No, Acolytes, YOU are the Heretics (IC)

[an kobold]

It's been a week since the lighter took you up from the Inquisitorial Headquarters in the hive city Sibellus to the Chartist Vessel, a wing of which your newly assigned Inquisitor owns. Though you have seen glimpses Lady Aenid Wilkes in the cramped corridors of the Catachan Pride, always wearing her power armor with a chainsword at her side, she has yet to address any of you new acolytes once. Just as well, for it's unlikely she would answer any of your questions as to where you were traveling through the Warp to or why. She's rumored to be tight-lipped to the extreme, though as to why is anyone's guess, as she has a reputation of killing heretics before they can draw their last breath.

The area of the ship you are on consists of mostly single bunks and steel hallways. There are only three notable rooms in this area of the ship: the mess, a drab, large room capable of seating at least two hundred acolytes and their meals of protein paste, a small, converted shrine to the God-Emperor, and the everlocked personal quarters of your Inquisitor.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian

Erian has taken his quarters in the ship, and seems totally at home in the cramped corridors and rooms of the ship.

[Rockbird]

Tower

Tower has also made herself comfortable in her quarters, not notably distressed by the enviroment. She does seem bored, though.

I mean like, damn bored. Seriously, gray walls, gray ceiling, nothing to freaking do! No, screw this, i'm going to find a game of dice.

And thus Tower is to be found in the mess hall, playing dice for low stakes and discussing the downs and downs of space travel.

[Verruckt]

Checking that her myriad stub guns are stowed in their respective holsters, Helena leaves her bunk, intent on finding some sort of martial contest to bide her time with. May as well keep toned up while I'm here, not much else to do on a boat like this. Helena starts looking for the armory or target range.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti can be found in the small shrine, kneeling before the Emperor's image. He is muttering something under his breath, probably prayers to the Sun God.

((For the record, the Sun God and the Emperor are the same. Feral world belief systems and all, you know))

[Verruckt]

On her search for the armory Helena happens by the shrine and ducks through the bulkhead. Stepping down into the shrine she notices Asanti. Cocking an eyebrow at the tall feral she kneels wordlessly at the altar, praying to the God of her mothers.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti is, as previously mentioned, very tall. He's got dark skin, almost black even, a side effect of the sun-baked desert world he was born on. His eyes are closed right now, but the blue tattoo around the right one is clearly visible. That and the necklace made from what look like fingerbones are the only sign that he's a feral. His tribe, and world even, were very regimented for nomads.

His hunting rifle is currently lying in front of him. The other weapons are all holstered, sheathed, and otherwise carried on his person.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin, despite having erected a shrine to the Omnissiah in his personal quarters where he tended to his items and machine parts, thought it prudent to kneel before the Emperor, embracing His duel aspects as man and machine. As he walked into the shrine-room he took note of the tall dark skinned feral worlder. Vorin was fairly tall, being a few inches over 6 feet, however his complexion was the absolute opposite of the dark-skinned warrior. Where Asanti had dark, sun baked skin, Vorins flesh was white as a sheet, and his skin was pallid like the flesh of the dead. Their backgrounds were similarly different, where Asanti was a
feral man, born to the world of superstition and primitive means, Vorin however, being born on a ship, came naturally to the world of technology, it being as much a part of him as his skin or his metallic components. He pushes such thoughts from his head. Now they had a similar purpose in the service of the Inquisition and the Emperor, as well as the Omnissiah.

He knelt down and began to murmur words of praise, and chatter in binary, while praising both the cog-wheel symbol of his god, and the holy form of Him on Earth.

[an kobold]

Your activities are disturbed as the ship trembles from the stress on the hull from exiting the Warp. From your section of its metals bowels, you can hear distant alarms and movements, but all from afar. Shortly afterwards, the local intercom barks out in a female voice:

The acolytes Vorin Kess, Asanti Craymer, Helena Romanov, Kaile, Erian Jaegar, and Quirt are hereby ordered to Lady Wilkes' quarters for debriefing. Prepare for off ship assignment.

And then it clicks off. The corridors have become still and all the other, more experienced acolytes have retreated to their rooms. In the silence you can hear hydraulics that can only mean one thing: the heavily armored and ornate door to your Inquisitor's quarters has slid open.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

The deathly tech-priest ceases his binary chattering to listen in to the message. At its conclusion he stood swiftly muttering a final prayer to the Emperor guidance and to the Omnissiah for purity of knowledge and thought, before walking as quickly as his still-organic legs could carry him toward the Lady-Inquisitors chambers.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti opens his eyes at the announcement. They're blue, almost as much as the tattoo, though slightly less bright. He picks up his hunting rifle and stands, only then noticing the others in the shrine with him. One shrug later, he's on his way towards the source of the hydraulic noise.

Not very social, is he?

[Forum Explorer]

Woken up by the annoucement Quirt dresses quickly and walks down the halls to where he is required to go at a fast past ignoring any stares at his scar.

[Verruckt]

Helena takes in the stoic feral with his long gun and the pasty chattering Cog Boy with some interest. She'd never seen such unconventional (in her mind at least) servants of the Emperor, more used to the no-nonsense regimentation of the Isolde Guard. She finishes her prayers just as the alarm sounds and stands, rolling her shoulders and running one hand through her buzz cut blond hair. As Asanti leaves she turns to the techpreist and offers a Kevplast gauntleted hand. "Helena Romanov, formally 58th Isolde Bastion Corps., you are?"

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin turns, looking at the well-muscled female guardsman with his deep passive green eyes, his augmetics whirring lightly in the background. I am Vorin Kess, technogropher of the Adpetus Machanicus, blessed by the Omnissiah, previously of the Dominator class Cruiser, the Vengeful Blade He shakes her hand, his hand is oddly cold and clammy, though not cold enough to feel like a dead mans, it is still disconcerting, and his controlled tones and toneless eyes all betray his attempts to become more like the machine he felt he was at heart.

[Verruckt]

Helena grips the offered hand firmly and then turns to the door. She looks back at Vorin and asks "Shall we?" before heading to the Inquisitor's quarters.

