Darkest Heresy IC

[Xenopax]

Alric takes the boarding pike and straps it onto his back. He thinks for a second before using the chainsaw to rip off the head of the Cog-Father. He attaches it to his belt.

"You think this Balinda would be more hospitable toward us if we show her this?" He shows the Cog-Fathers head.

[Malak'ai]

"Mal, do the different Tribes have a recongnized symbol to show that they wish to parly?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Not a symbol, as such. I mean, a white flag seems pretty universal, but not waging weapons about also seems to convey the point, generally. I'll be happy to lead - I'm fairly sure they wont gun down an unarmed old coot like my, lordships.

Mal actually seems to take some pride in being useful.

[Novabomb]

Terris
This is acceptable to me, what say the rest of you?

[Xenopax]

I find this acceptable. He hitches the head back onto his belt and picks up his bag.

[Kaptin Keen]

And so it is that, minutes later, Mal leads you down the western corridor. It's built to Imperial specs, which is to say that a Landraider could have rolled down it with plenty of room to spare.

Soon enough, you spy a barricade, well taller than a man, with firing ports and razor wire and every conceivable physical expression of 'you're not welcome!'

Mal barely flinches when a warning shot rings out - and ricochets dangerously down the corridor.

Oi! You lot. Turn back, and tell your Cog-Botherer we're long out of patience!

Mal steps forward, and replies:

The Cog-Father is dead - these people with me are Lords of Avenir, returned to us. They have come to restore our House!

There is some commotion behind the wall, and someone shouts 'yea, pull the other one - it's got bells on', but it seems lacking conviction.

[Haval]

The Cog-Father is dead - these people with me are Lords of Avenir, returned to us. They have come to restore our House!

Well, Mal was right. This lot only fired warning shots. 'Speaking for myself, who my Grandad was related to isn't that important anymore. I came up here to find out what the hell happened to this place and then get away in one piece, but now we seem to be stuck here like the rest of you. I'm not willing to put up with that. I mean to get out of here eventually and I'll bet some of you would like to come with me. I think we could be of use to each other.'

Rufus is not relaxed enough to put his arms up or anything, but his rifle hangs loosely at his side.

[Kaptin Keen]

There is some commotion - then a section of the wall swings outwards, apparently a gate with the hinges concealed somewhere behind the plating. A balding, rotund man emerges, unarmed. He's wearing what must at some point have been rather expensive clothing, but it's old and worn.

Is this true? he asks, has the Cog-Father died?

[Novabomb]

Terris
Yes we have slain his blasphemous <redacted>

[Kaptin Keen]

Interesting. So the way to the airlocks is open again. Are supplies coming in?

Are you really heirs of Avenir?

Why are you here?

More questions seem to be forming in his mind when he stops himself, and motions towards the gate in the barricade.

Come - let's not talk here in the corridor.

[Malak'ai]

Looking at the man who had walked out of the barricade, Kadis puts the strap of her las-carbine over her head, the gun hanging under her arm.

"I am Kadis Zurtan-Avenir. Electro-Priest of the Mechanicius and Great-great Grand-neice of Acadus, Lord Avenir."

Stepping forwards, hands held casually clasped in front of her, "The path to the airlocks is indeed clear, though unfortunately we have yet to contact the surface to arrange for supplies to begin being shipped up again. We were hoping that you may be able to assist us in that task. We need either passage to the Bridge, or to where any other long range Vox equipment might be... Or even the correct componants that I may be able to construct one."

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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Until just now, I had not realised Kadis was female. Oops =)

Lady Kadis - I'm afraid I'm going to ask for some sort of proof. But if what you say is true, perhaps we can tear down this bloody barricade. It's not like all the good steel we used to build it doesn't have better uses.

I'm Galven, by the way - I'm overseer for the Guildsmiths, the um ... laymen who would do mostly menial tasks if this station still had a proper techpriest. As is, we try our best to do everything, but that's not ideal, as I'm sure you'll agree.

Come in. Come in.

He disappears through the gate in the barricade.

