+

[HandofCrom]

Yee-haw! Ride that, cowboy!
Parry 51 WS +10 warning +10 balanced: [roll0]

EDIT: Nope, not at all.


Nikomedes is still trying to regain his footing when the beast erupts and carries him off.

[thebothan]

Husasco instinctively shouts to his sergeant as the ice rises before them, he cringes as he sees one of his watch squad being unable to move from the beasts path, perhaps he chose poorly. Taking a step back he readies the ancient weaponry in his hands aimed at the beast, preparing to unleash the gift of ash and oblivion upon it, if he could not aid his brother he would instead attract the beasts attention.

I assume I need to take a half action move to get out of combat range in order to shoot the heavy bolter (If I am incorrect please let me know), if possible I will be getting into cover in one of the ice 'trenches'.. I then will be taking a half aim with my heavy bolter.

[ArcturusV]

Round Three Update:

Initiative 14: Cadmos, Husasco
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: "Bio-Titan Beta"

Through sheer luck the weight of the mouth tendrils didn't manage to lock onto Nikomedes, unable to get purchase on his defensive thrashing, armored body, but you can tell it was a close thing and the sheer weight of the attacks means you don't want to necessarily try your luck with their incompetence instead of relying on your own skill. Torox bellowed out his defiance, and was swatting away attacks with his blade, severing several tendrils but not enough to actually make a clear spot in the mass that he was surrounded in.

By the time Husasco backed up to the safety of a pressure ridge, the Bio-Titan (Armor Machine Spirits marked it Beta if only because it was the second one to show up, with the original one marked Alpha) had rose up 40 meters into the air, it's body undulating and its head thrashing out into the void as it struggled with the Space Marines who were taking the fight right to its face.

[Calimos]

As the xenos titan started rising, Cadmos willed his twin hearts into a steady rythm, his enhanced body functions pumping all the necessary adrenaline to his system. Clarity and a sense of increased battle-readiness permeated him. His eyes scoured the emerging monstrosity for anything that could be a structural weakness in its anatomy and his fingers pressed the trigger of his trusted bolter to hail the xenoform with a rain of bolt shells.

+Look for weak points and concentrate fire on 'em.+

OOC

Half action Evaluate (pg 98 Core rulebook) : [roll0] vs 22

Half action attack with boltgun: [roll1] vs anything but 100

Damage: [roll2] pen 4
Tearing: [roll3] pen 4

Additional damage in case of Righteous Fury: [roll4] pen 4

EDIT: Alright. The Emperor may indeed be looking upon us! If I got it correctly, I get +8 Pen on my attack, bringing it to 12 Pen total. Also, there's righteous fury on the attack, so the second (not tearing) damage roll is also added, correct? If I got it right, it should be 35 Damage at Pen 12 in total?

[Jyssika]

Torox eyes dart to the other Marine ontop of the
titan with him; luck is keeping him alive so far
but perhaps the other wytch did not have what
it takes to remain stalwart.

He reaches out with his mind; now a roaring
torrent of rage and hatred, in the Flesh Tearers
psykers would do this for their brothers when
they were struggling. He was not sure however
if his cousin would want such gifts in his time of
need.


Half Action:
[roll0] Focus vs 46+30+10-10. (76)
[roll1] Phenomena (Auto due to push)
[roll2] Perils if 75+
If all goes well; Frenzy + Mental Frenzy for Torox, +1 Psy Rating.
If Nikomedes he also gains Frenzy.

Second Action:
[roll3] Attack roll 46/56 if Frenzy Worked.
[roll4] Focus Pushed vs 46+35+10-10. (76)
[roll5] Phenomena (Auto due to push)
[roll6] Perils if 75+

Damage
[roll7] +18 pen 8 (20/9 if Frenzy Worked)
[roll8] Extra D10 per success on above focus test.


With a terrifying scream Torox reaches too far into
the Immeterium and something aweful and powerful
lashes out in return.

[ArcturusV]

Round Three Update:

Initiative 14: Cadmos, Husascos
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: Bio-Titan Beta

The Blessed Bolt Shell from Cadmos's bolter slams true into what looked like a weaker point on the flesh of the Bio-Titan, burying inside the creature before it detonated, tearing a nearly 2 foot wide chunk out of the beast, a clear weakness to further exploit as long as you could keep track of it in the thrashing movements of the Bio-Titan.

Further Evaluate Tests to spot a weak point will get a +20 for you. You may use a successful +10 Command Test as a Half Action to pass that bonus onto Husascos as well if you wish.

Torox manages to tap into the distant veil of the warp, and fill the two Librarians with the fury of the immaterium, powering their bodies and minds to greater violence, while suffering a minor wound for his trouble, reminding him of just how tainted and dangerous it was to delve too deep into the Warp, the pain causing him to miss with his swing.

Yes you're immune to the stun due to Frenzy. You missed your attack of course. Note Nikomedes that since your initiative is higher than Torox that unless you choose to delay a Half Action you won't actually get the benefit of Frenzy on your turn.

[HandofCrom]

Focus power - Avenger, unfettered TN 76: [roll0]

Acts as a heavy flamer with PEN 6.


Nikomedes calls on the power of the warp, and sends a wave of flames rolling over the tendrils and appendages grasping at him, trying to clear out a spot on the great beast.

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 3, Start of Round 4

Initiative 14: Cadmos, Husascos
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: Bio-Titan Beta

The warp pours out from Nikomedes, but the flames don't seem to catch much purpose in the Bio-Titan, singeing and destroying some of the tendrils, but failing to seem to score significant damage against the beast itself.

Though for unknown reasons, perhaps the power of Torox's flashing blade and Nikomedes's warp flames kept the tendrils at bay. Or maybe...

The beast bucked hard, and it doubled over, the mouth coming down to slam at the offending Cadmos who had injured it, the 'mouth' of the Bio-Titan, if that's what it was, opening up wide as if it was going to try to swallow the Salamander whole, a feat that wouldn't be difficult for it to accomplish.