[Rockbird]

Tower

As the announcment booms through the ship, Tower goes back to her quarters and fetches the few possessions she keep there.
Shouldering the strap to her autogun holster and pocketing some small things, she sets off again, this time towards the inquisitors quarters.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian

Erian leaps from his bed, where he was meditating, and picks up his staff, walking briskly to the Inquisitor's quarters, his sword and pistol bouncing against his leg.

He is a somewhat daunting sight- tall and paper-white, with a totally hairless head and wide, black eyes. Metal plates are bolted to the back of his head, which looks oddly bulbous; however, the most notable thing, even on such an esoteric individual, is the dark Aquila of his sanctioning brand, marking him out as a Psyker.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nodded as the burly female Guardsmen bustled into the room, and raised an eyebrow as the Void-Born psyker hurried over before ducking in. He stood between the burly guardswoman and the void-born psyker, awaiting the arrival of the Inquisitor.

[an kobold]

You find yourself in a large office facing a desk covered in tomes of knowledge and neatly stacked paperwork. Various human heads are mounted on plaques attached to the walls with inscriptions of the deeds they committed to deserve such a hanging fate. The wall behind the desk is bare, however, save for two objects: a larger than life gold seal of the Inquisition and a huge rifle with an equally large scope covered in various purity seals. An almost unnoticeable door on the right wall opens and Lady Aenid Wilkes steps out and pauses to give you the sign of the Aquila before sitting down behind her desk.

Your Inquisitor is well suited for the environment she has chosen for herself. Her black hair has been pulled back into a bun, revealing a pale face and clearly artificial eyes. Despite being within the safety of a chartist vessel, she continues to wear her power armor even within her own quarters, ever ready for the heretical threats to her life and the Imperium.

Hello, Acolytes. Currently we are in orbit around the planet Huma. You will be investigating a rising political star on the planet, a one Atellus Ravion. The Inquisition has received several indications that this man is involved with a cult linked to the Corporaptor Hominis. Most likely it is not anything that serious, but any cult that strays from the God-Emperor is heretical, as is anyone with so many powerful accusations attached to their name. It is your duty to investigate, exterminate, and report your findings back to me, in that order.
Lady Wilkes reaches into her desk and withdraws six data-slates, placing them on the desk within your reach.
These will provide you more information on both Huma and your target. Look over them on your descent. You leave immediately, an Aquila is awaiting your presence in the Inquisitorial Hangar. Acolytes, this is all of yours first assignment. Do not disappointment the Emperor or myself.

With that, she briefly stands to give the Aquila again before retaking a seat, waiting for you to leave.

[Rockbird]

Tower

Tower takes one of the discs and leaves the room in silence, giving the Inquisitor a deep bow of respect on her way out. Outside, she waits for her fellow acolytes.

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt picks up a slate, salutes and marchs out heading for the ship that was to take him down to the planet. He pauses when he walks out seeing a fellow Acolyte waiting at the door. Looking at her he waits expecting her to say something.

[Rockbird]

Tower

As Quirt pauses outside the door, Tower looks at him shortly before speaking.
So, i guess we'll be working together? Name's Kaile, though i'd prefer it if you called me Tower.

Looking at Tower, the first thing you'll notice is an air of confidence mixed with caution. After that, you'll see a quite young woman in a rugged vest, rather dirty trousers and an autogun in a holster with a strap that she's slung over her shoulder. She has shoulder-length brown hair and the imperial aquila tattooed on her left shoulder.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

As the briefing ended Vorin nodded and stepped outside after taking one of the data-slates, he began reading it as he stepped outside, only a short distance from his two fellow acolytes.

[Forum Explorer]

My name is Quirt, how about you? He says the last part of the sentence said to the techpreist walking out of the doors. Looking at Quirt his clothing is neat and clean, but the eye is drawn to the side of his face which is almost compleatly covered in scar tissue. Dispite being much shorter the ethir Tower or the techpriest he gves of an air of determination and pride.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin, paying only minute attention, as he was concentrating on the data-slate. Vorin glanced upward long enough to speak I am Vorin Kess, humble priest of the Omnissiah.

[Verruckt]

Helena signs the aquilla and retreats from the Inquisitor's chambers, data slate in hand. Outside she signs again to her fellow acolytes. "Helena Romanov, I believe we should be heading to the landing bay now?"

She stands over 2 meters in height, clad in matte gray and black flak armor. Her imposing height, combined with her overbearing musculature and the flowing scroll work of ritual scars over the right side of her face paint a picture of one not to be taken lightly. She carries a bullpup pattern lasgun slung across her chest and a flail strapped to her thigh. Both are made from the same lusterless cold gray steel and stamped with a wreathed skull over an aquilla, the crest of the Isolde 58th.

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt looked over to the newcomer Your right I'll meet the rest of you there With that he walks off.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti nods and silently picks up one of the two remaining slates. He then turns and leaves, waiting to reach the lander before he starts reading the slate. He won't say anything to anyone on the way past unless they address him first.

[Rockbird]

Tower

You're right. Let's be off.
With a slight pause to let the others react Tower walks off towards the landing bay.

[Verruckt]

Helena strides off after Tower, eager to get started.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian takes his dataslate and walks to the hangar, glancing briefly at the other acolytes but saying nothing. He keeps himself away slightly from the others, as if uncomfortable in company.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods in confirmation and follows the rest. His breathing is audible, though he isn't really tired at all, because of the respirator he has. His entire lower jaw has been replaced with a mechanical skulls mouth, painted in dark grays and blues, with some white for details- the colors of his home-ship. The skulls "teeth" are only made to look like teeth, and are infact part of a vox-sponder built into his head, as well as the respirator unit itself.

[an kobold]

Following the corridors you arrive to a previously shut door that leads into the Inquisitorial hanger. The narrow space you were in gives way to a vast space full of ships of all shapes and sizes, including one Thunderhawk transport. Close to the hallway you came from is an Aquila lander painted black and gold with several tech priests clustered around, each intent on getting the Holy Rituals of Refueling and General Maintenance perfect. One of them looks up and gestures you to the entryway. The pilot and gunner are already inside.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

As Vorin walks he nods toward the tech-priests and walks up to them before getting on. He nods again in deference to them and makes the cog-wheel symbol of the Omnissiah. Greetings brothers, may the Omnissiah bless your work. Might I inquire as to when this holy vehicle shall be fit in your eyes to take us to our destination?

