Woeful Tidings [IC]

[Arokh]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/Cod13/Inquisitor%20stuff/raggedI.jpg

Scintilla. Heart and souls of the Calixis Sector. The seat of wealth and power from which the entire sector is governed wisely, justly and kindly. A beacon of civilization in a galaxy beset by enemies innumerable. Or at least so the tale goes. So far, what you have seen of the massive hive has been the grubby space port, the plated inside of a armored personal carrier and the sterile interior of the quarters at the Tricorn Palace. Here, the Holy Inquisition of Terra has the center of it’s power in all of Calixis. Countless horrible secrets are supposed to be kept below the mighty exterior of the building. So far, none of those have been revealed to you. For a few weeks now, you have been confined to the vast complex that houses the inquisitorial operatives currently not involved in any operation. While you have been allowed to roam at your will, some doors have been barred for you, and intricate security servitors have never been far from sight to dissuade the curious. Until now, you have not been permitted to enter the hive by yourself. There are others like you, acolytes and agents of various inquisitors. Your master has not granted you a personal audience so far. On day, during whichever activity you are performing around midday, you are approached by a servoskull, delivering a message for you. It reads the following.


“Greetings acolytes,

You are hereby instructed to converge on the meeting room O -290 at one hour to supper. Do not be tardy. May the God-Emperor watch over you.

Signed,

Interrogator Gauis Venris”

---
Greetings everybody and welcome to our little adventure.

As I hinted in the introduction paragraph, your characters may know one another by now. If you don't want to have made any contact with the other players, please state so explicitly and provide an explanation how you avoided them. Well, I don't have any more thoughts I desperatly need to share with you, so without further ado, enter the players:

Ninjaman: Shrine World Adeptus Ministorum Hierophant Malevus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20511678&postcount=77)
Sukrai: Feral World Imperial Guard Warrior Yarl (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20474633&postcount=27)
GameofChampions: Feudal World Adeptus Sororitas Assassin Thallia Vraskos (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20475868&postcount=44)
CrimsonKnight: Void Born Adeptus Astra Telepathica Sage Lila Kuzak (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1avo9svTzeJn1rKnJFMFn1kroThRE-X8cpIJxCcBYNZc/mobilebasic)


The stage is yours!

[GameOfChampions]

Thalia looked up annoyed as the servo skull interrupted her prayers, she had spent much of her time over the last several weeks in a small chapel near her rooms praying to the God-Emperor for guidance in her life. The inquisition had up-rooted many parts of her life but this stayed the same and wouldn't be changing any time soon, especially in the coming days. 'Please give me the chance to serve Emperor, I long to bring your wrath to the unworthy.'

After the servo skull rattled off it's message she quickly cleans herself up before heading to dinner, trying to get there several minutes early to ensure she wasn't late. She nods to her fellow acolytes as she sees them then waits, a little unnerved by the sudden summons and curious as to what it may entail.

Hey so is there going to be an OOC thread for this?

[Sukrai]

Yarl had been polishing his long-fang when the message came, the bone weapon soaked in cleansing oil as the warrior made sure that it hadn't lost its edge. When the hovering skull approached him, he had been cautious. It never paid to upset the dead, even if his new lord made pacts with the metal priests to bind their spirits into service.

Nodding to the servo-skull, he wiped the blade dry and began to check the rest of his gear before scurrying though the edifice. How anyone could choose to live in such a massive village, or city rather, was beyond him. The air stank and so did the people. He would be very glad if they were being sent somewhere else...

Regardless of his personal feelings however, Yarl, made it in time to see Thalia at the door, giving her a warrior's greeting of a crisp nod.

[CrimsonKnight]

Lila was napping in her quarters when the summons arrived, having spent the entire morning reading through several texts on Scintillan politics and history by an local Administratum adept now several centuries dead. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she read the short message before waving the servo skull off.

A summons at last. About bloody time.

