Black Crusade IC

[Volthawk]

The world of Karniss is a common find across the Screaming Vortex - a dusty ruined world, occupied by those dregs who survived the transition to the Vortex and now struggle to live in the ruins. Normally, such a world would be below the notice of champions of chaos such as yourselves, but it is here you find yourselves, finding those who tried to kill you. It was a rather pitiful attempt, really, some of the local thugs trying to ambush you without realising what they were getting into, but it was enough to begin the trail that brought you here.

Hiding out among the ruins is a man named Telgrave, a far more well-connected fellow than his choice of home suggests. Your information has told you that he is the one who arranged the attacks, and uses an old ruined fortress, a remnant of this world's violent past wars, as a hiding place.

Sitting on top of a hill, the fort overlooks a shanty town of sorts. All of you have ended up here, the last notable place before your goal. Unless trying to keep a low profile, you stand out a lot, your power, armouries and gifts marking you out as being as above these pitiful beings as men are to insects.

Each of you also has someone approaching them, apparently a local that somewhat impressively managed to stomach the fear inherent in the situation to actually speak to you, a stuttered request to go to the middle of the town, where a representative of Telgrave wishes to talk to you.


For the background, I'm leaving it somewhat open what happened other than the overall structure, since each character probably has their own way of handling it and getting here, with varying degrees of subtlety and violence (and the nature of the encounter is likely a little different between characters). Feel free to expand upon that sort of thing if you like, up to you.

The messengers are still here, albeit very much wanting to get away as fast as possible (particularly those talking to our characters with Fear, where it's something of a miracle they got this far).

[Col.Straken]

Octavius listened to the local, his three Dendrites weaving around his body with minds of their own. They reached for the local before pulling back sharply, as of tasting the air around them searching for threats, or prey.

Nodding what could be described as his head, he made his way towards the cwntre of town. It was most likely a trap, but he had little choice but to follow the path set out before him for now. He was certain his current equipment and shielding would keep him safe while he assesed an alternative course of action.

[Chivy]

Viveca Phaedra had foretold the ambush on her weeks before it happened. It was one of the more powerful foretellings she had ever had, but it didn’t tell her who as after her and why. She knew she could avoid the attack, but also knew that if she did, she would never find out who ordered it and why. This would most certainly lead to even more attempts on her life.

The unyielding Catachan in her prepared for the ambush and walked right into it, using her visions and preparation to kill all but one of her attackers. That one she took to a Psyker who’s services she had bought. Mindprobes had given her the name of Telgrave and the world Karniss, even the location of the Fortress on that world.

Viveca had come to the flyspeck of a planet quietly, paying a premium and riding in the bowels of a ship hadn’t been pleasant, but she hadn’t wanted to advertise her arrival. Telgrave would not be warned that she was coming for him. Luck was with her again though and she found a ship to take her across the warp and down to the planet easily.

Now she stalked the roofs and shadows of the decrepit domiciles around the fortress. It would take time to study Telgrave’s hold, but she was confident she would be able to penetrate it and then reap her vengeance on him. Her biggest surprise came when she was sneaking down an empty alley and one of the locals told her that a representative of Telgrave would meet her in the middle of town. How he had found out she was there was something which might have baffled her, if she didn’t have such a distinctive appearance. One chance glance could have been enough, or the crew on the ship she had landed in.

There was nothing for it. Viveca made her way to the center of town, keeping hidden and trying to find a good position to watch the center before she walked into what was probably another trap. The messenger she had killed of course. No matter that they knew she was here, removing somebody who had been able to track her was always prudent.

[NeoPhoenix0]

Selena came to this dirtball to find out who it was that tried to mess with her. Out here you don't let people mess with you, and she fully intended to destroy whoever had the gall to pick a fight with her.

Having no other leads she decided to follow the invitation to the center of town.

[Morovir]

Belzathor blessed the messenger in the name of Khorne, anointing him in the blood of the men who had tried to kill him. Their heads currently hung from his belt, despite the lack of a challenge that they had posed to him. The messenger had fled, unworthy of the blessing that had been bestowed upon him, but Belzathor did not mind. Not all could comprehend the majesty of Khorne, or the fact that Belzathor himself was constantly burning with his unholy flames.

Nevertheless, he made his way as the messenger had directed him, hoping for more worthy foes to face.