Bio-Titan Beta is making a melee attack against Cadmos.

Attack Roll: [roll0] vs 72.
Damage: [roll1] +20, Pen 2, Concussive 2 Impact Damage.

You may Parry or Dodge as you wish. If you Dodge it's a +10 Test due to the terrain you're in (You're not so much as avoiding it's mass as hitting the deck in one of the low points).

For Nikomedes and Torox well, your Down is about to become Up as the beast flips over to dive at Cadmos. Feel free to come up with a way to save yourself from falling off. I'm open to suggestions so have at it, anything even mildly reasonable even if it's "Reasonable" in the fashion of Action Hero Logic only is an acceptable solution.

[thebothan]

From behind the ice ridge, Husasco unleashed a volley of fire upon the beast, his heavy bolter unleashing fist sized projectiles that screamed towards the monstrous beast that beset his brothers. With careful aim, the space marine turned his weapons murderous intentions upon the massive maw and eye that was trying to swallow his sergeant whole.

[Calimos]

The stoic Salamander saw the terrifying maw of the xenos titan open impossibly before him, yet by the Emperor's grace the foul monstrosity missed him. His twin hearts steeled further by the ongoing good fortune, Cadmos pressed on with the attack against the gargantuan beast, attempting not only to pinpoint another vulnerable point in its thick hide, but also to relay that information successfully to the rest of the kill-team members.

+Brothers. Concentrate your attacks to my previous point of impact. Exploit its weaker parts.+

OOC

Evaluate test (+20) : [roll0] vs 42 2 DoS= +8 to Penetration

Fate point for re-roll if necessary: [roll1] vs 42

Command test (+10) : [roll2] vs 65

Attack with boltgun at point-blank range: [roll3]

Damage: [roll4]

Tearing [roll5] Penetration 12

Additional damage in case of RF: [roll6]

If my actions cannot be completed within one round, consider them done by the order I mention them here, thus leaving my attack to take place on next round.

[Jyssika]

Torox steadies himself as the warp blast tears at his mind;
the rage, he could feel its grip on him. If he was to sucumb
this day he would take the beast skalp as a trophy, its hide
would vindicate him and the Flesh Tearers!

Raising his Forcesword he attempts a deep stab into the
head of the creature, only to realize it is attempting to
throw him and his cousin off. In a flash of brilliance he
draws his flaying knife, underhandedly stabbing it into
the beasts body to draw further traction.

Force Sword:
[roll0] Attack roll vs 56
[roll1] Focus Unfettered vs 46+20+10-10. (66)
[roll2] Phenomena (On a double)
[roll3] Perils if 75+

Damage
[roll4] +17 pen 6
[roll5] Extra D10 per success on above focus test

Flaying Knife:
[roll6] Attack roll vs 56

Damage
[roll7] +11 pen 2
[roll8] Right Fury overflow.

Climb Check vs 68 +10 if 1 hit, +20 if 2 hits above.
[roll9]

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes desperately stabs at the beast, and tries to attach himself to the monster as its writhing and the shifting gravity throws him around.


Attack WS 51 [roll0]
Damage [roll1] R PEN 5
Focus Power (fettered) TN 70 [roll2]
Focus power damage rolls? [roll3]

Climb check (base TN 61, +30 harness?) [roll4]

EDIT: I cannot kill anything with my brain.

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 4, Start of Round 5

Initiative 14: Cadmos, Husascos
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: Bio-Titan Beta

Cadmos managed to find the previously damaged gouge he made in the armor of the Bio-Titan, slamming a bolt home and widening the tear a little more, crystaline fragments shattering with the well aimed Bolt explosion, while Husascos added his own prestigious volume of fire, several round chittering off the armor of the creature, not finding purchase, one managing to add another rend to the armor, and a few others causing seemingly minor, superficial damage to the beast, scattered around and unable to find serious purchase in the armor of the creature.

Nikomedes and Torox manage to hold onto the grasp against the Bio-Titan's mouth/face, aided by the mishap of Torox's power pulling them upwards against the body of the creature (even as Cadmos takes a nasty looking spill on the ice). Torox's warp assisted blade seemed to plunge into the creature easily enough, though unable to cause significant damage, while Nikomedes just slams the damn blade in almost to the cross guard, inflicting a deep wound despite the lack of warp fire pouring through.

Taking damage, the Bio-Titan rears up its head again, thrashing about wildly back and forth, as it did so, small protrusions appeared across its body, hundreds, thousands of them if a dozen. The wild thrashings seemed to cause these to scatter through the air where they drifted down to the ice, the first few touching down, showing that they were apparently some sort of anti-personnel explosive as they went off, giving Husascos and Cadmos a scant moment to warn them of their fate under the umbrella of explosive death.

Cadmos and Husascos got an incoming attack. Huge ass blast template that effectively can't miss you, so no roll to hit.

You got a few options to avoid/mitigate damage, can try a -20 Dodge Test to get to a point in deep enough cover that you avoid the blasts (low points in the ice, full cover from the Pressure Ridges, etc), Try to use a Reaction to Evaluate to increase your AP as a -10 Test (due to the hasty nature instead of taking a Half Action), or try some Logic (-10) to try and find a way to weave through the pattern of explosions to avoid damage. I am up to other suggestions if you want to make them.

If you try to take cover (Or just do nothing and ride it out):
Damage: [roll0] +2, Pen 2.

If you try to Dodge/Logic and Fail:
Damage: [roll1] +Degrees of Failure, Pen 2.

Torox and Nikomedes, need a +0 (Total modifier including your stabbed in handhold conditional bonus, but not counting gear you might have like a climbing harness) Climb Test or +10 Wrangling Test to ride the Bio-Titan and not get thrown off. Getting Thrown off is Bad.

[Calimos]

Cadmos stood back up, after the sudden gravity reversal. In a couple of seconds his vision had cleared again and his enhanced physique made sure that he'd keep fighting for now. Hunching slightly forward as if he was about to weather one of Nocturne's sandstorms, the imposing Salamander stood his ground defiantly against the Titan's onslaught, making no apparent effort to take cover. His voice could be heard, loud and clear, a beacon of focus and stability for his battle-brothers, through their helmets' vox-link.