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt climbs into the thuderhawk, sits down, rest his shotgun agianst a wall and begins to read the dataslate.

[Verruckt]

Helena glances quizzically at the arbite in the thunderhawk before climbing into the Aquila and strapping in, making sure her gear is stowed beneath her feet.

[an kobold]

A tech-priest turns to Vorin and replies, his mechanical eyes glowing beneath his red hood.

It is fit now. Inquisitor Wilkes had us go over it twice, as she recently had to purge some of her cadre. You can never be too careful, you know. Still, to think such blasphemers could have such an understanding of the Omnissiah's works to trifle. . .it is frightening indeed. May your journey be blessed, brother, and may the holy lander see you safely to landing.

Another tech-priest detaches the last of the hoses from the small transport and the group as a whole begins to move away.

Already in the Aquila, the first information to greet Quirt's eyes is general information about his destination.


Huma

+++PLANETARY DATA+++

EQUATORIAL CIRCUMFRENCE: 34,149 Miles.

CLASS: Developing/Mining World

SUBSECTOR: Golgenna

YEARS AND DAYS: Huma takes 295 Terran Days to complete its orbit and 27.5 Terran Hours to rotate on its axis.

CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION: Arid. Desert except around coast, where jungles flourish.

MEAN SURFACE TEMPERATURE: 40°C.

PLANETARY GOVERNER: Elected Representative Johan Armenius. The planetary governor is elected by the leaders of the various political land powers of Huma, who may or may not use such democratic practices at home. Typically, whoever is elected tends to hail from the Polatum Empire, the largest and most powerful nation.

ECONOMY: As water by far is the most valuable commodity in the desert where mining takes place, Aqua is the term applied to thrones here.

PRINCIPLE EXPORTS: Huma’s primary exports are its vast resources of metal beneath the desert sands and rocks. At least half of the metal comes from developing or full blown hives from Huma’s past, made uninhabitable by the various weapons lobbed about once every hundred years. These ghost cities are surrounded by settlements populated by millions who scavenge inward. There is some manufacturing in the developing hive cities, but mostly raw materials are shipped off.

PRINCIPLE IMPORTS: Fresh water and manufactured luxuries for the high class. After the eventual centennial world war, work vehicles and food are in high demand.

COUNTRIES AND CONTINENTS: There are four main land masses, each essentially deserts bordered by jungles that give way to ocean. Each one has a single nationalistic government except for the largest continent, which has two. The most powerful of the nations is the Polatum Empire, whose northern location and large size (second largest continent) gives it an advantage in both raw materials and food supply over its rivals. There are no polar ice caps but a small, uninhabited polar land mass does exist in the southern most ocean.

Imperial Guard Recruitment: Huma has four IG regiments serving abroad, mostly specialized in desert warfare, which all are trained to excel at. Their vehicles and equipment are also specially designed so the choking sand does not interfere with performance.

DEFENCES: Each political power maintains a standing army. All standing armies are required to donate a regiment to the PDF for an annual tour.

CONTACT WITH OTHER WORLDS: There are stable Warp routes between Huma and Scintilla, Settlement 228, Cyrus Vulpa, and Landunder.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods to the tech-priest Frightening indeed. Thank you for the information, may the Omnissiah guide you always. with this he steps inside the shuttle and sits down near his companions, and he continues to read the Data-slate. After a moment or two he makes a mental note to speak with some of the tech-priests of this world, the information on these desert techniques, among other things, might prove useful.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti steps onto the Lander. A Desert world? Well, that was certainly interesting. He finds a seat and straps himself into it, looking about the inside of the ship. He never really trusted space travel, as long as they had given him to get used to it. Well, no matter. They were going to be doing the Sun God's work, and that was enough for him.

[Rockbird]

Tower

Following her fellow acolytes into the ship, Tower takes a seat and reads her dataslate.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian

Erian enters the lander and straps himself in, muttering a quiet prayer.

[Verruckt]

Helena finishes perusing the dataslate and looks out at her fellows. "So, I have names, but I don't know your skills. What are we all bringing to the table in the assistance of His plans? I suspect I'll be providing some muscle for the group, and I know Vorin to be one of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and Quint is fairly obviously an Arbite, but what about the others?" Her accented Low Gothic is made even thicker by chemical scarring on her larynx, making her sound as though she has smoked Iho around the clock her whole life, though in truth she's never touched a stick.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti looks up, and finally says something to someone. His answer is short, and he's got a fairly deep voice. I am Asanti. I hunt those the Great Eagle deems unworthy. The hunting rifle, with it's sight and silencer, should be enough information as to what he hunts with.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods silent assent toward the guardsman, one of the many times he will do so no doubt. As you mentioned I am of the Adeptus Mechanicus, I can only hope my technological knowledge will prove an asset in times to come, as well as my knowledge of weaponry. This last is added as an afterthought, as he glances at the no-doubt unsanctioned hunting rifle, the unspoken question of its sanctioning hanging in the air.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian

Gesturing briefly at his staff and the sanctioning brand on his forehead, Erian says, "I am a psyker- Sanctioned by the grace of the God-Emperor, praise be to Him. I have some skill with a gun and can find those hiding nearby."

[Forum Explorer]

Helena is right, I'm an Arbitator. With that Quirt goes back to reading the dataslate and rereading it when he is done.

[an kobold]

The Aquila lifts off smoothly once the tech priests have cleared the area. The pilot and gunner both are silent, concentrating on their jobs like all in an Inquisitor's cadre should. The descent is uneventful and provides plenty of time for small talk as well as the completion of the data-slate.


Atellus Ravion

+++Personal Information+++

Atellus Ravion was born in the scavenging community known as the Iron Gullet in the Polatum Empire. His parents are unknown. He moved to the developing hive city of Polatum in his twenty-fifth year. Despite having no political or societal connections whatsoever, within five years he was widely accepted by the city's elite. He has since moved past them and is now fraternizing with the movers and shakers of the planet, including Elected Representative Johan Armenius.