While she certainly enjoyed perusing the local archives to her heart's desire, she was still glad to finally be acknowledged and hopefully be put to work. Her skills and talents were wasted just reading musty old manuscripts after all, whatever enjoyment she derived from it. Dressed in purple robes, she appeared at the meeting room right on time, brushing past Yarl and Thalia without so much as an acknowledgement. Taking a seat, she hunched down and waited for their mysterious superior to appear at last.

[Ninjaman]

Like Thallia, Malevus had spent much of his time in the small chapel, though not nearly as much time as he used to, the small building not giving him the same sense of awe as the grand chapels back home. He had finished his praying half an hour before Thallia had been interrupted and headed off to look around. The unfamiliar surroundings had grabbed his curiosity and during his stay at Scintilla the time he didn't spend praying he spent walking around and soak up the impressions of the environment.
As the servo skull delivered his message he gave a light bow, shoving respect to his fellow servant of the Imperium often forgotten.
Malevus reached the meeting room not a minute late and not a minute early, giving a soft nod to each of the other acolytes.

[Arokh]

The room before you is majestically furnished. Rich tapestries depicting various mighty deeds of Him on Terra hang from the burgundy coloured walls. You see no windows in the room, yet it is lit bright as daylight. In front of a magnificently carved desk you find four chairs awaiting you. Behind the desk a man clad in a dark, military style coat is watching you over tented fingers. His hair is almost as dark as his coat and cut close to his skull. Most of his face is covered in small scars. No medals or orders adorn his coat, yet his demeanor and bearing suggest a military background.

He gestures towards the chairs.

"Greetings, acolytes. Please, be seated. I am Gauis Venris, Interrogator to your, and my, Inquisitor. The master is unfortunately occupied with pressing matters elsewhere, therefore it is my duty and pleasure to formally welcome you into the service of the most Holy Inquisition. It is a life of pain and abstinence from most ordinary happiness and you are quite likely to die on some forlorn planet where you might not even receive a named grave. So, if you have doubts about choosing this life, now and only now is your chance. That door over there will lead you to a chamber where you will be stripped of any memory you have of this place and taken back to your old lives."

He leans back in his chair.

"For all of those who decide to stay, I have a mission to attend to. The local Arbites have put forth a formal appeal for inquisitorial support. There seems to be a series of murders that they have difficulties solving. The victims have been high-level officials of the local Adeptus and merchant houses who could afford their own security to be somewhat comprehensive. All of them have, however, been found murdered, in a gruesome way if I might add, within closed room without any clues of entry. You might see how this might prove to be a bit a problem for our lawkeepers."

[GameOfChampions]

Thalia takes the seat that the Interrogator offers and listens intently as he outlines the mission and stayed in her seat as the choice to leave came up. It wasn't even a choice in her mind, the sisterhood had commanded her to join the Inquisition and aid in their mission... there was no other option.

Thalia listens as the Interrogator outlines the mission, intrigued the more she listened. 'How would someone get into these high security areas, there must be heresy at work here.' Thalia keeps listening and only pauses to record some notes on her datapad to review later. After she has recorded her few notes that she needed she nods to the Interrogator "Sir it would be an honor to serve the Inquisition and root out this heresy!"

[Ninjaman]

Malevus nods and takes a seat. He listens carefully and after the man stops talking the priest says "I've made my choice showing up here." He looks at Thalia. "It could be demons or some kind of xenos."

[Sukrai]

A life of pain and abstinence, dying on a strange planet... Such was the fate of almost every guardsman, thus Yarl wasn't truly fazed by that outcome. Leaving now wouldn't change that, and it wouldn't sit well with him either. He'd joined the Skywarriors to earn glory and honor, not to run as a coward. If difficulty and trouble lay ahead, then ahead was where he wanted to go!