[Hemnon]

Linara's form was gratefully covered in her old, long ago desecrated mechanicus robes (still gleaming red though with fresh blood). For under her robes a mix of machine, mortal female body and a pseudo-daemonic outlook could be found. the pure insanity-inducing mixture could turn others insane with ease of just a single look... But that had not profit for herself to cause all that havoc. She was not simpering brute of Khorne, or a Hedonistic slave to Slaanesh's pleasures.
She followed still the Omnissiah, the TRUE one. not that corpse ontop of that golden relic on Terra. She had found the proof, the fact that destroyed the lie. Her former colleagues had rejected her finds... She had silenced their dull, dead minds and consumed those fat blobs of intellect...
This was of course a while ago now. but she was still looking, still searching for the one Truth. to truely reveal the Actual Omnissiah.

She had halfway ignored the Messenger, but her high levels of memory of course caught every single word he had said... and he had stared at her. He had been wimpering and almost soiling himself standing htere trying to not look, but unable to stop himself, fearing what was just beneath the surface of her robes.
So she had killed him. strangled him with her Mechatentacles until his eyes had popped and his ears bled from the pleasure. His palor quickly turned purple and then... the crack of his neck finally giving away.


Now? well now she was slowly making her way to the requested meetingpoint. The sound of her laboured breath could be heard from her rebreather implants.... although this was mostly just done for the effect it caused. She had long ago forsaken the need to breath and such. She was almost more machine that human... and since The Gift came upon her... by now she is even LESS of that frail mortal form from earlier.

(anyone that wishes to are welcome go say hi to Linara XD)

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath was trundling through the shack town, letting Father Nurgle guide him to the cretins that where responsible.

When the local approached him, he thanked Father Nurgle for this guide and happily followed the person to the town center.

[The Glyphstone]

Maetro had not wished to kil the messenger, but kill them he had after hearing the message. They had not been a worthy challenge, or any challenge at all. They had, in a small part, contributed to his journey in search of that challenge, but their blood had not been worthy of his blade. He had taken it anyways, as an offering to his Lord in penance for those he had spared on prior steps in the hunt, and now he approached the indicated meeting site with caution. When a foe presented themself, he could lose himself to the fury in peace, but he would not step willingly into another ambush.

[Volthawk]

As it turns out, the center of town is an open area, a ring of ruined road around an empty area of cracked rockcrete. It has apparently also been somewhat fortified, improvised barriers and sandbags erected - it definitely gives the sense of being done in a short amount of time. A group of armed men, six in number and outfitted much like Imperial Guard with las and flak, albeit with no symbols or insignia - mostly lasguns, although one carries a long-las and one is behind a multilas (a local apparently pressed into loading and assisting), waiting there and appear to get ready when you start appearing, the surviving messengers attempting to scatter back into the town. A voice shouts out from the improvised barricade, the speaker apparently hiding behind a pile of sandbags. "Greetings champions! I am Telgrave, and I'd like to talk this this whole unpleasant mess over with you!"
It has a rather pleading tone to it.


Alright, unfortunately my current tech situation means I can't really draw it out but hey.

So you're all 40m away from the barricade, and are all in the same general half of the circle. The crappy fort itself is about 10m across, and as mentioned is all out of sandbags and metal, so not really good cover. Six soldiers are visible, one with a multi-las and attendant scrub loader, one with a long-las (both using sandbags for cover) and the other four just with normal lasguns (poor gits, particularly since they only have thin metal for cover).

If you like, you can roll Stealth and get up to here without being seen - one of the group literally can't hide because of the whole bright furnace flame thing, so the post still happens anyway, they just won't know those that hid are there.
If you want to attack, go ahead and roll initiative (no surprise unless you hid successfully).

Enemy Rolls:

Awareness against TN 31: [roll0] - Hah they're godawful at seeing stuff if you're hiding
Initiative: [roll1]

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath walks up, his Heavy Stubber in hand, though its pointed at the ground. He tilts his head at Telgrave's request. "And why, besides curiosity, should we talk to you? You have sent assassins, bad ones, after us. Unless you plan on selling out who actually wants us dead?"

[Chivy]

Viveca crept towards the center of town, her eyes kept roving around the shanty and her long lass held steadily in her hands. When she reached the center she hid herself behind one of the lean-to’s and started looking around the defensive fortifications and the ‘soldiers’ manning it. Six. If it was her, she’d have them as bait, while snipers had the time to look for her and take her out as soon as she showed herself.