+++Charges Levied Against+++

More than one noble has come forward to the Inquisition claiming to have evidence that Atellus Ravion moves in heretical social circles. He has been recorded heading out into the desert at night to rendezvous with mutants. There is proof of his heresy. However, the source of this proof has disappeared since.

+++Your Duty to the Emperor and the Inquisition+++

It would be easy to move against Atellus Ravion alone. The Inquisition knows where he lives, available below. However, Huma is not safe until the cult he is with is not rooted out as well.

[Destro_Yersul]

We should start with the desert. If we can follow him, even just once, we will have our proof. And that will be all we need. Asanti smiles, hefting his rifle.

[MorkaisChosen]

"Not so hasty, Asanti. It is all very well to remove one heretic, but our mission is to discover the cult to which he is connected. If we kill our only lead, there will be no way to find them."

[Verruckt]

Helena looks up from her slate. "Who said anything about killing? We could always follow him out into the beginnings of the dessert, put a round in his leg and a sack over his head..." She leaves the possibilities hanging in the air.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin shakes his head at this prospect But if anyone saw, more than likely if hes connected to a cult, then they would know something was up and dig in. No the best course of action is to follow him, watch where he goes, and find evidence of his whole cult. Then we can either infiltrate from their, or call in some aid, if any is available, to clear the nest of Heretics out.

[Rockbird]

Tower

Having gone silent with the effort of reading the data slate Tower finally looks up.
Another option is to try to infiltrate the cult. It's probably more trouble than it's worth, but we should keep the possibility in mind. Oh, and the name's Tower. I'm a... Well, no point in hiding it.
She smiles apologetically.
Con artist would be mostly correct, i guess.

[Forum Explorer]

I could investigate amongst the nobles, starting with any of the nobles that have disappered. Oh if I'm gong to do that I'll claim I'm working on my own Quirt offers, ignoring the fact that Tower was a con artist. Afterall if she was a acoylte then her skills were serving the Imperium no matter what her past was.

[Verruckt]

"Hmm, my only concern with infiltration is the simple fact that it does not play to our talents. I think, however, that surveillance is not out of the question. If we found the mutant colonies that he is speaking with and then alert the local PDF to their presence we can force him out of his plans and still appear innocent to the act. Ravion will hopefully be oblivious to Inquisitorial involvement an will be more vulnerable to our attack. We abduct him then and see if we can't get anymore information. The cult will simply suspect he has gone to ground and ignore his absence for long enough that we may locate them." Helena reaches into her pack and pulls forth a flask of low quality amasec, taking a slug before offering it to the others.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti takes the flask, gulping some down before speaking again. So we're following him? Good. It is better to watch first than to risk Chacta's bite.

[MorkaisChosen]

"Yes, that sounds safer. I can apply my... talents... to countersurveillance- ensure no-one is hiding nearby, and such. We will need care- a cultist could look like any upstanding Imperial citizen..."

[Verruckt]

Helena's eyes widen at Erian's comment. "And so must we, I fear walking about the wrong city in flak armor and carrying a multitude of rifles would draw very much unwanted attention. In some of the rougher areas that won't be such an issue, but if we track him into the more affluent circles we will need to tone down our arms and armor."

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Indeed Vorin concurs, his head nodding once again I can most probably carry my laspistol concealed if nothing else, and my robes shall hide my armor quite eloquently. Also, we should establish where we will be convening and where, and when, we go about tracking Ravion

[Verruckt]

"Right, and I have a few small stub pistols should anyone else need a concealable weapon." Helena turns back to the slate to see if she missed any information about a safe house.

[Destro_Yersul]

I have a small Laspistol. And this is a hunting rifle. Find out if there is anything worth hunting on this planet. Asanti mutters something about nobles and their expectations and goes back to reading the data slate over again.

[Forum Explorer]

Unless I need to hide my identity, weapon concealment won't be a problem for me. People tend to expect Arbites to be armed. Quirt points out.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods to both of the speakers before his voxcaster started up again. Indeed, the Arbites are well known for their purpose and duties. And I will look into the native wildlife, there will most likely be something. He thinks for a second and then decides to be blunt Also, Asanti, has your weapon been blessed by the Omnissiah lately? I would be glad to perform the rights of sanctification if you wish.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti looks up again, tossing the slate aside for the moment. He's got a very firm grip on the hunting rifle of dubious sanctity. No one but me has touched it, that I know of. He suspects the rifle is perfectly all right with that, as it is the rifle's job to kill things he points it at and it's been doing plenty of that. Still, the tech-priest is not likely to let this go.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin reacts calmly, though inside he was a tad horrified. Then it should be sanctified immediately. The weapons Machine Spirit must be soothed and placated. It is my duty as a holy servant of the Omnissiah to bless such weapons and equipment, lest their machine spirits rebel and they fail.

[Destro_Yersul]

He'd likely be more horrified if Asanti told him that he doesn't believe in the Omnissiah. This is part of the reason for the dubious sanctity. The other is that Asanti doesn't like people touching his weapons. A warrior's weapons should only be handled by him, or others who have proved their ability in combat. When you have struck down an enemy worthy of the fight, then, and only then, would it not dishonour my rifle to be handled by you.