Though admittedly, investigating a series of murders wasn't quite what his skills usually were for... Still, if that was what they were being called upon for, then so be it. As he listened to his fellow acolytes make their theories, Yarl grunted. "More likely someone with a grudge, and inside knowledge... Other things would have left a greater trail to follow otherwise," he said, voice thick with his homeworld's accent. "Still, we'll get them. Where do we start?"

[CrimsonKnight]

Lila eyed their superior wordlessly before focusing on the briefing, jotting down notes in an almost illegible short-hand on a pad of paper. She frowned when she realized what their mission was.

"So we're here to do the Arbites' jobs for them then, it seems? Hmph. Is there anything to suggest that these murders involve more than just a common criminal conspiracy or unlikely set of coincidences and thus worthy of the Inquisition's time and resources? And what in particular about these murders is so gruesome and unusual other than the locked rooms?"

[Arokh]

A barely perceivable grin crosses the Interrogator' s lips.

"Well observes, Acolyte Kuzak. Why indeed would a squad of inquisitorial agents be necessary to do the Arbites job for them? Acolyte Yarl has already identified that someone with a very precise knowledge of both the security and the layout of the separate buildings would need to be involved with each of the murders. Given how fiercely most people on their social level guard both their property and themselves, this alone might be worthwhile investigating. And be it merely to identify how the murderer received said information. Furthermore, as both Acolytes Vraskos and Malveus here have pointed out, there might be some heretical or extra planetary force involved in the murders."

He gives all of you an appraising look.

"Those suspicions are fueled even further by the timing of the murders. All five of them have occurred within a period of two weeks, and always around midnight. As to what exactly constitutes the adjective 'gruesome', it seems that all of the individual victims have been swiftly and thoroughly dismembered. Apparently, their limbs have been severed with such force that they have been distributed throughout the rooms. The most worrisome detail, however, is that none of their heads have been found so far."

He leans back and focuses on a pint behind your backs.

"So in conclussion, we have a brutal murderer who targets high-level officials with excessive security and collects their heads as trophies. Without any witnesses whatsoever. Personally, I do think this warrants some scrutiny by the Inquisition."

[Sukrai]

Yarl frowned at the description the Interrogator gave them. "So someone who believes themselves to have a purpose to their actions... Harder to find then if they're serious," he said, fingering the pommel of his weapon. "We need to know more then. Who knew these victims, and if there's a link that the Arbites might not know of," he said. "If we can find that, we might be able to discern who their next victim is, then lay in wait to catch them."

[Ninjaman]

"That kind of brutality does sound like cultists or demons, but one would think they left more evidence." Malevus says a bit puzzled. "I must a agree with.. Yerl?" He guesses before continuing "We need more information."

[CrimsonKnight]

Lila blinked, fighting the urge to look unsettled at the gruesome description of the murders. She HAD asked what was so unusual about them after all.

"Dismembered, and with the head missing... to murder them like this, within a sealed room, and no eyewitnesses? Well, I'd say that unless we're dealing with killers on par with the Officio Assassinorum's very best, this would almost have to be done with the aid of one or more Psykers. I do agree that there must be some sort of link between these murders, some reason for them to be killed in such a bloody and memorable manner. Hmm... will we have any support, official or otherwise, for this investigation, or will we be entirely on our own and undercover?"

[GameOfChampions]

Thalia records some more notes from the bodies, keeping a relaxed demeanor throughout the descriptions of the murders. She had seen some similar sights in the past while on missions for the Sisterhood and after a while it stopped effecting her as much. "Well it does seem like a good idea to reach out to the Arbites Yarl, we should do that first. Who would we have to talk to too have access to the bodies though, maybe the Arbites? We may be able to find some clues as to the murderer by examining the bodies."

[Arokh]

Gaius gives a small nod.

"Since the Arbites has officially asked for the Inquisitions involvement, they would be more then willing to provide you with access to the corpses as well as the crime-scenes. They have also indicated that you could be provided with a liaison officer to whom you may revere if you so desire. This investigation is to be conducted as officially as necessary, if you understand me. Should you require to access any of the official documents or resources of the Arbites, assume they are yours to command within reason."