+Into the anvil of war brothers. Stand. The Emperor protects!+

Holding his ground, immovable in defence, Cadmos instantly regained the initiative, targeting the Titan's vulnerabe part once again, hoping to score another hit, intent on gradually driving the xenos monstrosity to its knees.
OOC

Evaluate test (+20) : [roll0] vs 42

Fate point for re-roll if necessary: [roll1] vs 42

Command test (+10) to give the same advantage to other kill-team members : [roll2] vs 65

Attack with boltgun at point-blank range: [roll3]

Damage: [roll4]

Tearing [roll5]

Additional damage in case of RF: [[roll6]

If my actions cannot be completed within one round, consider them done by the order I mention them here, thus leaving my attack to take place on next round.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes tries to attach himself to the beast, and swiftly considers the situation he's in. The xenos has many tricks available, and needs to be stopped.

The first lesson a psyker is taught is to not pull on the warp. Even in battle, a psyker must maintain discipline and minimize the use of their power. This is not the time to follow that guideline. With a brief prayer to the Emperor, he digs deep into the warp and unleashes power at his commander's directing.


Climb TN 61+30 [roll0]
Focused power (smite, push at weak point) test TN 90 - called shot penalties? [roll1]
Psychic phenomena [roll2]
Perils of the warp (if >= 75) [roll3]
Damage [roll4] PEN 6

[thebothan]

Husasco saw the incoming attack, but hearing the words of his sergeant, stood firm. He would not be one to turn tail and flee. His heavy bolter fire didn't cease despite the risk to his person. The beast would not find him easy prey, nor would he scatter upon the first sign of danger. His duty was to remain, and show this creature what it meant to face the Emperors justice.

I am going to just take the attack.. My total damage reduction is 18, so I take no damage from the attack. My response: I am attacking now without the benefit of a half aim, so I only get a total to hit of 100. [roll0] vs 100.

[Jyssika]

Torox pulls out his Force sword and slashes wildly at
the Bio Titan, single handedly holding himself firmly
to the beast with his inhuman grip and masterfully
crafted Flaying Knife.

+I shall have you now!+

Torox continues to scream, his words gurgling through
blood in his mouth from his powerful psychic rebuke.


Climb Check vs 68 +0? Or still +10 from 1 hand holds above?

Swift Attack (presumably only works if he passes Climb check?)
[roll0] Attack roll vs 56
[roll1] Focus Unfettered vs 46+20+10-10. (66)
[roll2] Phenomena (On a double)
[roll3] Perils if 75+

Damage
[roll4] +17 pen 6
[roll5] Extra D10 per success on above focus test

[roll6] Attack roll vs 56
[roll7] Focus Unfettered vs 46+20+10-10. (66)
[roll8] Phenomena (On a double)
[roll9] Perils if 75+

Damage
[roll10] +17 pen 6
[roll11] Extra D10 per success on above focus test

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 5, Start of Round 6

Initiative 14: Cadmos
Initiative 12: New Challengers
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: Bio-Titan Beta

An accurate shot from Brother Cadmos slam into the growing wounds in the Bio-Titan, gouging out deep impact marks now, the wound he was targeting now about 5 meters deep into the 'flesh' of the Bio-Titan. You were making clear progress with your accurate fire digging in deeper and deeper into that hole.

If you desire please make a -20 Awareness Test or a +0 Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Test for fun and profit. Success will have information posted in the OOC.

This was contrary to the bolter fire from Brother Husascos, scattered about the flesh of the Bio-Titan, but where accuracy and eagle eyed reflexes were serving Cadmos, apparently a very blessed set of bolter shells that some Tech-Priest must have wept over the beauty of their construction and violence of the Machine Spirits was making his own progress. Several large gashes appeared in the side of the beast, crawling up the length of the Bio-Titan as the Heavy Bolter kicked back and the barrel elevated, kept on target by the skill of the Devastator.

His volume of fire stopped though quite suddenly.

For Cadmos, Awareness +10, for Torox and Nikomedes, Awareness -10. If successful, check the spoiler below.
Those who passed the above Awareness Test, will see from the hole in the ice that had been carved earlier several figures. Dark metallic skeletons with glowing green weapons held in their hands pointed towards the Devastator. Bright bolts of Gauss Energy fired out, lancing through the Ceremite armor of Husascos. One catching him below the multi-lung, another in the left shoulder that severed his arm, and another that hit him square in the right knee. Most likely his Sus-an Membrane kicked in, putting the space marine into suspended animation as his body was exposed to the void and your Battle-Brother fell silent. The same treatment seemed to happen to the Assault Marine from the Lone Stars as well, cut down in a hail of rapid fire Gauss weaponry.

The Necrons have joined the battle.

OOC Note: No need to Xenos Lore roll to ID them. It's Necrons. That's like a +60 Test on top of your already pretty sharp on the ball Xenos Lore skills to recognize the basic form of one of the primary xenos threats to the Imperium. Your chances of NOT knowing that "Metal Skeleton Zombies with Glowing Green Energy Weapons" equals Necrons is so miniscule that you just know. For Cadmos they'd be well within short range (7m away), squad of 6 of them.

Meanwhile on top of the Bio-Titan the 'flesh' of its maw and the tentacles that may or may not have been teeth seemed to be writhing in pain as the sword slammed into its mouth again, and the Psychic Lightning caused clear convulsions in the mass beneath the two of you. You could see that deep inside, the center of its mouth, it seemed to be puckering up near where the flesh of what you would presume was its "throat", or maybe "lips", hard to really tell a comparative anatomy, the point being the center mass of the 'face' you were riding was puckered tight, and there was a distinct bulging going on there, almost as if it was some human holding their breath with cheeks puffed out. The thrashing was still at the moment, though the small tentacles were striking wildly at you like a grox whip.

Two Attacks.

