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Other Games => Anathema => : DM B October 01, 2013, 09:04:17 PM

: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 01, 2013, 09:04:17 PM
Dark clouds obscure the light of the rising sun, painting the world in reds, pinks and purples. Dark clouds of dust and ash, made from burned bodies, scorched fields, and flaming promethium. Every night the black rains try to wash the skies clean, but all they do is coat the world in grey mud and putrid slime. Sprinkled with hefty doses of irradiated substances and toxic compounds. It would not do to be outside in such rain. The wise and the wary seek cover within the ruins of the great Hemshin Hive. That has it's own dangers of course - the hive may be broken, but there are still millions of savage Cadians hiding in the underhive. Every effort to stamped them out has failed. Of late there haven't been much effort in that direction at all. Let them sit there and starve until they eat one another and save you the trouble.



Cadia was once a world pretty close to the Terran standard. Great oceans, continents, varied topography. Breathable atmosphere, diverse biosphere. The world had a human population running in the tens of billions. Divided between a handful of major fortress-hives ('Kasr') and countless outlying settlements (equally heavily fortified). Pretty typical of many developed Imperial worlds. Cadia was also one of the most militarized worlds in all of the Imperium - and that's saying something. On Cadia children learned to use weapon as soon as they can walk. It was a world were every man, woman, and child was a potential soldier. It had to be this way, for Cadia was a world under siege. Looking up from the planet's surface you stared straight into the Gates of Hell - or the primary path into the baleful glare of the Eye of Terror, the greatest Warp anomaly in the Galaxy of Man. How many times Chaos reavers had fallen upon the planet no-one really knew. How many had died was an equal mystery, but it must have been trillions over the course of more than ten millennia of war. You've been told the world has actually fallen several times, but always been scoured clean and repopulated - the Imperium is very loath to give up that which it has claimed.

But this time Cadia will not rise again. The world is dying. Actually it should have died long time ago, but these Cadians don't seem to know when they have been defeated. For sixteen years they've been at war this time. For all intents and purposes it died ten years ago when Abaddon returned and destroyed the Imperial fleet. Everything after that was just mopping up. Ten years of mopping up and still your not done. Ten years you should have been up there, among the stars, following Abaddon against Terra. They say he's reached the Segmentum Solar already and makes ready for the final assault on the ancient womb of humanity. And here you are in the mud, with nothing to show for your sacrifices...



Last night was no different from the rest, save the distant booms of half a dozen gigaton warheads going off somewhere to the distant east. It's been a while since ordnance of that magnitude was used around these parts. You've no idea if the targets were Imperial or not. The vox sets are all screwed up because of the blasts. You can barely make out some Imperial propaganda bleating on one channel. The only other station within is Radio Liberty: Transmitting from somewhere deep in the hive ruins. It's issuing a warning to the Liberator forces that the Imperials have deployed killer-swarms in the eastern fringe sectors. The usual droll drone.

A sentry interrupts you; something big has been spotted overhead. Stepping outside you scan the skies above; something indeed: A raider-class voidship lumbering across the leaden sky, pursued by a trio of xenos-looking fighter craft. As you watch one of the fighters are pulverized by defensive turrets, but not before scoring a crippling hit on the raider. The ships disappear from view behind burned-out hive spires. The craft briefly reappears, long enough for you to see another fighter smash into the wrecked hive. The last of the smaller craft pulls away. The voidcraft is in trouble, but it still has power and maneuverability - you know it will be forced to land somewhere in the wilderness zones further inland. Cold it be a way to get off this gods-forsaken ball of rock?
: Re: Cadian Dawn
: DM B October 02, 2013, 09:33:58 AM
OOC: All the players (and their warbands) are in the same situation; they are more or less trapped in or around a ruined hive on a large peninsula on one of Cadia's continents. The hive fell long ago. It no longer represents a threat to the Liberator armies. There are still some die-hard Imperials hiding out in the lower levels and there is still some resistance out in the wilderness areas east of the hive. Supplies ran out long ago both for Liberators and Imperials, leaving you to scrounge up whatever you can in an attempt to survive. By now you realize you've been pretty much abandoned by the Crusade - and you are all looking for a way out of this mess. The ship you all saw go down in the wilderness may just be that way out.

The above description is conceptually the situation as witnessed by a nameless Champion. It's intended to provide inspiration. The players will have to describe their own starting position as variants of the above.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn
: DM B October 06, 2013, 02:01:08 PM
Week 1 (6.666.015.M42): Ruined hive, somewhere on the Cadian coastline

You are presented with a relatively simple choice:

1. To investigate the crash site of the downed voidship. It didn't look like it was shot down as much as forced to land. It could be a way out of this place. The downside is that the eastern wilds can be quite hazardous.

2. Continue with your daily routines (please describe in some detail what this is if you pick this option).



For simplicity's sake were using Weeks to track time. The game starts on Week 1. The corresponds to 6.666.015.M42 for those into such things (i.e. about 2/3 through the 15th year of the 42nd Millennium).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn
: Lurk Skywalker October 06, 2013, 04:50:51 PM
Lector Severus and his men approach the ship from the rear, on the starboard side, they pause for a signifcant amount of time outside of what the Lector estimates would be the range of engines heat should they restart.
As silently as possible the Scouts are divided into two equal groups one led by Adorus Galrek, the Lectors' second in command and the other by Roldar, the promising assassin. Once both teams have taken positions on some higher ground to scan the area the Lector and his Marines take their own position, lowering themselves in a circle of bristling weaponnery, surveying the happenings at the ship and around them. The Marines, their weapons readies, clearly seem expectant of some local investigative presence coming to the site of the ship's landing.

Edit: typoes
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn
: DM B October 06, 2013, 05:51:56 PM
Lector Severus and his men approach the ship from the rear, on the starboard side, they pause for a signifcant amount of time outside of what the Lector estimates would be the range of engines heat should they restart.
As silently as possible the Scouts are divided into two equal groups one led by Adorus Galrek, the Lectors' second in command and the other by Roldar, the promising assassin. Once both teams have taken positions on some higher ground to scan the area the Lector and his Marines take their own position, lowering themselves in a circle of bristling weaponnery, surveying the happenings at the ship and around them. The Marines, their weapons readies, clearly seem expectant of some local investigative presence coming to the site of the ship's landing.

Edit: typoes

Your warband's small size and combination of stealth and firepower means you're uniquely well suited to exfiltrating from the ruined hive; the weak stay clear of you, while the strong never see you at all. 