((Superstitious warrior culture. They have rules for this sort of thing, you know))

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin is starting to get mad, but he reminds himself of the purity of logic, and attempts to calm down. When he speaks his voice is emotionless, and most wouldn't tell how angry he is. If I do not sanctify that weapon and appease the Machine Spirit I will be failing in my duty to the Omnissiah. I would not fail the Omnissiah any more than you would fail the Emperor. And I need not prove myself in combat to the likes of you, I was born upon a warship, battle and conflict were common things in my life, and I helped repell more than one boarding party of blood-maddened cultists or hate filled orks.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti narrows his eyes. The Tech-priest was probably telling the truth. He had the excessively pale skin that Asanti had seen on others who spent too long in the blackness of space. I can't argue with your faith. If your Omnissiah demands that you bless my rifle... He shrugs. It would seem we are both warriors, in our own way. Very well. But I have two conditions. One: he holds up a finger. Do not fire it. That honour is mine alone. Two: He holds up a second finger. I'm watching. All of it. My rifle is not to be anywhere I can't see it with my own eyes.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods his assent, obviously pleased that he could partake in this holy task Very well, I shall abide by your conditions He holds out his hand to accept the rifle as he pulls out his vial of sacred machine-oil and begins the rite of sanctification.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti hands over the rifle, albeit a little reluctantly. No doubt he'll be happier when it's returned to him. The rifle itself is a slightly older model, and seems to have been maintained fairly well. It's certainly not in any danger of breaking down, and after this little bout of purification/maintenence, it'll probably be in even less danger. It also has a couple non-standard modifications, namely a small scope and a silencer. Vorin may want to bless those as well.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin blesses the whole weapon, cleansing and purifying it, appeasing the machine-spirit the weapon contained, all the while he hummed the Rite of Sanctification and chittered in his arcane Machine-Language, speaking to the machine itself. When he finishes he is noticeably happier... well noticeable by anyone who could read his mechanized face properly. At a thought he takes out his own weapons, his Carnoger pattern Crest III Laspistol, and his Vortex pattern Gorin VI Assault Pattern Las Carbine. He begins to bless these as well, and when he finally finishes this, he turns to his other fellow Acolytes If you like, I could bless your weapons in the Omnissiahs name as well.

[Forum Explorer]

I'd be honored for my weapon to be blessed. With that Quirt hands his shotgun over.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods, an action that by now seems as though it is nothing less than second nature to the man, and takes the weapon, blessing it in the Omnissiahs name.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti takes his rifle back when Vorin is done with it. The familiar weight in his hands was reassuring. Hopefully the Priest wouldn't want to do this too often. It smelled funny now, though. Nothing that a few days worth of carrying it around wouldn't fix. And now he had something to blame if he missed.

He spends the next several minutes reading and re-reading the dataslate, as if doing so would give him some sort of insight.

[Verruckt]

Helena offers her las rifle, a newer Cadian bullpup pattern, Mk VIII to be specific, to Vorin. "The company tech chaplain already gave it a once over before I left Isolde, but I'm certainly not adverse to a checkup."

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin nods once more, and begins to sanctify this weapon as well. When all the weapons are back in the hands of their owners he inquires When do you suppose we shall reach our destination? It would be best to begin our preparations as soon as possible.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian also hands over his gun- a small pistol, manufactured on one of the hive-worlds near Holy Terra. "I would be honoured should you bless my weapon. I know the value of the ministrations your brethren may give."

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Thank you for saying so said Vorin happily, though he couldn't smile, as he took the pistol and sanctified it. I may need to obtain more blessed oils among my brothers in the Adeptus Mechanicus upon our arrival.

[Rockbird]

Tower

If we keep this pace up i think you are correct. Tower smiles slightly as she says this.
And i would not object to the blessing of my weapon. It's kinda lucky we have you here actually, what with all these spirits in need of soothing.
And she hands over her Autogun to Vorin. It's been kept in good condition, which can't have been particularily hard given it's simple construction.

[Destro_Yersul]

What preparations would we need? All we're doing is following one man. First you watch, then you decide what to do, then you prepare to do it.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

As Vorin finishes the rights of sanctification on the final weapon and hands it back, he looks incredulously at the feral It sounds awfully simple when you put it like THAT, but I'm fairly sure it won't be so simple. Nothing ever is. And besides, we still need to establish a base of operations, delegate who will be watching when and doing what. We'll need supplies, and most likely to contact some people, as well as establishing backup plans and specific goals.

[Verruckt]

"Agreed, and there is one fundamental difference between our prey and the standard hive dreg. Social standing, no one would blink at a hiver being chased down a street by armed men, but chasing a man who travels in noble circles will draw unwanted attention. We must assume that he has agents of his own, which invariably must if he's gotten this far." She pauses to stow her now blessed rifle before continuing. "Back on Isolde we had to deal with traitor cells within our own ranks occasionally, but you could never be obvious, lest "friendly fire" end your investigation early. We need to be subtle, as much as that plays against my strengths."

[an kobold]

The flight is smooth. You barely notice the transition into atmo. Finally, the Aquila slows, you feel the landing gear deploy, and there's a slight bump. Your cell has arrived on Huma.

The gunner leaves his station to lower the hatch, presenting your first view of the planet. The surface is colored orange by the setting sand shining through the blowing sand. The growing city of Polatum rises in the distance to the north, reaching into both the mountains and the desert, while a few highways and paved roads extend into the south towards the scavenger towns.

You've landed on a small dusty pad that's slightly lower than the ground around it, the sand held back with sandbags. In one corner there's a cinder block shed, complete with a primitive air conditioner unit, which is next to some sort of vehicle under a tan colored tarp. A small water tank towers over them both, a pipe leading to the shed.

The Inquisition uses this place from time to time. Away from prying eyes, halfway between the slums and city.

No sooner than the gunner finishes his sentence, two pairs of headlights turn on in the wastes to the south. One gears it on the highway into the desert, the other is clearly approaching your position.

[Verruckt]

Helena raises an intricately scarred eyebrow at the gunner. "Are we expecting a welcoming party, or should I be loading a gun?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti's rifle is already loaded. He's holding it loosely, though he could probably bring it to bear fairly quickly. He looks around at the desert and nods. Felt like home, almost.

((Man, I am so buying a Cameoline cloak as soon as I can afford one...))

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian loads his pistol with practiced ease, then closes his eyes and presses his left hand- his right carries the pistol- to his temple, muttering a devotion to the Emperor as he focuses his will.

((I'm Invoking to get ready for a Sense Presence- that's 3 rounds of actions there (2 loading and 1 Invoking). Invocation check: [roll0] Need 53 to pass (WP43, Psy-Focus)))

((EDIT: OK, that's weird.))

[Verruckt]

Her fellow acolytes reactions are all the response Helena needs. She nigh subconcioussly slams a power pack into the reciever and racks the charging handle, locking the contacts into the lense assembly. She looks to the Gunner "Anything we can use in the shed?"

