The Sisters and Stormtroopers continue their implacable advance across the whole of the ballroom. Maroon-armored guards fall one after the other in torrents of blood or with smoking holes punched right through their carapace. More of the strange death-masked men are lying dead on the floor now than are still fighting back, but that doesn't seem to be deterring the survivors in the least. The assembled gentry is another matter, with more and more breaking cover with every passing second, in favor of mad dashes towards whatever exits they can find. Several clamber up onto the stage, ignoring the exchange of gunfire going on atop it. Further back, the rapid clashing of swords meets a brief deadlock, hell-forged and blessed blades striving against one another for a a handful of moments before crackling cursed weapon is forced dowanward. A gold-armored elbow is driven hard right into the monster's exposed face, granting all a brief glimpse of Altier. There's no mistake about it now, the Interrogator is literally glowing with a faint but visible golden aura. It's the daemon's turn to stagger back several steps, smoke rising from blackened spots of its red skin.

As Dyveke runs for cover, clambering hurriedly onto the stage with retaliatory bolt shells exploding all around her, she glances back and spots one of her two Sororitas foes getting peppered with las-fire from one of the guards in silver death masks. Though her armor blackens, she does not fall, but instead switches her aim right back to the man who made himself the most immediate threat and opens fire on him rather than the gaudily-dressed noblewoman. Her sister is little more persistent, tracking Dyveke as she ducks behind the multitude of display cases, carefully lining up her sights before squeezing the trigger once more.

Spoiler: Dyveke
Show
Sororita 3 switches targets, Sororita 2 uses a half action to aim and then takes one more crack at you: (1d100)[21] vs 55.

If hit: (1d10+5)[6] X damage, Pen 4 or (1d10+5)[9] X damage, Pen 4, whichever is higher.

Your new position gives you cover with an armor value of 15, covering your body, arms, and legs.


From behind his position of relative safety and apparently ignored, Matthias takes the opportunity to dip into the Warp. His eyes shine a faint violet as he looks around, cover no longer having any meaning for him.

Spoiler: Matthias
Show
Peeling back the skin of reality to peer into the Sea of Souls, you can see the flickering lights of the spirits around you, some shining bright with the purity of faith, some deeply tainted with decadence and corruption, and some simply so weak-minded that they're barely there at all.

Of immediate tactical relevance, besides the obvious augmented psyker doing battle with H3X, there are another five people on the stage. Three are cowering amidst the same bundle of displays that you are, around 11, 14, and 18m from your position, while another two are on the opposite side of the stage, creeping behind H3X and approaching that side's exit. Below the stage, there are 38 people still alive enough to be detected by your power, most of them either catatonic on the floor or taking cover behind the seats, shooting at the Inquisition.

However, noticeably absent from your psychic vision is the shadowy aura from before. It's just not there, not anywhere you can see at any rate. It's as if the xenos monstrosity just walked out while everyone else was busy shooting at one another. Either that or it's clinging to the ceiling somewhere.


The azure ocular implants of the nobleman seem to catch H3X's momentary flicker of discomfort, and they certainly catch the light hiss as the delivered acid sizzles against his remaining flesh. He seems primal, almost animalistic as his twitching body jerks to the side to avoid the assassin's return fire, his entire mechanical form hunched over in the manner of some primordial ape, his grey finery torn in several places. His scraps of flesh continue to bubble and writhe, and the nub of something begins to sprout from the skin above his one remaining temple. Nontheless, he retains the cognizance and concentration to level his mechanical arm and clench his fist a second time, unleashing a small barrage of acid-tipped needles at the priest.

Spoiler: H3X
Show
Psyborg fires a Semi-Auto Burst from his Galvian Needler: (1d100)[100] vs 60.

If hit:
(1d10-1)[6] R damage, Pen 0.
Make a Toughness test or take (1d5+3)[5] damage, ignoring armor.

(1d10-1)[7] R damage, Pen 0.
Make a Toughness test or take (1d5+3)[5] damage, ignoring armor.

(1d10-1)[1] R damage, Pen 0.
Make a Toughness test or take (1d5+3)[8] damage, ignoring armor.


Soren, remotely piloting Malchior, takes only a handful of seconds to disable the screeching alarm wired into the case surrounding the mysterious binaric fragment, leaving it protected by a mere tough but inert box atop a wheeled plinth. Balthazzar is able, however awkwardly, to seize this additional prize. The servo skull dips a little in response to the added weight, but recovers and seems ready to move it out as soon as ordered. Melchior, sadly, continues to fail to pick up on the escaped xenos monstrosity - if it is still here at all.