Beyond the outermost shield wall awaits leagues of no-man's land; a land so devastated by the exchange of heavy ordnance that not a single feature of human civilization or natural terrain remains recognizable. The world beyond has been turned into a seemingly endless quagmire of filth, rot, and putrefaction. Despite the dangers the area has been picked over by scavengers; the odd useful item can still be found, but do not expect great treasures.

You follow the checkerboard pattern of a hundred burned-out and rusted heavy tanks across the wasteland; it is a route well known to the Lector's men and unlikely to hold much in terms of unpleasant surprises. On the other side, beyond the range of the fallen hive's defensive guns lies a range of forested hills - or they were forested once, now the only tree that remain are burned-out stumps, silhouetted against the eastern skyline.

The voidship went down up there. Finding it will not be difficult, for there is a pall of heavy dark smoke above the landing site. Or should we say crash site?

No further progress until the other players have had a chance to catch up.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 07, 2013, 12:33:47 PM
Gaius watches as the ship disappears just beyond the nearby hills. Had they found him? Would they take his freedom? "Avenge us...." He does not think that last thought was his own. He has heard the voice before, he knows it. "General, I think it would be prudent to send out some scouts to check on that ship, don't you?". As always the old man nods and barks an order at someone. Shortly after a small group of armed med is heading towards the landing site.

Gaius settles down in front of the fire, staring into it. He lets his mind roam free for a few seconds, before he locates one of the scouts and gently enters his mind. Hiding in the back of his subconscience, he is able to see and hear what happens around the scout.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 02:58:23 PM
Gaius watches as the ship disappears just beyond the nearby hills. Had they found him? Would they take his freedom? "Avenge us...." He does not think that last thought was his own. He has heard the voice before, he knows it. "General, I think it would be prudent to send out some scouts to check on that ship, don't you?". As always the old man nods and barks an order at someone. Shortly after a small group of armed med is heading towards the landing site.

Gaius settles down in front of the fire, staring into it. He lets his mind roam free for a few seconds, before he locates one of the scouts and gently enters his mind. Hiding in the back of his subconscience, he is able to see and hear what happens around the scout.

OOC: I'm assuming scouts involves your bodyguard - since your other troops are so shitty.

Your psychic presence stays with the scouts as they make their way across the blasted landscape, ensuring they remain motivated and coordinated. Your mind's eye is also there to spot trouble before it can find your men - twice you have the squad divert and take another route rather than walk into roving swarms of hunter-killer servo-skulls.

The voidship went down up somewhere in a hilly area to the east of the hive. Finding it will not be difficult, for there is a pall of heavy dark smoke above the landing site. Or should we say crash site?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 15, 2013, 04:47:44 PM
This night, Maegon dreamed of Hemshin Hive devoured by a giant fire.
He is suddenly awaken by a sensation of falling, from the spire down to the underhive, right in the blaze heart.

The real world is not really better than Maegon's nightmares.
He lies on a dirty mattress put right on the ground, in a ruined fab-tower, at the foot of the Hive.
Through the broken windows, dark clouds obscure the light of the rising sun and the baleful glare of the Eye of Terror.
His body hurts, his brain hurts... Cough shakes him. He spits a bloody glair.

"Good morning, Inquisitor." salutes his Interrogator, Nemus, handing him a bowl of disgusting oatmeal.

"Morning." Maegon takes the bowl and puts it on the dusty floor.

Then he draws an ebony box containing his Tarot deck.
As everyday, read the Tarot is the first thing he does upon waking.

The Fool.
The Four of Discordia - The Xeno.
The Wheel of Fortune.
The Tower.
The Nine of Excuteria - The Missionary.


Maegon gets lost in his thoughts.
Sergeant Malavida makes him get back to reality.

"Inquisitor, you should take a look outside."

Maegon rises up painfully and follows the sergent, just in time to see a raider-class voidship lumbering across the leaden sky, pursued by a trio of xenos-looking fighter craft. As he watches one of the fighters are pulverized by defensive turrets, but not before scoring a crippling hit on the raider. The ships disappear from view behind burned-out hive spires. The craft briefly reappears, long enough to see another fighter smash into the wrecked hive. The last of the smaller craft pulls away. The voidcraft is in trouble, but it still has power and maneuverability. Maegon knows that it will be forced to land somewhere in the wilderness zones further inland.

The Inquisitor smiles and calls his retinue.
Finally, here are the factors of change that he expected.

"Nemus, Jethro. Did you recognize the raider and the xenos fighters ?"

They turn toward THX-138, the Spatha-Pattern Servitor. His autocannon is out of ammo, but his pic-recorder is still working. Images of the ships will help them to discover their identities.

"Oshgor. You saw the xenos fighter crashing into the hive ? Find its wreckage. Find possible survivors. Kill them if needed. Find operational com-systems. We could set a trap for the last xenos."

Maegon calls Caporal Usher, leading the Necromundian Spiders.
Their Sergeant died two months ago and Usher is now the most graded officer.

"Caporal, please choose five of your men and send them in recon mission toward the raider's crash site. Make sure they know the correct communication protocols."

The Inquisitor returns to his Interrogator and Savant.

"So ?..."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 06:21:51 PM
Maegon gets lost in his thoughts.
Sergeant Malavida makes him get back to reality.

"Inquisitor, you should take a look outside."

Maegon rises up painfully and follows the sergent, just in time to see a raider-class voidship lumbering across the leaden sky, pursued by a trio of xenos-looking fighter craft. As he watches one of the fighters are pulverized by defensive turrets, but not before scoring a crippling hit on the raider. The ships disappear from view behind burned-out hive spires. The craft briefly reappears, long enough to see another fighter smash into the wrecked hive. The last of the smaller craft pulls away. The voidcraft is in trouble, but it still has power and maneuverability. Maegon knows that it will be forced to land somewhere in the wilderness zones further inland.

The Inquisitor smiles and calls his retinue.
Finally, here are the factors of change that he expected.

"Nemus, Jethro. Did you recognize the raider and the xenos fighters ?"

They turn toward THX-138, the Spatha-Pattern Servitor. His autocannon is out of ammo, but his pic-recorder is still working. Images of the ships will help them to discover their identities.

"Oshgor. You saw the xenos fighter crashing into the hive ? Find its wreckage. Find possible survivors. Kill them if needed. Find operational com-systems. We could set a trap for the last xenos."

Maegon calls Caporal Usher, leading the Necromundian Spiders.
Their Sergeant died two months ago and Usher is now the most graded officer.

"Caporal, please choose five of your men and send them in recon mission toward the raider's crash site. Make sure they know the correct communication protocols."

The Inquisitor returns to his Interrogator and Savant.

"So ?..."