Attack 1: [roll0] vs 72.
Damage: [roll1] +18 Impact Damage: Pen 2.
Attack 2: [roll2] vs 72.
Damage: [roll3] +18 Impact Damage: Pen 2.

Two Attacks.

Attack 1: [roll4] vs 72.
Damage: [roll5] +18 Impact Damage: Pen 2.
Attack 2: [roll6] vs 72.
Damage: [roll7] +18 Impact Damage: Pen 2.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes is unable to evade the thrashing tentacles, and takes severe hits. He ignores the pain, pulls forth a krak grenade, and throws it into the growing bulge of the bio-titan, hoping it is a vulnerable spot.


I'm assuming I don't need to make an action to hold on thanks to my harness, so I'm taking a half action to aim.
My TN is going to be 42, +10 from aim, +30 from point blank, I guess -20 from called shot, and I don't know what the size bonus is.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + 4, PEN 6

So with the +7 from righteous fury, total damage is 28, pen 6.

[Calimos]

+Press the attack brothers. Our blessed bolt shells shall pierce the heart of the xenos+
Cadmos bellowed over the cacophony of battle, to steel his brothers' souls against the hideous monstrosity that they were facing, their courage and perseverance a testament to their legacy as angels of death, as defenders of the Imperium.

Breathing evenly, he took aim and unleashed another shot against it, trusting his eyes, his weapon and the Master of Mankind who watched over them all.

OOC


Evaluate test (+20) : [roll0] vs 42

Fate point [4/5] for re-roll if necessary: [roll1] vs 42

Command test (+10) to give the same advantage to other kill-team members : [roll2] vs 65

Attack with boltgun at point-blank range: [roll3]

Damage: [roll4]

Tearing [roll5] Pen 12

Additional damage in case of RF: [roll6]

[Jyssika]

Torox defiantly hacked at tenticles as they attempted to strike him,
none came even close and he laughed in triumph as they split in
twain before his shrieking blade.

Taking a moment to harness as much rage as he could gather he
attempted to aid Nikomedes in finishing off the beast.

[roll0] Focus vs 46+35+10-10. (81)
[roll1] Phenomena (Auto)
[roll2] Perils if 75+
Smite dmg if all goes well.
[roll3] Pen 7 Dmg.
[roll4] Righteous Fury.

Another volatile angry red beam of energy errupts from Torox's
curled up clawing fingers, screaming angrily towards the creatures
gaping maw. As he does so a wave of angry static pulses outwards
temporarily disrupting nearby technology.

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 6, Start of Round 7

Initiative 14: Cadmos
Initiative 12: Necrons
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox
Initiative 4: Bio-Titan Beta

Cadmos's bolt continued to drive home into the single rend he had placed in the beast, it's body twisting wildly as it seemed to be trying to get the rend away from Cadmos's aim, though to no avail so far. His progress though was interrupted as, with two Battle-Brothers down the Vox Link of your Armor's Machine Spirit was reporting the damage sustained by Husascos and the Assault Marine, reading that they were deep in the stasis of the Sus-an Membrane and helpless, if at the very least recoverable after the battle in a proper Apothecarium.

This was about the only warning you had that something was wrong before the green energy of Gauss Weaponry was being discharged at you from the flank.

6 Necron Warriors, each firing Semi-Automatic Bursts with their Gauss Flayers. Due to the warning of your Vox Link, you're not "Unaware" and thus may react as you wish. Max of two hits on the Semi-Auto Fire. Zealous Hatred on a 9 or 0, yes, using the BC rules which makes it a bit more tolerable and Necrons are actually stated there and I don't have a DW stat block to base off for them. Min damage for Zealous Hatred being 1d5 wounds inflicted rather than just 1.

Attack 1: [roll0] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll1] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll2] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Attack 2: [roll3] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll4] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll5] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Attack 3: [roll6] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll7] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll8] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Attack 4: [roll9] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll10] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll11] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Attack 5: [roll12] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll13] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll14] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Attack 6: [roll15] vs 65.
First Hit Damage: [roll16] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Second Hit Damage: [roll17] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.

Meanwhile up on the Bio-Titan, Nikomedes Krak Grenade falls just short and to the left of the target bulge in the Bio-Titan's maw, the grenade rending a great gouge in the beast, followed up a moment later by the thunder being called down by a reckless Torox, expanding the great wound from the volatile spirit of the Krak Grenade, and at that moment... all hell broke loose.

The armors of Torox and Nikomedes locked up for the moment, as the warp spurned all machine spirits, and the simple incantations and rites that kept your plate as a nimble armor of death just... stopped. The vox links were dead, and thus you gained no warning about your Battle-Brothers below being slaughtered. Your bolters rebelled, their magazines fouling hard as the sorcerous energy ripped through them, though your Force Blades seemed unaffected, their ancient and Emperor Designed Technology resistant to such things with their psychoactive wards, though the perhaps most worrying were the grenades you carried, and the temperamental machine spirits that did not react so kindly to disruptions.

But it was looking towards the maw that you saw the thing just seemed... to warp and roil. The rend from the grenade and the lightning burst like some Nurglish Boil, and where pus and corruption might have flown out of a daemon, instead a great blue torrent. The lance beam you had seen striking the frigate earlier. Only you were much closer now, and the weapon roared towards the left of Nikomedes, following the path of least resistance where the wound had been placed. The Bio-Titan beneath you seemed to be falling, dispersing beneath your bodies as if it was nothing more substantial than mist in a great white cloud that you were quickly falling into.

Cadmos, from his non locked up, ground based position, could see that the entire top third of the Bio-Titan seemed to have burned away as quickly and as disastrously as a PDF trooper getting hit point blank range from a Multi-Melta, no trace of the top of the Bio-Titan beyond the smoke that seemed to signal its destruction. The lower two-thirds of the body seeming to topple and fall.

Well, Torox did fun, fun things.

In particular look up the rules for Jams and Grenades. Every Grenade you still carry, roll a d10, on a 10 it explodes centered on you. On a 1-9 the Grenade is a dud.