"Greetings champions! I am Telgrave, and I'd like to talk this this whole unpleasant mess over with you!"
ChampionS? she thought, then heard a reply from down there.

"And why, besides curiosity, should we talk to you? You have sent assassins, bad ones, after us. Unless you plan on selling out who actually wants us dead?"
She found the speaker quickly enough; an armored hulk with a large auto cannon and almost as importantly; no Khorne signs or sigils. So he, it sounded like a he anyway, would hopefully not instantly try and kill her for using psychic abilities to communicate. It was also always better to have allies, especially ones that would attract as much attention as that hulk.

Fettered strength Thought Sending – Will-47+15 (psy focus & Psychic hood) + 10 (psy rating 2)+40 (power) TN 112 – [roll0]
It’s opposed willpower, so if you win you’ll hear nothing, otherwise you get this message;

"It looks like Telgrave angered you as well as me. I am Viveca Phaedra. I will have the sniper in my sights if you decide to kill them and hunt down Tellgrave."

She then took a moment to line up her shot and wait.
Awareness TN 44 – [roll1] Looking for other threats.
Stealth TN 40 – [roll2]
Initiative – [roll3]
If no other threats are seen she’ll aim at the Sniper and hold the other half of her action to shoot at the sniper as soon as it gets violent.

edit: wow that's a lot of sucky rolls.

[NeoPhoenix0]

Selena touches down nearby, aiming her bolt pistols at the pathetic wimps hiding in the ruins. She keeps an eye on these other champions of chaos but focuses on her targets "Give us good reason why we shouldn't just blow you to smithereens."​

[Hemnon]

Linara stared up at that.... pleading figure. The words didn't touch her, at all.
Still... the logical choice would be to at least hear Telgrave out. He could easily be killed later if need be.

Linara turned her head from side to side, taking in the sight of her, well... compatriots in this endeavor might be the right word, or at least neutral Variables for now.
The Mechatentackles underneath her robes twitched and wiggled in odd uneven ways, making her form look almost insectoid-filled or just as if it was a big writhing mass underneath her robes.

"Faulty logic there. This unpleasant mess is your fault... it was you that caused first blood, and i do NOT just bend over and accepts the pity-whip from scum like you, oh no.... I intend on slowly peeling your spinal cord out of your body in the most PAINFUL fashion possible... and if these fine folk besides me is willing to help me out, then I'll owe them a good favour... say the services of a highly skilled Servant of the True God of Machines?"
She asked out the final words towards her fellow 'wronged' folk (aka. the other player characters). She wasn't doing a ploy. She really was willing to offer her service for help in bring that vile bug to her in a fashion so she could explore his physiology in full... in the MOST painful way possible of course.

4 Ag Bonus, +2 from The Quick and the Dead Trait.
[roll0]

[Morovir]

Belzathor steps out into the open, both unwilling and unable to undergo any form of stealth, and calls out to Telgrave in a surprisingly genial, cultured voice:

"Come out and speak to me face to face. If you are as unworthy as you appear to be, you have nothing to fear from me."

He beckons with one arm to him, flames licking along it.

TN 55?: [roll0]

[Volthawk]

There's a slight pause as the soldiers mutter amongst themselves, particularly when they see Linara and her daemonic nature. Telgrave silences them as he gets up and walks into the no-man's land. He's a rather tall and skinny fellow, wearing mesh robes and an inferno pistol on his waist, and he's visibly shaken by the force arrayed against him. "Okay, I'm here. Yes, Hangman, I'm willing to tell you the identity who the people after you are, in exchange for my life and you going forward to destroy them, so they don't kill me either."

Safe to say they failed Fear tests here, but I'm holding off on Shock for if combat starts - then we'll have the weeping and crying and freaking out and such.

[Morovir]

Belzathor nods, and raises his arm to placate anyone still preparing to fight.

"Very well, I will do as you request. Tell me the names, and I will see them slain in the name of the Blood God. After all, they can hardly be less worthy foes than you."

With considerable effort, he sheathes his sword, both of his hands now free, in an attempt to ease the tension.

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath nods with the Khornate. "Agreed, they must be desperate or stupid to send such pathetic assassins after us, and, frankly, i dont want to waste ammo on the middle man."

Morgath also makes note of the new Psychic ally he has just gained.