[an kobold]

The gunner replies while taking his standard issue laspistol from its holster.

There's nothing in the shed cept a few bunks, a washroom, and a voxcaster. Only a few people knew bout this place, but we haven't heard word from then in a while.

He runs back to the hatchway on the Aquila and shouts inside.

Hey, power down the engines and get your grox hide out here to help us!

Meanwhile, the vehicle moves closer. From what you can see, the vehicle is an opened topped truck with four passengers.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin readies his prized las carbine, the power pack already humming in place. His face is calm, but he has an anxious air about himself. Any idea who our uninvited guests might be? He said, squinting at the incoming vehicle

I hope its relevant, [roll0] I need a 28

[Rockbird]

Tower

Tower says nothing, content with readying hear weapon and waiting.
Let's get going, then...

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt

He readies his shotgun and moves closer to the incoming vehicle.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian gives a final phrase ofdevotion, casting his senses out, then moves closer, saying, "Hold your fire for now- they may not be hostile. It can do no harm to be prepared, though."

Focus Power check: [roll0]

[MorkaisChosen]

Oh, you're KIDDING me. First power I attempt and I get a 9. Anyway, that's a 70m radius of psychic detection, giving me a vague inkling of allother life-forms in range. Phenomena roll: [roll0]

[MorkaisChosen]

As Erian mutters the last phrase, something goes wrong. As he gazes through the Warp to sense the presence of life, he accidentally gazes into the Warp itself. A burning nightmare of pure, seething energy bursts into his mind, threatening to break his sanity and leaping across to those nearby.

[spoiler]That Phenomenon means everyone within d100 metres must pass a WP test or gain d5 IPs. Sorry...

Radius:
WP test: [roll1]
IPs: [roll2]

[Lord_Asmodeus]

[roll0] This better not get in the way of the fight to maybe come

[Lord_Asmodeus]

YAY, I got a 3! Just goes to show the servants of the Omnissiah have wills of as iron as their god!

[Verruckt]

[roll0] Helena grasps her head in pain as indescribable visions arc across her mind, tearing at the edges of her sanity.

[Verruckt]

[roll0] fields of bloated corpses feasted upon by huge carrion birds stretch out into an eternity ringed with stale blood and black flame for but an instant. But that instant is all that it takes to wrest some of Helena's very sanity from her mind.

(and that's just 2 sanity points, imagine 100)

[Destro_Yersul]

Let's see what the forum roller has in store for Asanti the relatively weak-willed...

Willpower test: [roll0]
Insanity, should I fail: [roll1]

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti shows no emotion. His training forbids it. It's to his mind that the damage is done, and he does his best to resist. But there is that one moment, that one brief moment, where the view pulls back to show him. One soul amongst untold billions, one who will go through an eternity of pain and suffering, and nothing to welcome him at the end of his journey but the laughter of hungry demons.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

As the full view of the warp unfolded before him, Vorin stared into the shifting mire of the warp. Being as he was a normal man with no psyker powers, he was only dimly aware of something staring back. However, if it was hoping for a show of emotion from the young mechanicus it was to be disappointed, as Vorin continued to stare dispassionately. When it ended he spoke, his voice still in its passionless state, as he continued to stare at the coming vehicle Well that was an interesting experience. Now I know why the Navigator always seemed such a jittery fellow, when I saw him anyway

[Forum Explorer]

well here's my save [roll0]
and in case I fail [roll1]

[Forum Explorer]

OOC: Booya! :smallbiggrin:

To Quirt it is like he is suddenly in the middle of a storm. Dispite the crashing lightning and rain Quirt remians unaffected thinking that it was just a illiusion. Sure enough the vision fades and reality sets in.

Looking around Quirt comments well that was weird. before focusing on the task at hand.

[Verruckt]

Helena has the misfortune of knowing that it was not "just an illusion" and forgets about the truck long enough to glare at the psyker. "That had better not happen every time you try to "help"!"

[Destro_Yersul]

As does Asanti, it would seem. But he's too busy muttering prayers to the Sun God to 'chase away the darkness with cleansing light' to bother reprimanding the psyker. Though he is looking at him funny. Probably making a mental note to always sit as far away from him as possible.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian gasps for breath, his mind badly burned by the view of a plane of infinite eyes- staring, all staring at him, just as he stared at them, gazing into his very soul.

"That... that was not the most pleasant experience."

He takes another breath.

"That is a very rare occurence, and you were very unlucky to feel that the first time I called upon my powers."

[an kobold]

The pilot and gunner both shriek as the Warp encompasses the area for a split second.

The truck rumbles closer, the occupants slowly becoming distinct. The driver looks normal except for ocular implants. The other three are hooded.

To Erian

There are four lifeforms approaching you, but they seemed. . .tied together somehow, to a larger force. . .


To Vorin

The things under the hoods look only vaguely human. As to whether they are abhumans or mutants, you cannot be sure. Needless to say, you see four shotguns in addition to the four passengers.


The vehicle stops before a slight slope leading down into the Inquisition property. The driver steps out with a shotgun, but it's pointed at the ground. For now. Still, it moves around with his hand gestures as he speaks, which is more than slightly alarming.

Acolytes of the Inquisition! It is I, Damond Quarrel, the man who levied charges of Heresy against Atellus Ravion and those he worshipped with. I mistakenly believed that they were part of a cult venerating Chaos. But now I have seen the truth and joined the glorious Cult of the Skymother, who seeks to unite the God-Emperor's Domain in a way it never has before. She brings a universe without Chaos and without Heresy, and universe wheer Mankind moves and thinks as one! Will you accept the kiss of the Skymother as a token of Her blessing to you and Mankind?

At this, the three other passengers step from the rugged truck, still holding their shotguns, but their weaponry aimed at the ground.

[Forum Explorer]

Does this 'Skymother' serve the Emperor? Unlike the people approaching them, Quirt's shotgun is pointed at the driver.

[Verruckt]

"Leave the shoggy looking one breathing, I have some questions" Helena has her rifle at her shoulder in a blink "There is no God but the God Emperor!"
to hit [roll0] (must beat 36+10 for aiming) and damage if hit [roll1] what can I say, guard indoctrination is pretty strong, and she actually listened to all the nasty thing chaos followers to to little girls in scholam
whelp, missed horribly, no chance I hit one of the other ones?