Oshgor leaves immediately; a short bow of deference and acknowledgement and then he's gone. Would if all your servants were as reliable and efficient.

Corporal Usher receives the order and prowls away to pick his best scouts for the mission. The Necromundans are reliable fighters with a penchant for close-quarters gunfights. Those left to you have largely shed their almost superstitious dread of being in the open, replacing it with an uncanny ability to find and use cover.

Jethro has jacked him cogitator into one of THX-138's access ports and is reviewing the imagery.

"It would appear it is a Chariot-class vessel Sire. The Imperial Navy would classify it as a light raider-type ship, barely large enough to be warp-capable and useless in a pitched battle. The Chariot is primarily used in and around the Finial sector Sire. Mostly by rogue and renegade elements, but some hulls can be found in the hands of the wealthy - as personal pleasure craft, fast couriers, or priority transports. The pattern is unusual in appearance to say the least, but it is uncommonly well suited for planetary landings."

Nemus adds: "The makings are faint and inconclusive. Could be an Imperial craft - or not. So hard to tell these days."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 15, 2013, 06:29:19 PM
The ruins tremble slightly as the voidship flies dangerously low over the hive, pursued by a trio of fighters.  Azrael sees it from the window of what was probably once some faceless Hive administrator’s office. He watches them intently, first one, then another of the fighters is despatched, but not before scoring a hit on the voidship. The final fighter pulls away back in the direction they came from, and the voidship lumbers on, but it is clearly wounded. Voidships are not his speciality but Azrael captured the sequence to his memory buffers and re-plays the scene over and over again.

Azrael muses to himself, "Hmm, a deep wound, crippling, but not fatal, it will be forced to land out in the wastes.  High probability that it was a chariot class raider, popular in the Finial sector, uncertain warp capability but even if it can just get us out of the atmosphere that will be a start.  Probable crew complement between two and three thousand, but it looks like it has had a good deal of customisation, it isn't even clear whether it is Imperial or Chaos, or just some unaligned pirates."

He breaks from his reverie and calls in Derryck, Lukas and Irena.

"I presume you probably saw that ship just pass overhead?" Azrael asks, to which they all nod.

"You want us to check it out?" queries Lukas.

"Yes," replies Azrael, "choose a couple of men to form a scout team.  I'll follow separately with a second team, I need to inspect it up close to assess the damage.  This could be our ticket off this forsaken rock, but only if it is repairable.  While we are gone I want you to put feelers out to some of the other local warbands Derryck, take some assistance if you need it, even accounting for losses due to damage sustained there are probably at least 2000 crew on that ship so we are going to need allies if we are going to take it.  Irena, I want you to take charge here and get everyone ready to move out at a moments notice if Lukas and I report good news, we won't have been the only ones to see that ship go down and although we are going to need allies we need to act quickly before the scavengers descend."

Derryck, Lukas and Irena indicate their agreement and the four of them discuss some particulars about the mission, call signs, etc. before Lukas and Azrael set out across the wastes to scout out the ship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 06:30:34 PM
Azrael muses to himself, "Hmm, a deep wound, crippling, but not fatal, it will be forced to land out in the wastes.  High probability that it was a chariot class raider, popular in the Finial sector, uncertain warp capability but even if it can just get us out of the atmosphere that will be a start.  Probable crew complement between two and three thousand, but it looks like it has had a good deal of customisation, it isn't even clear whether it is Imperial or Chaos, or just some unaligned pirates."

He breaks from his reverie and calls in Derryck, Lukas and Irena.

"I presume you probably saw that ship just pass overhead?" Azrael asks, to which they all nod.

"You want us to check it out?" queries Lukas.

"Yes," replies Azrael, "choose a couple of men to form a scout team.  I'll follow separately with a second team, I need to inspect it up close to assess the damage.  This could be our ticket off this forsaken rock, but only if it is repairable.  While we are gone I want you to put feelers out to some of the other local warbands Derryck, take some assistance if you need it, even accounting for losses due to damage sustained there are probably at least 2000 crew on that ship so we are going to need allies if we are going to take it.  Irena, I want you to take charge here and get everyone ready to move out at a moments notice if Lukas and I report good news, we won't have been the only ones to see that ship go down and although we are going to need allies we need to act quickly before the scavengers descend."

Derryck, Lukas and Irena indicate their agreement and the four of them discuss some particulars about the mission, call signs, etc. before Lukas and Azrael set out across the wastes to scout out the ship.

Derryck,nodding thoughtfully: "Several thousand crew...and they would know the insides of their vessel so much better than us...and that's assuming we can find a blind spot where their defensive turrets won't rip us apart. Not liking it one bit. I'll go see who I can scrounge up; I think I saw a warband yesterday, squatting not far from us. They must have seen the ship go down. Perhaps we can make common cause." He gets up an leaves.

Irena, sounding coy: "You know killing the crew won't help much. I'm no Rogue Trade but this much I know about ships: You need crew to fly them. We're many things, but we're not exactly void capable."

Lukas, in response: "Nah, we only need to preserve those of skill. The ratings and such are replaceable; only the petty officers and such are really worth our while."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 15, 2013, 06:31:09 PM

Irena, sounding coy: "You know killing the crew won't help much. I'm no Rogue Trade but this much I know about ships: You need crew to fly them. We're many things, but we're not exactly void capable."

Lukas, in response: "Nah, we only need to preserve those of skill. The ratings and such are replaceable; only the petty officers and such are really worth our while."

"Avoiding a bloodbath is definitely preferable, but Lukas has the right of it, there are a comparatively small number of essential crew members, and you would be surprised how small a skeleton crew most ships can get away with," Azrael says pensively, "I did consider the possibility of attempting to inveigle us aboard by offering my services in repairing the ship, but it would be rather unlikely to succeed."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 06:31:37 PM

"Avoiding a bloodbath is definitely preferable, but Lukas has the right of it, there are a comparatively small number of essential crew members, and you would be surprised how small a skeleton crew most ships can get away with," Azrael says pensively, "I did consider the possibility of attempting to inveigle us aboard by offering my services in repairing the ship, but it would be rather unlikely to succeed."

Irena: "I'm sure they would accept your services...but for the rest of us, no. A magos is always an asset. A magos with his own personal army is trouble."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 07:06:49 PM
The Marines under Lector Severus are the only group to make it by nightfall; the rest of you are camped somewhere between the hive and the crash site.