Your Ranged Weapons are of course Jammed.

Your Armor counts as "Unpowered" as its Machine Spirits are fouled by Tech Scorn and you're falling 35 meters at the moment. Unpowered means you need a -40 (Well since Unnatural Strength x2 a -30) Strength Test to move, and you get a -30 to physical actions if you can, and lose the effects of your armor, including Armor Histories, other than the AP. Next round your Armor will be Damaged, meaning your movement is reduced by 2, and physical tasks take a -10. Round after that it's powered up again. Right now you have 1 round before you hit (So you'll hit on the turn you're at "Damaged" rather than "Unpowered". Clip/Drop Harness doesn't protect you from the fall since, well... what it was anchored into is no longer there.

If you wish, you can make an Awareness Test (Without Auto-Senses) for some tactical information about what happened. And you can do the same for Forbidden Lore (Xenos).

Keep in mind I'm very willing to accept even silly/over the top solutions if it at least is Awesome to saving yourself. So feel free to go crazy.

[Jyssika]

Torox smiles, he can feel the beast die as his
smiting tendrils of red death rip at its very soul.
For a microsecond he swims in the tranquil sea
of calm imagining taking the time to slowly scalp
the beast and claim his bounty in the name of the
Great Angel.

Then the burning begins, barely a sound... no grand
crack or dull thud, just a puff... the sound of his local
atmostphere ceasing to exist. The light is blinding,
comperable to a dying sun even through the back
of his helmet and his own head. Then he is caught
by the inferno as it ravages his body, ripping a huge
crater in the back of his armour and ravaging his
naked flesh.

He attempts to fall to the floor out of the firing line
of whatever enemy has shot him in the back, but the
floor is no longer firm... perhaps he is imagining thing
due to his heavy injuries, the fact he was standing on
a beast he just killed is no longer at the forefront of his
mind.

Confused and gravely injured Torox attempts to cling on
to anything solid as he tumbles towards what may be
the Golden Throne. At the very back of his mind, merely
a minor concern at this point, Torox came to realize...
He was on fire.

Not only was he on fire... He was falling.
For a moment of perfect clarity Torox scans his surroundings
attempting to work out just what in the Emperors name was
occuring.

Seeing himself falling he clutches at what remains of his cloak
of scalps, he has briefly imagined using it as a parachute but
only tatters remained of its former glory. Torox looks to his
side, the other Librarian was falling also both still comrades
in their insane game of riding a Titan...

+Cousin! Can we makes a softer landing?+
Torox speaks' before remembering the Vox system no longer works.

Reaching into what remains of his strength Torox aims for
what he hopes is softer inner flesh directly below him.
He releases as wide of a beam as possible, attempting to
saturate the 4 meter area he is falling into into a soggy
swamp of blood and flesh.

[Calimos]

OOC


Regarding the incoming necron attacks

My Toughness (10) and armour (9 body, 7 hands, 8 rest) - Pen 3 = 16/14/15 respectively.

Now the attacks from the Necrons that actually hit do respectively the following amounts of damage, and after subtracting Armour+Toughness-Pen as above, the results are as follows, unless I missed something:

Attack 2 (Left Leg): 10, 12 [Armour + Toughness 15] both fully absorbed.

Attack 4 (Body) : 13, 14 [Armour + Toughness 16] both fully absorbed.

Attack 5 (Body) : 17, 14 [Armour + Toughness 16] first has chance to inflict 1 wound +1d5 from Zealous Hatred as you mentioned, so I'll try to dodge it, second fully absorbed.

Attack 6 (Head): 10, 15 [Armour + Toughness 15] both fully absorbed.

Now, as I said I'll try to use my reaction to dodge the first hit of attack 5.

Here it goes: Dodge: [roll0] vs 50

Fate-point re-roll if necessary: [roll1] vs 50


*******

Now, about my following actions:

Full-auto burst against the Necrons that fired against me: [roll2] vs 70+ (BS 50 +20 from full-auto + any modifiers from range), additional hit for every degree of success.

Damage rolls [PEN 4] for potentially successful hits:

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Tearing: [roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]

EDIT: Tearing rolls were equal or better and thus preferred. First one also scored Righteous Fury.

In case of righteous fury: [roll9]


+ Command. This is Brother Cadmos from the Kill-team assaulting designated target Romeo-236. First enemy bio-titan acting as artillery neutralized. Be advised they possess the Regeneration, Strange Physiology and The Stuff of Nightmares Traits, so modify your assault on them accordingly. Contact with Necron forces. Two battle-brothers down. +

After reporting the ongoing situation on the platform to the command ship in orbit, Cadmos focused his attention on the Necrons firing against him, executing rapid avoidance maneuvers, the hydraulics and servos of his blessed power armour straining to their fullest to compensate for the drastic alterations of his state, while, thankfully the ceramite plates combined with the Salamander's impressive physique proved inviolate against most of the incoming attacks.

Hefting his bolter and making an arc in his mind's eye, brother Cadmos, proceeded then to unleash a hail of bolt shells against the approaching xenos, in order to save his incapacitated battle-brothers, to preserve his own life and to pave the path for potential reinforcements or a more drastic attack on the platform.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes struggles fruitlessly against his immobilized armour. As he tumbles past the biotitan, he takes a moment to focus himself, and sends a blast of wych-lightning into the side of the creature below him, hoping to carve out useful gouges while the machine spirits of his armour reawaken.


If I would hit the titan, I'll spend a fate point to miss it and fall next to it. I'm going to use smite to try to blast out some gouges in its flank roughly 30 meters below me so next round I can try using them to catch myself, probably with my harness.

Focus power (unfettered) TN 75: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] PEN 3
Psychic phenomenon (if doubles): [roll2]
Perils of the Warp: [roll3]


Unfortunately, he fails to concentrate and the lightning scatters aimlessly and uselessly right as it is formed.