[NeoPhoenix0]

"are we really going to let someone dumb enough to attack us live? Even if it was on someone else's orders."

[The Glyphstone]

"A warrior bests another warrior with his skill at arms; to strike instead at your opponent's weapons is to concede that you cannot best them in skill alone. Hired thugs are not warriors, they are weapons wielded from afar, and so there is no true test of martial ability in slaughtering them."

Maetro keeps his own hands away from his chainblades, shuffling back and forth somewhat awkwardly on his many insectile legs. Should circumstances change, he can draw forth his fury in the blink of an eye and his swords along with it.

[Volthawk]

It seems that accepting his offer but still keeping the option of killing him open has had the effect of loosening his tongue, as his speech switches from being cautious, calm and slow to being much faster, getting out his side to try to get out from under the executioner's axe.

"Well...it's more complicated than that. I had to send people after you or they would deem me no longer useful and you know what would happen then, but I knew you would come after me if you lived. I intentionally sent a group that would fail without actually being a serious threat, as that'd probably make you even more likely to kill me before hearing me out. See, in a way I've been working to help you take down your enemies before you even knew they were there!"

[Chivy]

Even more Champions appeared in the center around the fortifications and one of them was even persuasive enough to bring this Telgrave from his hiding spot inside the worthless bunker. It was looking less and less likely that it wouldn't degrade into a fight, so Viveca put up her Long Las and in an easy loping gait she closed with the other Champions. When the hulking armour caught sight of her, she gave him an acknowledging nod, as she did with all the others. There was no use in making enemies with 'people' who might prove usefull. She would listen to what was said and then decide what to do about it.

[NeoPhoenix0]

"fine, we'll hear him out, but he is not the weapon of a warrior. There is no dishonor in destroying the weapon of a coward." the only effort Selena makes to show a lack of killing intent is to lower her guns.

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath nods to Viveca and stres through his helmet at Telgrave "you may want to start talking, little man. The others here dont seem anywhere near as patient, or nice, as me"

[The Glyphstone]

"If you have information, share it instead of babbling. You sound like one of those insufferable fate-prayers too in love with the complexity of their own schemes to ponder their viability, neither the content of your words nor their method of delivery more likely to buy your life."

[Volthawk]

Telgrave nods, gesturing towards his hill fortress. "Well the one who I directly spoke with has taken over my fortress up there. He was rather displeased about my failed efforts to kill you all, and my base was the price this time - hence me being down here with only a few of my men." He sighs, looking over at the squad, who are calming down and lowering their weapons as Telgrave talks. "As for the rest of the group, I haven't met them, but I've done a little digging. They seem to be mostly smart experimenting types, wanting to establish their power here by developing ways to enhance their troops that would otherwise be insufficient. My contact up there was working on modifying combat drugs and the like, he's got this group of berserker types he gives his special blend to, makes them real scary at what they do but also really stupid, dependent on it and needing direction through a vox connection in their heads." He pauses for a few moments, catching his breath and thinking something over before speaking again. "I'd guess they wanted you dead so you wouldn't become potential rivals, although when you were brought up, hangman, I couldn't help but get the impression that there was something more to it than the rest." It seems that this way of talking just comes naturally to him, rather than being because of his situation.

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath's eyes narrowed "He wouldnt happen to be a Tzeentch Sorcerer would he?" Morgath growled. The hate dripping from his voice was almost a physical thing.

[Chivy]

Viveca kept herself quiet while the others grilled Telgrave. The Scorpion-man was Khornite without a doubt, but did more than slobbering and baying for blood, which was a nice surprise. The Armoured Hulk was apparently called Hangman and he seemed less than positive about Sorcerers, which wasn’t a nice surprise. Especially since she had acted rashly and shown that she was a warpwitch. The rest was a mix of over-eager to kill and smart enough to ask questions before they did, one of them even persuasive enough to talk somebody into giving up. Another nice surprise.

The Warpwitch snorted when the worm explained that he had lost his hold and why.
"The wretch had his fortress ousted from him for failing and now he expects us to clear out the vermin infesting it."
She had a soft-spoken drawl even when she scoffed at the man; not someone who spoke with any kind of cultured accent or raised her voice a lot. Her forelegs, arms, started idly moving armored fingers through the dirt she was standing on while her armored head looked around the men still standing in fear behind Telgrave. Her Long Las would be less than optimal in an enclosed environment like the fortress.
"We will be taking that Multi-Las and the charge packs for that Long Las, plus whatever else we want. It wouldn’t be fair wasting our own resources on clearing out your infestation." Soft-spoken steel with a promise of death.
Not sure if it’s needed but: Intimidate TN47 – [roll0] (Based on Unnatural willpower so if successful I think the ‘round fractions up’ rule gives it an additional DOS)
Soft spoken apparently isn't too intimidating :(

[Morovir]

Belzathor shakes his head sadly at Viveca, a hallmark to his days in the PDF.