[Xenopax]

Rerolling fate (1d10)[10]

[Kaptin Keen]

Behind the barricade, the more tactically savvy among you are unsurprised to find a kill zone - and another barricade. The kill zone is full of all sorts of jury rigged obstacles meant to delay an advance without providing useful cover. There are a bunch of guys here, seeming to be honest-to-emprah civilians, toting a wide range of zip-las guns, home brewed explosives, shotguns, and the odd real weapon - you spot a couple of decent stubbers, a long las that looks either highly customized or highly makeshift, and one man with what you think may actually be a plasmagun that has been very poorly maintained for a very long time. You feel if you absolutely had to enter a fight armed with that weapon, you'd likely use it as a club.

Galven leads you through the tangle of obstacles, through another gate in the second barricade, and into a small staging area behind. There are supplies here, such as they are - a nigh-empty crate of grenades, a few las packs connected to a charger, a few boxes of ammo. Food and drink are also here, a few cots, and a table with chairs - where Galven takes a seat, and indicates for you to sit.

Beyond the staging area the corridor opens into some sort of arcade. There are a lot of people here, seemingly going about their day-to-day as best they can given the circumstances.

A long range vox. There's one on the bridge, but ... getting to it would require an assault we're not equipped for. Nor, by my estimation, are you. We could build one, sure, and the parts for it are in Engineering, but Engineering is on the other side of Life Support, and Life Support is ... well, to be honest we're not quite sure what Life Support is these days, but it's certainly dangerous. You could go around - as in, void walk - if we had void suits. But the stations automated defences are ... unreliable at the very least. They might attack anyone or anything out there.

Spoiler: OOC

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Alric sees nothing to truly concern him. This is essentially a refugee camp - survivors on the station trying to get by. The only escape route, however, is back the way you came. Or, in a pinch, diving into the crowds and using the civilians as cover.

On the topic of void suits, I kinda guess they were on the shuttle. But let me know if you think differently.

[Novabomb]

Terris
What was dangerous in Life Support before you lost contact/started avoiding it.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - Life Support is part machinery: Pumping water, circulating air, producing power and so on. And part bio-machinery: Filtration, recycling, oxygen production, growing food, all that stuff. So Life Support is ... alive. There are plants and animals, bacterial cultures, a whole bunch of biological cycles needed to keep us alive.

Well, the good news is that it all still works. It still produces water and oxygen, the quality may even be somewhat better.

The bad news is that it seems to have decided we're .. food.

Now, whatever the original specimens in there were - bees and butterflies for the plants, worms for the soil, species of eel and crab and carp for the water, and so on ... well, they're hardly recognizeable as what they original were. Frankly it's nightmarish. I'd still pick that over assaulting the bridge, but ... see, the problem is you can't just take a flamer to the place and burn it out. It's still our source for oxygen, clean water, and part of our power supply.

[Xenopax]

"With Lasgun and Blessed Blade.... He scratches his back and then says "You have absolutely no idea whatsoever what might be in there? Anything could help. Even the state the corpses were in,"

[Kaptin Keen]

Uh, well - I suppose the 'what' of it is reasonably clear to us: They're plants and animals that have changed. How, I couldn't begin to guess. Mutation or gengineering, but which one?

As to their capabilities, we didn't try to fight them. We're not really any sort of soldiers, so we mostly ran when we discovered things had gone sideways. There are poisonous plants, clouds of spores ... but all I can really say for sure is that you should be cautious.

[Xenopax]

[QUOTE=Xenopax;23367316]"Poisnous spores hmm? He rummages through his bag for a second "You've got any spare gas masks?,"

[Kaptin Keen]

We're on a space station, and we don't have void suits. I think we can scrounge up a scarf to tie over your mouth, and some water to wet it. That's the best we can do.

Um, they're purply though - the spores. You can possibly see, and avoid them.

[Haval]

Rufus is looking at Galven suspiciously. If life support was full of some weird biological spores, how long had this whole station been breathing them in? For that matter were they breathing them in now as well?

'Did someone cause this?'

[Kaptin Keen]

Uh ... yes? Frankly I don't know, but it doesn't seem like something that would happen on it's own. I know Lord Acadus had taken a personal interest in the work of the biologis and agriculturists, things that would usually be beneath his notice.