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti raises his rifle deliberately, as the guard woman fires. He takes a few moments to aim carefully, remaining silent as he does so. He prefers to let his weapon speak for him, though its voice is not loud.

Asanti is going to try and shoot the shotgun out of the leader's hands. That's a called shot, so -20.. which cancels out the aim half action and the laser sight. I still get +10 for having an Accurate weapon. [roll0] so if that's under 53, I hit, and for damage, if necessary: [roll1]

shoulda stuck with just shooting at them, I guess...

[Forum Explorer]

When the gunfire starts Quirt changes his target to the man beside the leader and opens fire
OK roll to hit [roll0] needs 48 (38 BS +10 for aiming) or under to hit and roll for damage if I hit [roll1]

Yeah a hit! :smallbiggrin:

[Lord_Asmodeus]

As the leader speaks Vorin looks upon him with contempt. Truly, he thought, the way of the Omnissiah is the true path, for the weakness of flesh makes the mind weak as well. Without speaking a word Vorin raises his Vortex pattern and fires at the speaker.

[roll0] and for damage [roll1]

[an kobold]

Your shooting catches them off guard. Helena's shot misses its target but plants firmly in the truck's primitive combustion engine, which dies where it's idling. Still, it starts off a quick succession of shots from the other acolytes. Asanti's shot, like the first, misses its intended mark, but the other two hit home. Quirt's shotgun blast tears apart the robed man's arm and his robe, revealing a twisted figure, a mere caricature of a man. The skull is deformed due to a maw filled with carnivorous teeth and an odd bony growth covers most of its body. The lasbolt unleashed by Vorin carves through the speaker's right arm. But the initial surprise has worn off, and the four of them, all still standing, begin to react. The speaker grimaces, his brow furrowing over his implants as he speaks.

Show them Her Blessing!

Everyone, initiative please.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

[roll0] I hope my initiative is good.

[Forum Explorer]

[roll0] I can't remember how to do initiative so I'll just imitate Lord Asmodeus

[an kobold]

Initiative is d10+Agility modifier. Sorry I didn't say that.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Ah, I see. Then it would be [roll0]

[Forum Explorer]

thanks, then mine is [roll0]

[Destro_Yersul]

[roll0] Here's hoping. Also, I shall now keep track of how many shots I have fired. It is 1. Hope I don't need more than 5, and I'm going to stop using called shots now.

[Rockbird]

[roll0] Gah, me no posting, me afb. Sorry guys. I will be more active the coming week.

[Verruckt]

[roll0] here's hoping we can drop the talker without killing him.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Well we did blow off his right arm, he might just die of blood loss :smalltongue:

[MorkaisChosen]

[roll0]

Also, assuming I can speak as a free action while everyone else is shooting:

Erian gazes at the enemy with contempt and hatred in his eyes. "There are four bodies there, but not four beings."

[Forum Explorer]

Assuming that the mutants don't have a higher initative I'm going first. Quirt aims, then fires at the same target as before, roll to hit [roll0] and damage [roll1]

[an kobold]

Initiative Order:

Quirt
Tower
Things 1-3
Erian
Helena
Asanti/Vorin
Speaker

And will Asanti and Vorin please roll d10s and the higher will be going first (curse you two for rolling the same and having the same agility modifier)


Quirt's second shot hits the same man in the chest, clearly knocking him back. There's a cracking of ribs and those strange, alien eyes of its seem distant, but the foul creature is still standing.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

[roll0] Heheheh

[Destro_Yersul]

We're awesome like that.

Asanti silently curses himself for missing the first shot. He raises the rifle a second time, aiming for the one quirt fired at.

No called shot this time, so... under 73 will hit [roll1] and damage [roll[1d10+3

EDIT: Man, the forum roller hates me.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin prays to the Omnissiah to improve his aim, so he might silence the blasphemous fount of heresy before him.

[roll0] and for damage [roll1] aiming for the speaker

[Verruckt]

Helena switches targets with nigh mechanical precision, aiming and firing at the thing Quirt's shotgun had partially maimed, hoping to finish the job.
[roll0] to hit [roll1] damage

(ooc) blarg, no hit, okay, next turn i'll introduce them to the flail :belkar:

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian
Erian decides not to risk using his powers again, instead aiming at one of the unhurt enemies and letting off a single shot from his small pistol.

To hit (need 50): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[an kobold]

A barrage of shots fly forth from your weapons towards these heretics and mutants most foul. Alas, the Emperor was only with Quirt and Erian, the latter's shot ringing true and hitting another robed creature in the chest. The small, silenced round is not nearly as dramatic as the burst from the shotgun, but the hole in the fabric and the grunt of pain from the target indicates the little revolver did its job.

Your enemy fares worse, with only the maimed speaker striking true before moving behind the cover his now dead vehicle provides. The majority of pellets from his blast strike Quirt in the leg, the rest scattering dust as they hit the ground. The cloaked figures seem somewhat less familiar with firearms. All miss, and it seems that one of them has managed to load a shell backwards into his idiot proof, tried and true shotgun (it jammed, then I rolled a 10 :smallsigh: ). Still, they stand, ready to continue the battle.

Next round!

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt hisses at the pain in his leg but toughs it out and reloads his shotgun.

(with fast reload it takes only 1 full round action)

[an kobold]

To Quirt:

Oops, I forgot to give you your damage. It was 8 before taking toughness and armor into account.

[Destro_Yersul]

Asanti mumbles something, glares at both the cogboy and the psyker, and raises his rifle again. He adjusts the sight and fires, aiming to put a hole through one of the more silent robed types. Namely the one that just got shot by Erian.

Ok, let's try this again. Still need under 73 [roll0] and damage... [roll1]

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Incanting a prayer to the Omnissiah and asking the machine spirit of his weapon for its aid, Vorin fires at one of the mutants still standing uninjured.

and for damage [roll]1d10+3

[MorkaisChosen]

Heartened by his earlier success, Erian calls on his warp-powers to predict the movements of another of the robed figures. His eyes shut, he points his revolver and pulls the trigger once...