"Peace, witch-mind. You cannot blame the unworthy for their lack of worth. Not all are brave enough to serve the Dark Gods as we do."

[Col.Straken]

Octavius had taken longer to arrive than the others it seemed. He had been distracted by some mutated bodies laying in a gutter, dissecting seemed prudent and provided him with knowledge of their biology a little more, every little helps.

He moved into the clearing as his Dendrites clacked and squirmed still slick with blood. He payed no heed to the "fort" or the conversation happening and wandered straight to the Scorpion warrior. "Interesting, do these legs provide superior movement and balance? What hinderences have you found with such a form? I see no sign of grafting have you always had this form or is it due to mutation from the Warp?"

He prodded and the warriors body and looked close for any sign of augmentation. He hadn't even considered that this mighty warrior would turn to attack, but then again he was fairly certain that even if he did the fight would not be so one sided.

[The Glyphstone]

The sudden and intrusively curious approach of the heretek left Maetro at a complete loss on how to react or respond for several seconds. Finally, he recovered his wits and irritably pushed the other man away with his bare hands. The boltgun grafted to his arcing tail dipped low and pointed at the heretek for emphasis, but he left his chain-blades sheathed.

"Your self-preservation instincts were evidently stored in whatever bits of flesh you have already cut out and replaced, if you would put your hands on me so brazenly. Find someone else to poke and prod to your mechanical heart's content."

[Volthawk]

Telgrave nods. "I can go one further. My men here will help you as you may require, and my supply of munitions are yours." He looks back at them, and although they still seem a little offput by their new bosses, they nod. "The thing up there has taken to pulling my other men apart up there, either for fun or as a part of it's work, so naturally there's some revenge to be had there. Oh, and Hangman, no. He's like this one here," He waves a hand over in Octavius' direction "all cybernetics and blades and instruments. I suppose your enemy would be among the rest, I believe they have one in their ranks."

[Blackhawk748]

Mogarth nods at Telgrave "I will accept your assistance. Vengeance is on my mind too." Morgath shoulders his Stubber and switches to his Autocannon, he's not going be taking chances.

[Col.Straken]

As he is pushed back his Dendrites wave wildly infront of him defensively. Octavius looks up at the scorpion warrior and sees the I integrated Weapon tail pointing at him his glowing eyes study it for a moment before continuing his tyraid of questions. "Incredible, How is this weapon interfaced? Study of your anatomy would provide much information towards the creation of the perfect killing machine." one of his Dendrites Snakes slowly up to push the tail away from pointing at him as he studies it.

"My self preservation protocols are perfectly intact thank you. But you are a most interesting creature." he shakes what is left of his head from beneath his cowl. "Let us focus on the task at hand, we can discuss research later. This 'Hangman' he has similar goals to my own, however he seems to have failed misserably and created the equivalent of a battle servitor. The threat posed by such to myself and I calculate the others within this clearing to be low. I could potentially adjust the provided assistance to fight harder as the 'Hangman' has adjusted his own. A simple lobotomy should suffice for now. What numbers does the 'Hangman' hold? Also, do you have data plans for the stonghold?"

Octavius flits from conversation to conversation, almost ignoring any comments between. The downside of having a brain function of multiple levels is that he appears to have a short attention span to the outside.

[Chivy]

"Coddling the cowardly serves only to breed more of them. They either learn to control their fear, to think, fight and survive or they die. That is the way of things." Viveca replied to the man in power armor’s talk of the unworthy. The man showed Khorne’s markings, yet apparently used his head and spoke coherently instead of foaming at the mouth. He was also perceptive, he had probably recognized her psychic hood for what it was. Interesting.
"It becomes problematic when they allow their fear and ignorance to rule them. It would not be the first time that one fearful or ignorant disturbs the Barking Toads and causes the deaths of others far more worthy because of their cowardly or foolish ways."