The voidship has come to rest amidst the ruins of an outlying fortress-town, high up in the hills, some sixty kilometres from the hive's outer shield-wall. It hasn't quite crashed, but it hasn't landed either: The helmsman must have struggled to reduce airspeed even as the metal behemoth plunged downwards on failing grav-coils. The end result is a great furrow carved thought the blasted wilderness. It starts at the top of a small ridge, whet the adamantium prow of the vessel has ploughed straight through and continued down the valley for several thousand metres before coming to a halt. The rear of the vessel rests on two massive landing supports, but the forward one is gone, torn away by the impact with the ridge. Fortunately the bow of the ship has demolished several ruined buildings and come to rest on top of the rubble, creating a makeshift forward support.

It looked so small up there, but down on the ground it's rather big. 450 meters, give or take a couple, from the bow to the stern. At the widest point near the rear the lifting body is approximately 117 meters, but tapers to half that towards the front. At the thickest point the body is some 60 meters - with landing supports extended nearly 75 meters separates the ground from the highest auspex spire on the ship's back.

The machine spirits wrought into your hallowed power armour struggles to aestimate the interior layout from what little data you have; the ship has an interior volume in excess of 1.5 million cubic meters and a probable mass well in excess of 3 Megatons. A veritable mote when compared to the great ships of the line, but impressive enough when viewed from the ground.

The ship looks largely intact, but there are several areas where hull plating has been torn to shreds by alien energies and exploding munitions. In short it looks battered, but repairable. There are people - about forty of them divided into smaller groups- on the outside, looking like they are trying to determine the extent of the damage. Some are inspecting the hull damage, others the landing supports, etc.

Another group, fifty or so normally-looking people with normal-looking guns - have set up a makeshift perimeter around the base of the voidship. The real danger - should you chose to move forward - lies not with these people but the ship's defensive turrets. If you are spotted no amount of armour will save you.

There are no obvious marks of allegiance on the ship - a faded Aquila and some devotional liturgy that is no longer readable. It would seem to indicate that whatever the ship is it's not an Imperial vessel.

Keywords: Wilderness, broken and burned trees, mud and filth, foul rain, downed starship, darkness falling, small shapes darting about, a ruined fortress-town, Marine scouts observing from afar.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 15, 2013, 08:00:23 PM
The Lector having heard confirmation that his two scouting parties are in position, turns to Silverwrists, using the Relictor's Pilots title when addressing him:

"Aurarius Falco, can you use our gear to try and intercept communications within and around this vessel?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 08:55:31 PM
The Lector having heard confirmation that his two scouting parties are in position, turns to Silverwrists, using the Relictor's Pilots title when addressing him:

"Aurarius Falco, can you use our gear to try and intercept communications within and around this vessel?"

Helial: "I shall try Sir, but I'm afraid the vox-gear is in poor condition."

A while later. "I have something Sir. Mostly some chatter between the guards. They're not taking the situation seriously - they expect the ship's turrets to be deterrent enough. From the repair crews I get mostly tech-code; looks like they are tech-priests and servitors for the most part."

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 15, 2013, 09:27:33 PM

"It would appear it is a Chariot-class vessel Sire. The Imperial Navy would classify it as a light raider-type ship, barely large enough to be warp-capable and useless in a pitched battle. The Chariot is primarily used in and around the Finial sector Sire. Mostly by rogue and renegade elements, but some hulls can be found in the hands of the wealthy - as personal pleasure craft, fast couriers, or priority transports. The pattern is unusual in appearance to say the least, but it is uncommonly well suited for planetary landings."

Nemus adds: "The makings are faint and inconclusive. Could be an Imperial craft - or not. So hard to tell these days."

The Inquisitor nods to show his appreciation.

"And what about the xenos fighters ? Eldars ?"

"No, I don't think so..." answers Jethro, the old Savant.

The agents of the Ordos watch the pictures again and again, but the xenos fighters don't fit anything that they have seen before, in operation or in the fantastic Inquisitorial databases. The fighters were sleek and predatory, with multiple asymmetrical wing-pylons surrounding a central combat pod. Just short of a hundred meters long and massing a few thousand tonnes tops. Logic dictates they were carried here aboard a much larger craft, seeing as they cannot possibly be warp-capable.

"Let's hope that Osh can discover more." says Nemus.

"We move." announces Maegon. "Ask the civilians where we can found a suitable base of operation in this direction. PDF barracks or Guilds headquarters, maybe ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 09:28:37 PM

The Inquisitor nods to show his appreciation.

"And what about the xenos fighters ? Eldars ?"

"No, I don't think so..." answers Jethro, the old Savant.

The agents of the Ordos watch the pictures again and again, but the xenos fighters don't fit anything that they have seen before, in operation or in the fantastic Inquisitorial databases. The fighters were sleek and predatory, with multiple asymmetrical wing-pylons surrounding a central combat pod. Just short of a hundred meters long and massing a few thousand tonnes tops. Logic dictates they were carried here aboard a much larger craft, seeing as they cannot possibly be warp-capable.

"Let's hope that Osh can discover more." says Nemus.

"We move." announces Maegon. "Ask the civilians where we can found a suitable base of operation in this direction. PDF barracks or Guilds headquarters, maybe ?"

By nightfall you've successfully relocated without any major incidents. No word from the corporal yet, but there would not be, not with the kind of fallout you're experiencing right now. Perhaps in the morning, after the rains. Or in a day or two. You've no closer to unlocking the secret of the xenos craft either.

Osh returns: "The ship was a mess Master. No survivors. Only this." He empties the contents of a makeshift bad upon the rockcrete floor. It looks like a massively over-sized head - about the size of the human thorax. The coloration is dark; shades of grey and dark greens. Six eyes, arranged in clusters of three. A wide fanged mouth, two vertical slits where a nose should have been. No hair or feathers, only rubbery skin with bone-like protrusions that form an irregular pattern.

"Weird ship. Badly smashed up. Looked almost like an arachnid. Like it had tried to change its shape... from ship to walking war machine... Osh has no better explanation."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 10:03:10 PM
@Azrael: By nightfall both of your groups are well underway, but nowhere near the crash site yet. You're forced to take shelter as best you can and endure the toxic rains. On the plus side Azrael is able to help avoid the roving hunter-killer patrols and you've yet to lose a single man.

Meanwhile your man Derry has returned with good new; he's made contact with another warband that seems both reasonable and willing to cooperate. Another rag-tag group of survivors and ex-Imperials, oddly enough led by a duo of Space Wolves. Their leader's name is Hrothgar and he's going to move to the crash site on the morrow. He figures it's better to arrive late and look things over than rush in headlong - and besides, if the ship needs repairs it won't be fixed in a day.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 10:09:23 PM
@Gaius: Your team has gotten off to a decent start, but they too must shelter in the blasted wilderness for the night (unless you want to press on of course, but that is considered very bad for your health).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 15, 2013, 10:10:18 PM
@Maegon: His warband has relocated to a new position. He has a scout team out, taking shelter for the night.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 16, 2013, 10:05:40 AM
The scouts settle in for the night, posting sentries and keeping noise and light to a minimum. Lancer, leading the small group of men, studies the crash site as the sun goes down.