He pauses for a moment, then continues.

"And if you require some unofficial information, I can provide you with a contact within the local Arbites that is swore to our duty and may have access to such matters."

[CrimsonKnight]

A look of satisfaction crept onto Lila's face.

"Good, that should make the investigation run swifter and more smoothly if we have official sanction. And having an unofficial contact as well won't hurt. I suppose the only major concern then is to not spook whomever is responsible for this into running to ground from our presence. Anything else we should know before we proceed with the investigation?"

[GameOfChampions]

Thalia types out a few more notes onto her datapad but otherwise stays silent, she doesn't have any more questions for right now. Mentally she was going through a checklist to make sure she had everything ready to go.

[Sukrai]

Yarl pursed his lips in thought, the swirled star tattoo about his left eye scrunching up as his eyes narrowed. Not about the questions to ask the Arbites, as he knew he wasn't knowledgeable enough nor personable enough for that, yet at any rate. No, for him it was defence of the group and the potential enemies they'd face along the way. He didn't think that your normal street toughs would be too much trouble, but he also didn't know what else was going on with the underground that the Arbites dealt with... Heck, he didn't know that much of the organization itself much for that matter! All he knew was that they were the local enforcers of the law.

[Ninjaman]

Malevus makes a determined nod. "Well, we should get started then."

[Arokh]

OOC: Hey fellows, terribly sorry for not replying sooner. I've been on military exercises the past two weeks and civilian communication is ever so slightly hampered by this. I promise to get a propper and hopefully extensive post up by Monday at the latest. My apologies again for the lack of communication. :(

[Sukrai]

OOC: That's fine! Things happen!

[Arokh]

The interrogator nods with purpose. "Yes, I agree. We should take action and investigate. I shall arrange for suitable transportation to take you to the local precinct. Once you arrive, you should contact a Justicar Scorn She is running the investigation and asked for our help. Furthermore, I will arrange for our inside contact to rendezvous with you at a convenient moment. Naturally, I can not yet reveal their name or description to you, in case they have been compromised. One more piece of advice: Keep your wits sharp and your minds suspicious. If the Arbites has trouble with this case and is willing to let their pride be impeached by asking for our help, you can rest assured that the situation has a certain gravity. Now I think you should gather up what belongings you require for this mission and prepare yourselves. Your vehicle will be ready to depart within on hour."

---

The tricorns vehicle bay resembles a Cadian bulkhead under full force. Every road is under watch by heavy weapon emplacements, each operated by unyielding servitors. The variety of vehicles is astonishing. Sleek pleasure cruisers are parked next to armoured personal carriers with automatic cannons mounted on top. Your ride is situated somewhere between these two extremes. The body looks like a simple civilian freight hauler as they are used in any number of small businesses around the hive. However, the inside shows that the passenger compartment is protected by two-inch plates of steel. The seats are arranged along the outer walls, so that the passengers are facing inwards. Each seat is equipped with a compartment underneath it and a weapon holder next to it. Your chauffeur is wearing a nondescript overall. He salutes you with a silent nod.

[Sukrai]

Yarl nods to their driver, then looks over the interior of the vehicle, liking what he was seeing. Stepping into the hauler's interior, he jumped up and down a bit to test its suspension, before choosing the seat nearest the door. As one of the more combat-oriented of their little group, Yarl knew that he would serve best if he could react first, and as a result sat down on the end while looking to the others, moving his legs so they had room to get in as well.

[Ninjaman]

Malevus smiles and nods back at the driver. Her steps inside the vehicle right after Yarl and walks to the back of the compartment, as to not make it difficult for the others to get in and sits down.

[Arokh]

The driver taps the steering wheel with a slight hit of impatience.

[Arokh]

*bump up*

OOC: Could anyone still playing give a quick reply please?

[Ninjaman]

Replying for the sake of replying.

[Sukrai]

(Here-ish)