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 7, Start of Round 8

Initiative 14: Cadmos
Initiative 12: Necrons
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox

The Necrons were slow, and as Sergeant Cadmos swept his bolter over their line they had no chance to dodge the short ranged fury of his weapon, each shell impacting hard on the first four of the warriors from left to right, masterful marksmanship scoring their bodies. The leftmost one though seemed oddly less injured than expected, considering how volitile the shell that impacted it was, the metal of its body starting to heal the damage right before your very eyes. The others did not seem to recover so, but there was little doubt that they were still very alive, very active with their glowing green weapons and the soulless green eyes that bore down on Cadmos as they marched slowly forward, their guns snapping off shots of heretekal energy at the Salamander.

Necrons take a Half Move closer, they are now in Point Blank Range, and are snapping off Single Shots.

Attack 1: [roll0] vs 75
Damage: [roll1] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wounds: 10/20

Attack 2: [roll2] vs 75
Damage: [roll3] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wounds: 16/20

Attack 3: [roll4] vs 75
Damage: [roll5] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wounds: 16/20

Attack 4: [roll6] vs 75
Damage: [roll7] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wounds: 14/20

Attack 5: [roll8] vs 75
Damage: [roll9] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wounds: 20/20

Attack 6: [roll10] vs 75
Damage: [roll11] +8 Energy Damage, Pen 3.
Current Wound: 20/20

As these are less "mysterious" enemies, yes, I will give you the wound status. You'd know of necrons and roughly how much punishment rank and file might take. And I rolled well on your 'behind the screen' Xenos Lore test.

As Brother Torox fell, his warp fire blasted out once more, surely the hand of the Emperor or his daughter Sanguinus behind him because the energy was far more destructive and deeper than he would have guessed, flash burning the creature even as the void tried to freeze it solid again in a churning mass. His armor slammed down into the mess, sinking up to his neck in a soup that was probably not something you wanted to ponder too long about the nature of, the innards of the creature threatening to freeze around him in any moment.

Reduce the fall damage to 1d10+5 for relatively shallow but softer landing material. You're currently in the next lower phase of Tech-Scorned Armor, taking a -10 to physical actions only and move rate reduced by two. The goop is freezing up because... no atmosphere, so haul ass out or stay in as you wish. Keep in mind the Bio-Titan will start tilting and falling during your next turn, though it will have no mechanical effect on said turn.

Nikomedes is in more dire straights, as his power fails to manifest, and he is currently taking the quick way down to the orbital platform below in eerie, stark silence, as his Power Armor machine spirits start to waken once more from the rude sorcerous shock delivered by the warp's scorn. There's not much time left, and there's little doubt that the impact with the ice below is going to be very, very painful.

Last round to arrange a save of some sort before burning fate is the name of the game. If you wanted to still try the clip/drop harness without your anchor points? I'd call it an Agility Test -20 (Includes the -10 from your Armor Damage effect) to try to find one of the bolt holes from Brother Husascos's Heavy Bolter earlier. Or call it Climb -20 (Includes the -10 from your Armor Damage effect) to basically just brute force jam the baby in there. Other ideas of course can always be tried.

Enter Ingram

You had been stationed aboard the Trimere's Vanguard when the contact was made with the hostile Xenos. One of the younger members of the Deathwatch, kept in reserve, as there was little telling what capabilities the unknown had, and even the presence of a single Deathwatch Trained Kill Team could be vital in maintaining the security of the frigate.

Of course, that was before one of the platforms nearly gutted the Frigate with a single shot. You were lucky. The rest of your Kill-Team, not so much, as several drifted out to the void. You weren't certain of their status, though you could only hope that some of the landers had come by to pick them up and that their armor's seal lasted... or they were found quickly enough not to succumb to the void. Presuming they were still alive when the lance strike ripped through the ship.

Your ride is fleeing, the ship far too vulnerable, and valuable, to slug it out with such defenses. Assault boats had been launched, no one rightly knew if it was a one way mission or if by some twist of fate, the guns would be silenced, and the Navy could return to retrieve you. You knew other Kill-Teams had been deployed to attempt to take down the defenses. And you knew that you were being sent to help them.

Inside the Imperial Navy vessel things were cramped. Naval Security Forces in vac sealed flak armor crowed the compartment, armed with seemingly insignificant seeming las weaponry, and a sergeant armed with a simple, primitive seeming blade and his side arm las pistol. Suffice to say you wouldn't really bet on them being the forces to turn the tide of battle on some distant rock.

Nor that the lander was built for your power armored bulk, making seating a bit uncomfortable, though the Naval Security forces seemed to have it worse, as they jammed against each other to give you as much room as possible. The lighting in the lander's cabin turned from red to green. The sergeant at arms spoke up over his microbead, "Assault landing in 15 seconds!", Security Officers were checking their charge packs at the last minute, uttering prayers for the God-Emperor's guidance and protection, and looking utterly terrified of what was out there.

The lander hit, the ramp went down, the open void and a plain of ice greeted you.

You are not being landed into the fight with Cadmos, however he IS close by. 50m over rough ground to your right as you exit, you're well within range that your vox link can pick up his, you've detected damaged Astartes suits on your data-feed and two downed marines. No clear shot at the Necrons yet, and the ice ridges here are not difficult terrain for you.

You also have "Bio-Titan Alpha" currently 120m to your left and towards the fore of the lander as you exit. This is the mission target that the Naval Security has... but you're not obligated to follow it.

[Calimos]

OOC


My Toughness (10) and armour (9 body, 7 hands, 8 rest) - Pen 3 = 16/14/15 respectively.

Maximum incoming damage from all the attacks that hit is 14, therefore soaked by my Armour+Toughness.

Activating my Squad Mode Defensive ability "Unto the Anvil of War".

Chapter: Salamanders
Action: Full Action
Cost: 3
Sustained: Yes

Effects: A squad of Salamanders Space Marines in defence is an immovable object, standing resolute in the face of any foe or peril. Shoulder to shoulder, they are as unyielding as the adamantium anvils that sit in the hearts of their forges. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of him gain a +2 Toughness bonus, though all those affected by this ability count their Agility Bonus as half its normal value (rounding up) for the purposes of movement.