"There is bound to be others coming to investigate the site, Gaius". He needs not speak aloud, as he's been a vessel for Gaius' presence often enough to recognize his presence. "If we hope to salvage something, we would be wise to expect some sort of confrontation". There is no reply, though he can feel Gaius probing his minds eye. He settles in for the first watch, oiling his rifle and humming a quiet tune he learned from his mother. The first drops of rain starts to fall, muffling the sounds of wildlife.

Back at the hive, Gaius discusses the events with General Maximus. The Scourge needs to be ready to travel at a moments notice, if the scouts report anything of interest. Supplies have been running low lately, so whatever can be scavenged will prove valuable. Of course, the prospect of a confrontation from other looters, or even survivors from the ship, complicates things. They will lean towards caution, Gaius decides, only engaging in confrontation should the enemy be severely weakened. Otherwise, they will take what they can and stay out of sight.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 16, 2013, 10:51:33 AM
The Lector nods at his pilot. He seems to ponder for a short while, before he sends a brief encrypted order to Roldar. Should it be intercepted the Relictors' battle code would appear to be little more static discharge emanating from random machine intelligence.
The cold and formal voice of the Lector resonate within the hallowed helmet of the assassin.

"Decurio, I want to know more about this vessel and its crew before some local fools barge in and alarms them. I want you to get closer and if the opportunity arises abduct of the crewmen and bring him to me for interrogation." 

Roldar takes two of his Scouts with him and slowly they start approaching the makeshift camp. At the same time the Lector and his men ready themselves to provide cover and diversion if Roldar is detected. The other Scouts keep scanning the vicinity for any sign of would-be interference.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 16, 2013, 12:59:50 PM
The Lector nods at his pilot. He seems to ponder for a short while, before he sends a brief encrypted order to Roldar. Should it be intercepted the Relictors' battle code would appear to be little more static discharge emanating from random machine intelligence.
The cold and formal voice of the Lector resonate within the hallowed helmet of the assassin.

"Decurio, I want to know more about this vessel and its crew before some local fools barge in and alarms them. I want you to get closer and if the opportunity arises abduct of the crewmen and bring him to me for interrogation." 

Roldar takes two of his Scouts with him and slowly they start approaching the makeshift camp. At the same time the Lector and his men ready themselves to provide cover and diversion if Roldar is detected. The other Scouts keep scanning the vicinity for any sign of would-be interference.


Helped by darkness, rain and broken terrain your scouts make their way over to the crashed ship - undetected - and secure a prisoner. They go for one of the repair crew, not the guards. By the looks of him he's a minor tech-adept or some such.

While exfiltrating they are spotted by an unidentified source and the alarm is raised. One of the scouts is vaporized by a burst from a rapid-fire lascannon mount, but Roldar and the second man is able to get out of the line of fire and bring back the prisoner.

Questioning confirms that the man is indeed a tech-adept, perhaps learned enough to qualify for the title of enginseer, but hardly a full initiate of the Greater Machine Mysteries.

The ship is indeed a Chariot-class vessel. It is called the Sensibilious. Its master and commander is the Great and Benevolent Xerxzes, Son of Honoured Artaxerxzes, Son of Mighty and Everlasting Fulgrim.

The ship is largely intact, but in need of some repairs before it can lift off again. More specifically the crash has ripped out a lot of the gravistatic coils - without them the ship cannot escape Cadia's gravitic embrace.

Unfortunately his knowledge of the over situation is somewhat limited; a man in his position isn't really in the command loop. What he does know is that his master came here seeking something and that the ship was attacked by Ner'gal mercenaries (presumably the fighters you saw pursuing the ship). He doesn't really know what the Ner'gal are beyond their mercenary nature.

He also manges to cough up a threat: Great harm will befall those who do ill by the servants of Xerxzes.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 16, 2013, 01:27:33 PM
By nightfall you've successfully relocated without any major incidents. No word from the corporal yet, but there would not be, not with the kind of fallout you're experiencing right now. Perhaps in the morning, after the rains. Or in a day or two. You've no closer to unlocking the secret of the xenos craft either.

Osh returns: "The ship was a mess Master. No survivors. Only this." He empties the contents of a makeshift bag upon the rockcrete floor. It looks like a massively over-sized head - about the size of the human thorax. The coloration is dark; shades of grey and dark greens. Six eyes, arranged in clusters of three. A wide fanged mouth, two vertical slits where a nose should have been. No hair or feathers, only rubbery skin with bone-like protrusions that form an irregular pattern.

"Weird ship. Badly smashed up. Looked almost like an arachnid. Like it had tried to change its shape... from ship to walking war machine... Osh has no better explanation."

"Osh is a good boy. Tomorrow, I'll take a look on that weird wrecked ship myself. You will lead us."

Seeing that his Master is pleased, the xenos warrior purrs from pleasure.

"Jethro. I know that we lack the appropriate tools, but please try to learn something from this massive head."

When the night falls, Maegon draws his Tarot

The Chariot. A vehicle or a vessel... Could be the crashed ship. Or the xenos fighters.
The Servant of Discordia. The Soulless. Mechanical monstrosity. The xenos pilot ? Maegon didn't see the occupants of the crashed ship so far.
The Saint. Winged angelic figure. Harmony or... Falsehood.
Ten of Mandatio - The Consul of the Administratum. Difficult choices, numerous tasks to be completed. As those awaiting Maegon and his retinue for survival...
The Pilgrim. New-born man, about to begin his journey. Beginnings, possibilities or... indecision.


Maegon is not of the irresolute kind.

"Nemus, listen to me. Tomorrow, you will send groups of civilians and their escorts to explore the surroundings.

Five objectives. First, we need food. Second, ammos. Third, an observation point overlooking the crashed ship and its surroundings. Fourth, a communication center. Fifth, an artillery battery, with anti-aircraft or long range potential, preferably both.

Fifty civilians, fifteen Necromundians, five groups of thirteen persons, five directions. North, East, South, West and Top.

Have a good night."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 16, 2013, 05:49:56 PM
Azrael and his team take shelter for the night in the burned out shell of an APC (it is impossible to tell which side it once belonged to).  Lukas is a bit closer to the ship, but some distance away from Azrael, approaching it from a different direction, and has taken shelter in a small tumbledown building with his team.