Viveca wasn’t particularly bloodthirsty, or at least she didn’t consider herself bloodthirsty, but it was a fact of life that many were better off dead. The only question was in how they died and if their deaths were useful or not.

When Telgrave offered the six guardsmen as fodder she gave the Wordy Khornite a triumphant look.
"There, it is as I said. All they require is a little motivation to show backbones. Now if they can listen and keep their eyes open they might become more than they are."

[Blackhawk748]

Morgath is taken aback by the barrage of words coming out of the Heretek. He wasn't entirely certain as to what it just said, but it sounded like it was on his side, but he still wasnt sure.

[Morovir]

Belzathor nods appreciatively at the men:

"You take the first steps towards worthiness. Only time will tell whether you will complete the journey. Come, my brothers. I will bless you in the name of Khorne."

Belzathor draws his sword, removes his gauntlet and splits the palm of his left hand, using the blood to daub runes of the Blood God across the faces and armour of the men, irrespective of their wishes or prior allegiances. He then replaces the gauntlet and points his sword towards the fortress. Clearing his throat quietly, he then abruptly changes expression and bellows:

"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

[Hemnon]

Linara had remained silent after her own phrase of words earlier.
It appeared no one wanted to just kill this guy, oh well... his death would happen later. for now, best to follow her, for now, compatriots.
"I have a question.... Why specifically would you want to help the folk you tried to kill. Even though it was on orders.
Why not stay loyal? Traitors we may all be labled by some, but not all of us are betrayers of oaths. Oh, and what is to stop us from killing you afterwards? You send assassins to kill us, and lousy ones at that. Or maybe i should.... turn you into a skinslave afterwards. Hm.... Telgrave,
what would you prefer, Death or turned into a Servitor doing my bidding?" She asked Telgrave clearly, wondering what his response would be. She had no intentions on starting a fight, but, she was gonna push buttons.

[Volthawk]

Telgrave grins as his offer is generally accepted - it seems that as the conversation continues, he's regaining his confidence. "Ah, you're slightly mistaken, Octavius. When I say Hangman, I'm referring to him." He indicates Morgarth "It's a title he earned after an impressive revenge killing. As for the...thing up there, I refuse to call it a man, it just called itself the Representative. Manpower-wise, I had twelve more up there fighting against him and ten of his berserkers and ten soldiers, who looked pretty tough and equipped with cybernetics. He also had someone else up there, rigged up similar to those berserkers but different - like it still had its mind. Plans...plans..."

He reaches into his robes and seems to search around a little before he pulls out a dataslate, handing it over. "The fort's not much really - the main strength was being out here and mostly unnoticed. Two structures, a supply warehouse for goods I haven't moved yet and a barracks for my guards. Much of it is underground - there's a fairly big system built into the hills, that's where I generally stayed, and where he's moved in to. I've seen a lander come and go since then, so I'm unsure what else he has."

The squad seem somewhat surprised by Belzathor at first, but soon get into it - particularly one of the regulars, who bellows out a matching chant. It puts their mind off the somewhat worrying prospect of Octavius' 'adjustments', anyway.

When Linara questions him, there's a flash of annoyance before he answers. "Like I said, the assassins were intentionally sent to fail, as a way of both alerting you to the threat and satisfying them. A calculated gamble, given your nature, but necessary for me. And I was never one of them, I did some deals to sell some goods to them, and then they used that access to get to me and try to force my assistance. I merely worked with what I had to survive." He pauses for a moment, clearly actively ignoring Linara's last question."Besides, you all seem like you're on the rise around here, so helping you shouldn't be too bad in the long term."

[Blackhawk748]

"As you say Telgrave, but i don't think you would begrudge us keeping an eye on you, eh?" Morgath chuckles as he starts walking towards the fortress.

[Hemnon]

Linara sighed... and that sound just was WRONG with the whole 'mechanicus implants' and voice not at all normal anymore.
"And how could I know you're speaking the truth, mmm? In any case, i guess the real culprit should get the spine-removal treatment in any case... but, Telgrave, I am not done with you. Even an intentionally faulty-assassin job is still assassins send with orders to kill....
Oh you should have seen their faces when i did this close up-" She said and pulled down her hood to show everyone the Daemonically Cyborg-mixture of pure terror and horror combined in a human form.
"Ooooh yes... two of them died on the spot, choking on their own screams... one just went mad and begged to die...
so i granted his request. first i took his eyes and then i slowly pushed in two of my mechatentacles into those empty sockets, right up until his brain was squashed inside his skull.... mmm... so yes, I take such attempts, even intentionally meant to FAIL attempts upon my life VERY PERSONAL." She finished off, and pulled up her hood again with the use of a few of those mechatentacles.