Unnatural Aim: [roll0]
To hit: [roll1] Damage: [roll2]

EDIT: Successful use of the power (no Phenomenon this time!) means that's a very definite hit. In the head.

Eat hot lead, heretics.

[Verruckt]

Helena mutters a long string of obscenities in the Isolde battle cant, the oaths sounding like a singsong children's rhyme rather than a bitter epithet. She thumbs the fire selector on her rifle and looses a torrent of red spears at the shotgun wielding cultists.

[roll0] firing on full auto

edit: Wow, okay, does someone want this lasgun, because I can't hit anything with it...

[an kobold]

While Quirt reloads his shotgun, one of the things fires back and swarm of pellets that fly from its shotgun embed themselves harmlessly into the hull of the Aquila, another likewise misses. The third, however, throws aside its trashed shotgun, and despite taking two shotgun blasts to the chest, charges Quirt and attempts to grab him, its maw open wide in a sickening display of inhuman teeth. Erian maintains the discipline expected from a Sanctioned Psyker and nails the second shotgun wielding beast in the head. While its merely a grazing wound and does not pierce the brain pan, a furrow now runs down the side of its head, bleeding a thicker and darker liquid than that which is bubbling to the top of Quirt's wound. Helena, on the other hand, might want to look into ocular replacements that Vorin would do well to consider getting for both of them. Asanti, meanwhile, puts a larger, messier hole in the chest next to the wound made by Erian's pistol, but the creature merely flinches. From behind the jeep, the speaker takes aim with his last chambered shell and whatever dark deity he follows has apparently granted him a favor. Erian's right arm is pierced by seemingly hundreds of small shards of shrapnel, his flayed flesh looking far worse than Quirt's mere flesh wound.


A record of the antagonists, for both my sake and yours. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong of if I assigned your shot to the wrong person.

Speaker:
Shot once by Vorin. Still standing.
Baddie 1:
Shot twice, once by Erian once by Asanti. Still standing.
Baddie 2:
Shot twice, each time by Quirt.
Baddie 3:
Shot once by Erian.

Also, I know this sounds silly coming from me, but any news of Rockbird?

For Erian

Take 12 wounds.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin curses under his breath, his rattling voice yelling out profanities, seemingly out of place in a servant of the Omnissiah. He reloads and takes aim once more, firing at the charging mutant, hoping to take it down before it can cause any harm in close combat.

[roll0] To hit [roll1] damage

[Destro_Yersul]

((Rockbird had to duck out, I believe. Should be in the OOC thread somewhere))

Asanti glares at it. What did it take to put these things down? He only had two shots left before he needed to reload, and that wouldn't suffice for all of them...

Ok, let's shoot that one again, see if I can make him dead for good. Course, if he's dead already by the time Asanti's initiative rolls around, he'll go for another of the wounded ones. I'm tempted to try another called shot, but I'd better not... [roll0] and damage [roll1]

yep, Forum roller hates me. Asmodeus, Morkai, prepare to shoulder blame.

[MorkaisChosen]

Erian gives a gasp of pain and ducks into the cover of the lander, concealing himself as best he can and cradling his bloodied arm.

[Forum Explorer]

Seeing the cultist charge at him Quirt drops his shotgun and draws his club. After the cultist's failed attack Quirt attacks back, holding nothing back seeing how one of his allies had been badly injured.

Close combat attack with all out attack. Here is the roll [roll0] needing under 54 (34+20 for all out attack). Damage if it's a hit [roll1]

[Verruckt]

Helena is cursing a storm, her battle cant ringing out, becoming steadily harsher as she fires again [roll0] ARE YOU FETHING KIDDING ME? /stick lasgun in mouth

[an kobold]

Quirt's club makes neat work of the creature before him. Its head is driven down with a force that implodes the skull and carries down the spine before the creature collapses to the sandy floor. The woman you know as Tower, who must have been more affected by the strange apparition earlier than previously thought, finally opens up with her autogun towards the speaker cowering behind the truck. One shot from her burst grazes the man's head and leaves a bright red line on the side, but he calmly begins to reload his shotgun just the same. Unfortunately, Tower's good aim causes her to let her guard down and one of the two standing monstrosities charges at her and delivers a vicious bite to her right shoulder. The other, likewise, charges at Vorin, swings one of its clawed digits, and tears across the techpriest's chest. Erian manages to drag himself behind the cover of the Aquila were the gunner is waiting with a first aid kit. Helena and Asanti, apparently cursed with the luck Abaddon, both miss again despite their best efforts. Vorin, however, calmly raises his las weapon and shoots the beast that has just wounded him in the head at point blank range, which causes a truly face melting display of the Machine Spirit's power, upon which the foul mutant falls to terra, his flesh still aflame.


Only the speaker and Baddie 3 left, who is om nom nomming the still living Tower.

Vorin takes 5 damage before taking away armor and toughness.

[Forum Explorer]

Quirt holsters his brain stained club and picks up his still loaded shotgun. Moving around the truck the mutants came in on, he takes aim at the leader.


OCC: Summery, I got my stuff and moved so the leader isn't in cover for my gun.

[Verruckt]

((ooc: can we try to take the leader alive, i'd like someone to torture so I can take out my frustration on horrifically bad aim))

"take him alive!" Helene shouts, letting a another burst rip from her gun towards the remaining assailant. [roll0]

[Destro_Yersul]

Anyone who is listening very closely might catch, at this point, the fact that Asanti is mumbling to himself as he aims the rifle. One more shot, that's all he has before reload. Well, make it count.

Guide the aim of your servant, that he might see his target with eyes unclouded. Anshera herun a golo.

That last bit was probably the tribal language.

So help me, if this misses I'm finding a new dice roller... [roll0] damage: [roll1]

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Vorin looks down at his wound, and then back up. Aiming his carbine at another of the monstrosities Vorin intones a prayer to the Machine God as he fires once more, blessing the Machine Spirit of his holy weapon even as he fires.

[roll0] to hit [roll1]

OOC: I think that my armor and toughness covers that, but I'll have to check.