Derryck's news that there is another warband willing to cooperate on taking control of the ship, and led by a pair of Space Wolves no less, was welcome indeed.  Marines will no doubt be able to move faster than they had and might arrive at the ship at a similar time to themselves, Azrael hoped that his teams would arrive slightly beforehand though so that he could get a chance to assess the condition of the ship first.

Meanwhile Irena has been getting the rest of the warband ready to move out.  From their position several hundred metres up in one of the hive spires they could almost see the crash site during daylight, so she decided to send a couple of people a bit further up during the night to see if they could observe what was going on around the ship.  Visibility might well be too poor, and it would delay slightly their departure while they waiting for the observers to get back down, but if they could get some observations it might well be worthwhile.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 16, 2013, 07:54:24 PM
Azrael and his team take shelter for the night in the burned out shell of an APC (it is impossible to tell which side it once belonged to).  Lukas is a bit closer to the ship, but some distance away from Azrael, approaching it from a different direction, and has taken shelter in a small tumbledown building with his team.

Derryck's news that there is another warband willing to cooperate on taking control of the ship, and led by a pair of Space Wolves no less, was welcome indeed.  Marines will no doubt be able to move faster than they had and might arrive at the ship at a similar time to themselves, Azrael hoped that his teams would arrive slightly beforehand though so that he could get a chance to assess the condition of the ship first.

Meanwhile Irena has been getting the rest of the warband ready to move out.  From their position several hundred metres up in one of the hive spires they could almost see the crash site during daylight, so she decided to send a couple of people a bit further up during the night to see if they could observe what was going on around the ship.  Visibility might well be too poor, and it would delay slightly their departure while they waiting for the observers to get back down, but if they could get some observations it might well be worthwhile.

Getting a good view of the crash site from afar is troublesome because of the terrain. Perhaps if your men venture high up into one of the skeletal remains of a hive-spire. Yes, that might do the trick. Climb five or six kilometers up and maybe you can see where the ship landed. It will take all day though, possibly even longer. And you never know what lurks up there.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 16, 2013, 09:28:21 PM
From a vantage point some distance from the ship Lancer surveys the situation. He's already spotted others moving towards the ship, and he's been made aware of others hiding, unseen. For now, he's content with keeping an eye on the survivors, and the competition. He and the rest of the men settle down in a defensible position, taking in as much of the scene as possible. Gaius and the rest of the Scourge is on the move, coming closer by the hour, but perhaps important intel can be gathered before he arrives.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 16, 2013, 10:14:47 PM
OOC: Only the Relictors manage to reach the crash site before nightfall - only Marines can cover 60 klicks of difficult and dangerous ground in half a day. The other teams must be content to arrive at various times throughout the next day - and if moving along the primary axis of advance run a significant risk of bumping into other wanderers.

A new day dawns over the ruins of Kasr Hemshin - and the downed starship, some sixty kilometers to the east.

CRASH SITE
The crew of the ship continues their labors, but they are more wary now: Thrice they have fired the weapons at fleeting target in the dark - real or not, you do not know. Only Lexander's Marines are there to observe them, for mere men are incapable of moving so far and so fast through such difficult terrain. There are presumably other groups en route from Hemshin, but they've yet to arrive. Unless there are other, as yet unseen teams hiding in the surrounding hills.

@Lexander: Several times you've spotted a single space marine walking among the lesser men; his power armour bears the colours and heraldry of the Emperor's Children, one of the Renegade Legions that betrayed the God-Emperor ten millennia ago.

NO-MAN'S LAND
The teams that set out the previous day are on the move again, trudging through the foul mud and the toxic rain that fell last night. Hours later they have cleared the plains and gained the hills. There is less water and mud, but more stones and elevation. One bad stretch of ground swapped for another equally bad.

@Gaius: You psychically guided team is the first to arrive. Unfortunately you are spotted as you move into position and peppered with lascannon fire. None of your men are hit, but the intensity and power of the beams are such as to cause temporary blindness in several of your followers. If you had not been there to support their moral they would have fled - as it is they instead retreat to a more safe distance and hunker down.

@Maegon: Your half-squad of scouts have crossed the wasteland and are now in position to observe. Last night's rains were particularly violent and have cleared the sky of pollutants (for the time being). It has the secondary effect of enabling your team a semi-decent vox-link with their Inquisitor.

@Azrael: Your two teams follow on the heels of Maegon's men; from time to time you get glimpses of men ahead of you, moving purposefully in the same direction. They have disappeared by the time your reach the crash site and take cover in the burned-out APC.

KASR HEMSHIN
Back in the hive-ruins there is also quite a bit of activity.

@Gaius: The main body of the Scourge starts the long trek out of the hive and across the wasteland. They will not reach the wreck today. Perhaps on the morrow.

@Maegon: Osh leads the Inquisitor and a bodyguard to inspect the crashed fighter-craft. The wreck is badly mangled, but you can still marvel at its alien design and incomprehensible layout. Well, maybe not so incomprehensible if you consider Osh's comparison to a spider - perhaps the craft tired to change its shape even as it struck the ground...yes, that would explain a great many things.

Meanwhile your scrounging teams have produced a few odds and ends, but nothing to write home to Terra about. Maybe enough for half-rations today and enough ammo to improve the overall situation slightly. They also report finding a Hydra AA battery, but it is unfortunately out of ammo and the APC chassis doesn't seem to work so you can't move it.

The observers up top have something to report, however: They have a partial view of the dorsal section of the ship. It appears whole and there are repair teams up and about. They also report at least ten small and three larger groups of people moving from the hive and towards the hills...

@Azrael: Back at the hive the other warband signals that it's moving out. Presumably that's your cue and the rest of the Nar-ghosts also get moving.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 16, 2013, 10:15:56 PM
OOC: All the 4 warbands now have people on-site. The Marines have been here a bit longer and have the initiative.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 17, 2013, 12:06:26 AM
After the interrogation the Lector stand silent, the face of his helmet turned towards the vessel. He finally turns in a flash, seizes the neck of the happless enginseer and suffocates into unconsciousness. One Marine ties-up the prisonner and hides him, not without scratching the man, into a sick-looking bush where odd-looking crison bays hang.

The Lector and his men offer a silent prayer for their fallen brother, before the Lector requests updates from the remaining Scouts' squads on their surroundings. Whilst they await the reports, the Marines can hear the voice of their leader in their helmet as he pronunces with a mix of repulsion and maybe lurking curiosity: "Chaos-spawn! Nothing less than the corrupted blood and flesh of the Phoenician himself."