Now, whether his interest came because he sensed something amiss - or because he had nefarious purposes, I cannot say.

Begging your pardon, House Scions. I should not speak thusly about your noble ancestor, but the station truly has run to ruin.

[Haval]

Rufus facepalms at that. The specifics might only matter if they got someone up here to investigate. 'I never expected to want the Inquisition to show up.' Normally that would mean he was in serious trouble.

To Galven, 'Alright. Just say we were to take a look in life support. How well do you know the layout? Could you draw us a map?'

[Kaptin Keen]

Galven's brow wrinkles.

Yes and no, m'Lord. I know the top level well, the gardens - everyone does, they were a chief recreational area. But they're overgrown now, hardly recognisable. I know the area below less well - hydroponics that is - but I can give you an idea. I know the general layout, at least.

Below that is the actual life support machinery. Never been down there, only the techpriests have.

Oh, and ... if the lifts still run, that should take you right past hydroponics.

[Haval]

'And even if the lifts don't work any more you can usually climb down the inside of those when you don't have any other choice.' Rufus thinks aloud.

'Galven, what do you have in the way of weapons or tools you aren't using. I'd rather you kept what you need to defend yourself as we might need to come back here in a hurry, but anything you could spare might give us a better chance of making it to engineering.'

'If we don't have anything to share in return I'm sure that Kadis would be able to fix anything that needs it.'

Spoiler: Shopping

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If we can get any of it.

Firebomb
Exterminator
Red Dot sight
Silencer
Bullets
Clip Harness
Filtration Plugs / Rebreather / Gas Mask
Auspex

Keen - Do we trade gear we don't want for gear of the equivalent value or is there anything they'll accept to get us a discount?

[Malak'ai]

"I'd be more than happy to repair whatever equipment that needs it, if the Omnissiah's has blessed me with the knowledge of how to. Though time may become a limiting factor, and access to the right tools and parts."

[Xenopax]

"I feel like we should skip hydroponics. That would have been prime condition for some nasties to grow. So we'll have to take the lifts"
Alric scratches his beard. Atleast he'd have one hell of a tale to tell the acts hand back in the Guard.

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: Trade

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Um - no, you don't swap according to the loot tables in the books. Rather, so long as thrones aren't part of the economy, you trade something you want for something someone else wants.

Let me give you a hint, for this situation: These guys are running low on food and supplies. You're going into the 'garden' area where the food is grown and stockpiled. Swapping gear now for food later is a very good idea.

So ... try to manipulate. Also, not that the really obvious place to grow food is in the place you're considering to bypass.

One might almost imagine I was clever enough to have planned that (don't worry, I'm not, it's a coincidence that only occurred to me later =)

[Haval]

"I feel like we should skip hydroponics. That would have been prime condition for some nasties to grow. So we'll have to take the lifts"

Rufus suddenly had a bad feeling about this. 'You're right, but hydroponics is probably where any of the food is assuming it's still edible. So is it worth taking a look in there to see what we can scavenge?.' Given what they had just heard, Rufus is unsure if it was safe to eat anything from down there.

To Galven, 'If we do take a look we can hand over any food we can find in exchange for any gear you don't currently need. At best, we might be your best chance of getting off this station. So it might help you to help us.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Might as well roll Charm and hope that sounded persuasive

vs. Fel 23 / 2 (-5 Ill-Omened) - TN 7
(1d100)[34]

If that somehow works I'll just try to get a working auspex for the possibility of food and future help from off station

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - now that you happen to mention it ... you said you want fire bombs. And we have working stills, so alcohol we can make. But alcohol takes carbs, and carbs are in very short supply. But if you bring back some crates of fruit, I've got a handful of firebombs ready to go - you can have those.

We have optics, so we can rig a pointer no problem. A muffler is easy to make, so we can do that too. Won't be mil-spec or anything, but it'll do the job. You want a harness, that's also easy. We've got all sorts of ratchet belts and other heavy canvas, and plenty of people who can use needle and thread.

An auspex ... well we can find the parts, but we can't assemble one.

Now, the question is ... a keen light flickers in Galven's eyes, what're ya gonna offer for all of this?