Leaning slightly forward, with images of the erupting volcanoes from his Home World coming to mind, and the tribulations of his Burning Walk coming unbidden from memory, Cadmos focused his will through a simple prayer to the Master of Mankind and stood firm, immoveable in his defence, akin to a rocky promontory, weathering the hail of fire from the attacking xenos. Applying the defensive strategies of his beloved Chapter and the singular determination of his stoic nature to endure all opposition, the towering Salamander, stood, in defiance of all.

[Jyssika]

Torox climbs his way out of the quickly freezing viscera,
picking up a conveniant thick circle of the beasts hide
that he would attach to his cape of skalps once they
had made it off this Emperor forsaken rock alive.

He stands; aching, bruised and burnt and with the
burning Frenzied anger still clawing at the back of
his eyes. Perhaps it was all that was still keeping him
standing at all.

Flippantly he targets the ground below the falling
Nikomedes, he had saved himself from death by
blasting at his landing point... Nikomedes had failed
and perhaps Torox was the only thing now saving him
from death... not that this registered with Torox as he
acted... Torox was so spaced out on pain supressants
and pumped up on adrenaline fueled rage to do anything
than act on impulse.

[roll0] Focus vs 46+20+10-10. (81)
[roll1] Phenomena (On double)
[roll2] Perils if 75+
Smite dmg if all goes well.
[roll3] Pen 4 Dmg. (35 Pen 4)
[roll4] Righteous Fury.

Another ripping collection of red tendrils rip from
his fingers, their anger cracking and snarling through
the void past Nikomedes and into the hard ice he is
moments away from crashing into.

For the first time since having been dragged into the
air by the beast he surveyed the surrounding area.
A streaking comet ripped across the sky above him,
reinforcements? Or survivors of some scuttled craft?
He felt a slight leaning and was reminded of where he was,
still so far from the safety of the ground.

He would wait to see which way it fell, and attempt to
stay on the correct side and thus avoid being squashed.
It would be easier than guessing and attempting to quickly
climb to the floor in his aweful condition.

[roll5] Awareness 39 +20.

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes rapidly tumbled towards the ground. He scrambled at the side of the beast, unable to get a hold or arrest his fall. With the ground looming ever closer, one hand got briefly caught in a gash in the creature's left by his squad leader's bolt shells. The split second was all he needed, taking the opportunity to jam and catch the hook of his harness into the break and start arresting his fall as the creature's hide tore away from his other hand.

[Slavezero]

Ingram finishing with his prayers and last checks of his gear turns to the Sargent "Sargent i will move to assist my brothers in finishing they're battle then we will reinforce you so we can more easily kill that abominable bio-titan" He will wait for a second to see if the Sargent reply's then uses his camo-cloak to give himself concealment to hide and runs toward his battle brothers trusting the vacuum of space to ensure he is not heard. As he makes his way to the fight with the necrons and his fallen brothers Ingram activates his vox "Brothers myself and a squad of guardsmen were sent to assist you in taking down the bio-titans though i believe we are the last reinforcements you are getting as the ships have pulled back after taking heavy damage from those damnable xenos. we must bring them down if we want to get off this frozen xenos construct i have sent the guardsmen to start trying to damage the other titan while i move to assist you and make sure the seals on our fallen brothers armor holds"

vs. 49+20=69 concealment +/- any other bonuses

Ingram is going to run as fast as he can to the closest fallen battle brother then start to check the seals of they're armor should i not show up for Ingram's next turn or something oh i should also probably roll initiative [roll]1d10+4

[Calimos]

+Affirmative Brother. Clear your targets then move to reinforce my squad. The Emperor protects.+

[ArcturusV]

End of Round 8, Start of Round 9

Initiative 14: Cadmos, Ingram
Initiative 12: Necrons
Initiative 9: Nikomedes
Initiative 8: Torox

As Cadmos steels himself for the Anvil of War, the Necrons seem determined to oblige, their implacable march taking them into the assault one after another in a constant stream of living metal, green glowing light, and the rise and fall of blades coming for the Salamander as one by one they come in, seeking to overwhelm the implacable sergeant.

Necrons are charging one after another.

Necron 1 Charge : [roll0] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, Final Mark of 40.
Necron 1 Charge Damage: [roll1] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 1 Regeneration: [roll2] vs 45 Toughness to recover 5 wounds.
Necron 1 Health: 15/20

Necron 2 Charge: [roll3] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, +10 for Ganging Up, Final Mark of 50.
Necron 2 Charge Damage: [roll4] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 2 Regeneration: [roll5] vs 45 Toughness to recover 5 wounds.
Necron 2 Health: 20/20

Necron 3 Charge: [roll6] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, +20 for Ganging Up, Final Mark of 60.
Necron 3 Charge Damage: [roll7] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 3 Regeneration: [roll8] vs 45 Toughness to recover 5 wounds.
Necron 3 Health: 20/20

Necron 4 Charge: [roll9] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, +20 for Ganging Up, Final Mark of 60.
Necron 4 Charge Damage: [roll10] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 4 Regeneration: [roll11] vs 45 Toughness to recover 5 wounds.
Necron 4 Health: 19/20

Necron 5 Charge: [roll12] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, +20 for Ganging Up, Final Mark of 60.
Necron 5 Charge Damage: [roll13] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 5 Health: 20/20

Necron 6 Charge: [roll14] vs 30 WS, +10 for the Charge, +20 for Ganging Up, Final Mark of 60.
Necron 6 Charge Damage: [roll15] +8 Weapon, +8 SB, Pen 2.
Necron 6 Health: 20/20

Side note, don't forget the DoS/Dice switch rule, so if they do roll terribly low on their damage dice, but end up having 5 DoS, consider it a 5 for example.