The Marines seem to await for something to happen, either ahead, behind or around them. In the meanwhile the Lector's face remains turned towards where the Emperor's Child appears now and then. He beckons Silverwrists to attend him, but remains silent, whilst the pilot awaits.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 17, 2013, 12:19:15 AM
The 2 men Irena sent further up the spire reach about the 1km mark by dawn.  They can't quite see the downed ship itself, but with the improved visibility after the nights rains they have a fairly good view of the region leading towards it and spot a number of groups [OOC: probably not as many as Maegon's observers as they are probably not quite as high] moving towards the ship.

Irena contacts Azrael and appraises him of the situation.  Though he isn't quite in position at the crash site at the time he has been getting glimpses of it through the rocky terrain and what he can see looks promising.  Given that, the other converging groups, some of whom he has caught sight of himself, and that Hrothgar's group is departing they agree that the rest of the Nar-Ghosts should set out shortly too.

As always with this type of operation the Nar-Ghosts divide up into teams, staggering their departure slightly and taking slightly different routes to avoid attracting attention (in particular there are no doubt other observers in the hive).  The teams are close enough that at least one other can respond in reasonable time if one gets into trouble but not so close as to be in direct sight of one another.  The two observers leave with the final team.

Later in the day first Lukas's team and then Azrael's arrive at the crash site and get into observation positions.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 17, 2013, 09:22:45 AM
The 2 men Irena sent further up the spire reach about the 1km mark by dawn.  They can't quite see the downed ship itself, but with the improved visibility after the nights rains they have a fairly good view of the region leading towards it and spot a number of groups [OOC: probably not as many as Maegon's observers as they are probably not quite as high] moving towards the ship.

Irena contacts Azrael and appraises him of the situation.  Though he isn't quite in position at the crash site at the time he has been getting glimpses of it through the rocky terrain and what he can see looks promising.  Given that, the other converging groups, some of whom he has caught sight of himself, and that Hrothgar's group is departing they agree that the rest of the Nar-Ghosts should set out shortly too.

As always with this type of operation the Nar-Ghosts divide up into teams, staggering their departure slightly and taking slightly different routes to avoid attracting attention (in particular there are no doubt other observers in the hive).  The teams are close enough that at least one other can respond in reasonable time if one gets into trouble but not so close as to be in direct sight of one another.  The two observers leave with the final team.

Later in the day first Lukas's team and then Azrael's arrive at the crash site and get into observation positions.

The Nar-Ghosts suffer two casualties as they trek across no-man's land; a swarm of roving servo-skulls set upon them, killing two men and pinning the rest of the small group. Fortunately first one team, then a second, comes to the rescue and the hunter-killers are wiped out in a hail of las and autogun fire. The dead are stripped of valuables and the wrecks of the servo-skulls picked clean before moving on. Shortly after dark the rains start again. Azrael determines they are only mildly toxic this night and orders the march to continue. At some point during the night the rest of the Nar-Ghosts reach Azrael's position.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 17, 2013, 09:38:16 AM
Throughout the day (OOC: This would be the second day since play started) the situation doesn't change much. Repair crews continue with the...repairs. The turrets on the ship fire at irregular intervals, possibly at real targets or perhaps simply as a deterrent. The guards look much more sharp now - they focus their efforts on watching the ruined town, as it represents the greatest chance for an attacker to get close to the ship. Vox chatter is at a minimum.

(characters with at least Tech 4 will conclude the repairs will take weeks at the present pace - and that is seems unlikely that the ship carries enough spare parts to be fully fixed)

There are more people arriving at the crash site by the hour. A couple of times you hear small-arms fire, screams and minor explosions - groups have begun to clash.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 17, 2013, 11:05:57 AM
At the dawn of a new day, Maegon draws his Tarot, as a tireless ritual.

Three of Excuteria - The Soldier. Maegon has a thought for Caporal Usher and his men... Have they reach the crashed ship ? Are they still alive ?
The Reaper.  :o Well... Not necessarily a bad sign... All men must eventually die and face the judgment. The card also represents change, and change is seldom good.
Six of Adeptio - The Tech-priest. Maegon has a thought for Magos N-Tho, fallen in duty five years ago... His talents would be precious... They must exist some remaining Priests of the Mechanicum on this cursed planet...
Unity. The card shows a lordly figure abasing himself before the feet of another. The image is thought to be the Emperor receiving the surrender of the ‘final world’ during the Great Crusade.
Nine of Discordia - The Great Deceiver. Symbolizes ruin, misfortune, plots, confusion, madness...


@Maegon: Your half-squad of scouts have crossed the wasteland and are now in position to observe. Last night's rains were particularly violent and have cleared the sky of pollutants (for the time being). It has the secondary effect of enabling your team a semi-decent vox-link with their Inquisitor.

Caporal Usher and his four soldiers are finally in sight of the ship. Crossing the no-man's land was not a cakewalk, but they have endured much worse since the Black Crusade stroke Cadia almost seventeen years ago. The Necromundan Spiders were 18 years old at the time, now they are 35. Both worn and hardened by a life of struggle.

At the beginning of the Crusade, Kasr Hemshin was protected by rings of massive earthworks studded with gun emplacements and weapons batteries and separated by an inner moat. Passage over the moat was controlled by hydraulic bascule bridges, each one guarded by a heavily armed barbican, and defended by the many armored fortifications and shatrovies overlooking it. Inside, the streets were laid out in elaborate geometric patterns, resembling from the air like an intricate puzzle. Right in the middle, giant fortified spires stands to the sky up to ten miles high for the taller, all bristling with titanic artillery batteries.
Given the Cadian's mastery of urban warfare, this layout allowed them to hold the Kasr for years before the first Chaos force reach the main command center.

Now outer and inner defense rings are reduced to piles of rubble and more than half the spires were thrown to the ground.
Among the remaining spires, no one is intact.

Caporal Usher sees the half-broken peaks in the distance.
The Inquisitor and his retinue are in one of them.

Since the rains cleared the atmosphere, the squad's vox-operator manage to set a semi-decent vox-link with the Inquisitorial Stormtroopers led by Sergeant Malavida, on one of the pre-established secured frequencies.

"Rggrgzgz... Capor... zrzrgggz... report."

"We reach the damaged ship. Repair in progress. Episodic skirmishes in the surroundings."

"...zrgzzz... Keep vfggzz... higher in Hemshin to..."

The connection is cut.
Fact must be faced, their equipment is not like new...

For a brief moment, Usher has a nostalgic thought for his home planet, Necromunda...

Suddenly, two of the Spiders raises their lasguns. It's already too late.