[The Glyphstone]

Maetro chants along with Belzathor and the squad of infantry, and the Mark emblazoned on his carapace pulses with a faint red light in response that shines through his spike-studded carapace armor. He ignores the posturing cyberdaemoness, intent instead on the immediate task. A fellow devotee of the Lord of Skulls was present, and apparently well-suited to leading the rabble. That comforted Maetro to a degree, since he himself was supremely ill-fit for such a position. But there would be killing soon, and much of it. He couldn't wait for it to begin.

[Col.Straken]

Octavius ignored the fact he had the names mixed up and took the dataslate. "This will be of use. What is stored within the warehouse?"

Studying the dataslate he committed the plans to memory, a bonus of being enhanced.

[Chivy]

Ah, there’s the frothing. The former Imperial Psyker thought when the Khornites started their chanting ritual. It seemed so.. weak. Pathetic. Just words and gestures, no true power behind it. Not like rituals she had participated in. But those were laws of the Blood God, true power only lay in the manipulation of the warp itself and Khorne loathed Warp Crafters. Aligning with one of the Chaos Gods always seemed such a waste to her. You blocked yourself from so much potential power and knowledge by doing so. Each of their ways had their place, but only together would the forces of Chaos triumph.

Viveca almost scoffed at the tech-demon’s bluster. She was a whole new level of ugly, but her words and visage were no more than the wind to the Catachan Psyker. Instead She turned to the pile of ordinance and selected two frag grenades, a smoke grenade, a knife and one additional Long Las power clip and sliding them away amongst a few of her pouches.
"I will take these."
She eyed the heavy stubber for a moment before looking intently at the telescopic sight on the Long Las held in the hands of the ‘guard’. Then dismissed them both, she was untrained in the stubber’s use and it would take too long to adjust the scope to her own weapon. Afterwards she would take what she wanted.

Scratching the defiled sanctioning brand on her cheek, Viveca turned towards the other Champions.
"I go by Viveca Phaedra. I suggest those of us with a vox align our channels so we can communicate more effectively and we then make our way to the ‘fortress’."
The scorn in her voice said exactly what she thought about the ‘fortress’ and she voiced her own vox channel codes before nodding at the pile of ordinance.
"If any of you is trained in their use, those breaching charges might make cracking the place easier."

[Hemnon]

Linara looked at all the less-than-grandiose quality of gear spread out... and just makes a rather odd noise (a sniff) at the collection and just grabs some ammo and leaves all the rest there.

[Volthawk]

Telgrave nods at Morgarth. "You'd be fools otherwise, and you don't strike me as such. As for what's in the warehouse...I don't have my ledgers to hand, but from what I recall the major packages were a few crates of 'lost' Guard equipment, a box of melta bombs, an array of xenos hides, that frozen Ogryn a client wanted for some bizarre reason...most my stuff was already out there with my associates, really. Oh, and the special delivery, in the hidden store, but I don't think that'd be at all useful - one of those fancy suits made from skin and muscle and whatnot some of those Slaaneshi types love."

[Morovir]

Belzathor pauses briefly in his chant to ask Telgrave a question:

"Is the Ogryn still alive, and could it be unfrozen successfully while maintaining its living state?"

[Volthawk]

If the comment surprises Telgrave, it shows little - by this point, he's changed a fair amount from his initial fearful state, being a lot more resolved and professional."Perhaps. He was...technically alive when we froze him, so I suppose there's a chance you can get him up and running, with some difficulty. Not sure what state he'll be in, but it is an Ogyrn, there won't be much difference up there."

[The Glyphstone]

Maetro broke off his part of the ritual chanting to nod politely."Well met this day, Vivian Phaedra. I am Maetro Baelisarus." There was little point in deliberately antagonizing the witch and little harm in being polite. The Blood God might hate psykers for their weakness, but you didn't need to be rude to someone just because they were weak. Until he had earned the gift of a brass collar, it was in Maetro's interests as well to not irritate any sorcerers he didn't already intend on killing. This one might prove useful in culling the fodder from the enemy's ranks to clear his way for a real fight.