Torox, from your vantage point you can see several Assault Boats, Imperial Naval Issue, landing near "Bio-Titan Alpha", and the light of las weaponry flashing against its hide, even a few things you probably weren't aware of the first time, like the odd 'grenade' like dispesral aura it put down, which is doing a hell of a lot better against Naval Security than it did against Astartes Power Armor. Closer to home, you can notice Battle-Brother Cadmos getting swarmed by metal men with glowing green weaponry, your armor vox link coming online as your systems are restored, machine spirit awake again, and reporting that two Battle-Brothers are down.

And your ride is starting to tilt over and fall. It shouldn't be too hard to make the corner before it dump you off though...

If you want to ride it on the way down, Climb Test at +20 to make the corner so down doesn't end up being a void under your feet.

Nikomedes, as you start to slow your ascent the anchor seems to be holding, and it's giving you some time for your armor to fully reawaken before you impact with the ground, and not in a painful way. You manage to finally see Cadmos, and your armor Vox Link is reporting two battle-brothers down, an unknown battle-brother approaching, and you can see your leader getting swarmed by Necrons hammering at him with their weapons in a mob scene, Robot Mosh Pit.

If you want, on your turn you can presume to have touched down, you'll be 4m away from Cadmos if you do. Or stop the fall with your harness, hang out in the air and rain down fire and lightning, whatever it is you wish to do.

Stealth was... something that happened to other people. It was hard to imagine the Bio-Titan didn't see you if it wanted to, with its high vantage. Moving quickly and in Power Armor meant you were hardly the easiest of marks to miss. Still, for the moment nothing seemed to be drawing attention to you. The Bio-Titan was busy dealing with the Naval Security forces, quite handily from the looks of it. The Assault boats were lending their fire but it wasn't exactly Thunderhawks ripping into them or Imperial Naval Bombers with anti-ship torpedoes being fired, with simple bolters and the occasional lascannon hit. A few of them weren't firing, for whatever reason. And those that were were getting pasted shortly after their first Lascannon shot by the massive Lance Weapon of the Bio-Titan.

Still you were making good progress towards the others.

Run speed means you closed in 32m out of the 120m to the marines. As things stand now you can't actually get Line of Sight on any of them other than Torox riding on top of the decapitated bio-titan he felled. The ground is broken up into pressure ridges of ice, sort of like this (http://www.linuxjournal.com/files/linuxjournal.com/linuxjournal/articles/082/8299/8299f1.resized.jpg). You can try to plow through, close distance quickly, etc, sticking to more 'clear' spots and easily traversed places to get there faster... or you can try to climb up one of them (say make a Climb +20 test) to try to get LoS on the Battle but that's going to take a Half Action to do so (Negating your ability to run and more quickly close in on them.

[Jyssika]

Torox loped gracefully over the lip of the beast as it tumbled a hunched predator atop his vanquished prey!

++Cousins! The honour of the first kill to the Flesh Tearers!++

With large great strides he descended, drawing his chainsword
He revved its engine into life and allowed his frenzy to extend to Cadamos.

++Iron death, I shall draw blood and tear flesh from those with none!!!!!++

is he able to charge?

[HandofCrom]

Nikomedes rappelled to the ice.

++Command, this is Librarian Nikomedes of the Deathwatch, with intelligence on the bio-titans. Their lance weapon is a gout of water, drawn up and concentrated under amazing pressure, and then released. This presents a weakness. While they are preparing for a strike, there is a distinct bulge near their apex, and rupturing that will cause the pressurized water to tear the beast asunder.++

As he nears the ground, he sees the new xenos threat attacking his squad leader, and casually unleashes a bolt of lightning into them.


I'm going to unfettered smite the necrons. It has a blast of 3, so if one's in the middle of them I will target him to hit as many as possible, otherwise I will hit a badly damaged one.

Willpower TN 75: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] PEN 3
Psychic Phenomenon (if double): [roll2]
Perils of the Warp (if 75+):[roll3]

[Calimos]

OOC


First of all apologies for delayed post. Now, to defend against the Necrons.

Armor + Toughness (taking into account my chapter squad mode ability) = 21 [body], 20 [rest]. Effective, after Pen reduction = 19 [body], 18 [rest]

Attacks that hit are n.2 and n.4. Greater damage is on n.4 [24 incoming] so I'll try to parry that one. Since I have the Quick Draw talent and Dipole mag-lock on my chainsword I think I can do it as part of my reaction.

Parry: [roll0] vs 55

Fate-point reroll in case it's needed: [roll1] vs 55

And I'll take 23-18 = 5 damage = I'll lose 5 wounds from attack n.2. [22-5=17 wounds left I think.

As for my round I'll sustain my Squad Mode ability and I'll attack the necron with the lowest wounds with my chainsword.

Aim+Attack: [roll2] vs 65

If it hits, damage: [roll3] Pen. 4

In case of Righteous Fury:[roll4]

If it hits, opponent should roll Ag to avoid being set on fire, if Necrons can catch fire that is (:smallwink:), due to an in-build upgrade of my chainsword.


The stoic Salamander endured the concentrated onslaught of the Necrons' baleful close combat armaments. His armour systems informed him of at least one breach in his right leg and he clenched his teeth, even as the pain-suppressants and blood-clotting doses were administered by the automated systems to his body. He let his bleessed boltgun hang by its leather strap to his shoulder and in a blindingly quick maneuver brought up his trusted chainsword, teeth wheering into action, small flames dancing across them, to parry the next attack aimed on him, and with a fluid motion put his momentum behind the ancient weapon and attempted to deliver a powerful strike to his opponent.

[Slavezero]

knowing speed is key right now to get to his fallen brothers Ingram continues running bashing his way through any chunks of ice in his way. though he he still try's to conceal his position so as not to draw enemy fire as he's sprinting ever onwards

normal roll [roll0] and if that fails my re-roll [roll1] vs.49+20=69 +/- any other mods that may affect me. i'm not counting the power armor since i have a talent that gets around it and i did not count the hulking penalty since no one told me if that still effects me or not since the talent might fix that as well.

for game stuff as i said above Ingram is going to continue running and trying to hide to not draw to much attention to himself since he does not want to fight right now with him being more focused on checking the seals of the power armor on the downed brothers