The five men are surrounded by a a larger troop.
Fortunately, IG insignia are still visible on their dusty uniforms.
Mixed Janosian and Pavlovan badges.

"Necromunda 8th, don't shoot !"

KASR HEMSHIN
Back in the hive-ruins there is also quite a bit of activity.

"Tell Usher to look for a Tech-Priest ! Could lead to..." starts Maegon, when he finally joins the vox-operator.

"Connection lost..."

"Frak..."

"Should we try to ?..."

"No. Their fate is in their own hands. Oshgor, lead us to the xenos fighter !"

@Maegon: Osh leads the Inquisitor and a bodyguard to inspect the crashed fighter-craft. The wreck is badly mangled, but you can still marvel at its alien design and incomprehensible layout. Well, maybe not so incomprehensible if you consider Osh's comparison to a spider - perhaps the craft tired to change its shape even as it struck the ground...yes, that would explain a great many things.

Meanwhile your scrounging teams have produced a few odds and ends, but nothing to write home to Terra about. Maybe enough for half-rations today and enough ammo to improve the overall situation slightly. They also report finding a Hydra AA battery, but it is unfortunately out of ammo and the APC chassis doesn't seem to work so you can't move it.

The observers up top have something to report, however: They have a partial view of the dorsal section of the ship. It appears whole and there are repair teams up and about. They also report at least ten small and three larger groups of people moving from the hive and towards the hills...

For now, Maegon and his retinue have reached a height of nearly four kilometers above the ground - nearly a quarter of the height of the highest spires of Kasr Hemshin.

Elevators do not work anymore, but some stairs are still accessible. Nevertheless, they must be careful. Two hours ago, one civilian tripped and fell into darkness screaming. Poor man...

"We continue to move higher. The low-hive suffered too much from years of fight to find something valuable here... Our best chance of finding intact resources and an operational communication center is toward the top, not down. "
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 17, 2013, 09:24:50 PM
The Cabal has been climbing for what seems like days, with Nouri and his coterie weaving charms to obfuscate the group as they climb the hive.  After about a day of slow, but steady progress, Nouri stops to change their tactics just as the ship is almost into full view.

"Ben'shmen, Kiltren, we are looking for supplies and things that we might use to bargain with.  Organize 2 our troops into 2 groups to search, and tell them to be mindful - we are not looking for confrontation..  Coordinate with Luliana so that the groups are supported by a thrall, I will help coordinate as well.  And gentlemen, do not range far we will continue to climb for some time yet. Remember, our fate is not yet written in stone; we shall change it."

Nouri, Luliana and the thrall-wizards, work to establish mind links. Nouri every so often sends his Psychic Shadow to survey the happenings around the ship and hive to gather intelligence and to determine who would be most receptive to actually speaking or perhaps more appropriately, getting him off this accursed rock.

So while he is unwilling to risk the wilderness, perhaps he can make the ship come to him or perhaps, they can bend the Immaterium to bridge the gap between the ship and his band.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 17, 2013, 09:38:02 PM
(characters with at least Tech 4 will conclude the repairs will take weeks at the present pace - and that is seems unlikely that the ship carries enough spare parts to be fully fixed)
Having now been able to inspect the ship from a better vantage point Azrael has a much better conception of the state of the ship and the repairs needed.  There is significant damage to the external hull plating where it was struck by the Xenos fighter, it is unlikely the ship has enough spare parts to fully replace all of the missing sections, but with the right equipment Azrael should be able to craft appropriate parts from the various scrap metal available in the vicinity.  It would not be a permanent fix, and certainly not pretty, but it would serve to allow the ship to leave the atmosphere.  What he is more concerned about is internal damage, some of the gashes in the hull are quite deep, and if he remembers correctly some of those areas contain important equipment.  He won't know for certain until he sees inside or has a chance to question a member of the crew, but internal damage could be more difficult.

Whatever the state of any internal damage the crew of the ship are not being as efficient with the external repairs as Azrael thinks they would be if directed by an experienced techpriest.  That at least gave him an extra card to play.



"Necromunda 8th, don't shoot !"
"Necromundan 8th, eh?", said Derryck nonchalantly, "I wondered who we were playing hide-and-seek with.  Now, if you would be so kind as to drop your weapons, please."
Although his voice sounded somewhat jovial the thin smile on his face and the look in his eyes suggested that doing anything other than what he asked was unlikely to end well for the Necromundans.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 18, 2013, 10:30:06 AM
The Cabal has been climbing for what seems like days, with Nouri and his coterie weaving charms to obfuscate the group as they climb the hive.  After about a day of slow, but steady progress, Nouri stops to change their tactics just as the ship is almost into full view.

Maegon stops, breathless. Without his power armour, he would be too weak to climbs stairs all day like this. And even with the exoskeleton...

"Osh saw something move."

"Where, Osh ?" asks Nemus, seeing that the Inquisitor is unable to speak for now.

"Higher. In neighbor spire." answers the Tygrian warrior.

The Inquisitor and his Interrogator focus to sense the presence of intelligent minds.

Nouri, Luliana and the thrall-wizards, work to establish mind links. Nouri every so often sends his Psychic Shadow to survey the happenings around the ship and hive to gather intelligence and to determine who would be most receptive to actually speaking or perhaps more appropriately, getting him off this accursed rock.

Maegon and Nemus shiver.

"Several psykers up there. One of them seems to be quite powerful..." notes the Inquisitor.

"And without doubt, they are..."

"Tainted."

Anyway... More tainted than I am... thinks Maegon with irony, while drawing his Tarot.

"Protect your mind, Nemus. I must read the future paths before deciding possible actions."

The Inquisitor did not survive 182 years without being very provident.

"Necromunda 8th, don't shoot !"
"Necromundan 8th, eh?", said Derryck nonchalantly, "I wondered who we were playing hide-and-seek with.  Now, if you would be so kind as to drop your weapons, please."
Although his voice sounded somewhat jovial the thin smile on his face and the look in his eyes suggested that doing anything other than what he asked was unlikely to end well for the Necromundans.

Caporal Usher nods to his men, as a silent order to obey without discussion.
The five men drop their weapons.

Usher offers the handle of his chainsword to Derryck as sign of submission.

"We have no hostile intent. We came to see the ship."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 18, 2013, 12:18:15 PM
At length, the Lector seems to tire of observing the activity at the camp. He then turns to ponder the fate of his prisoner when he is interrupted by a report from his second in command:

"Lector, men are closing on the ship and our positions will soon be discovered. Not certain of their allegiance some Imperial Guard elements spotted however formations and outfit seem out of place. Awaiting for instructions. Over."

"Locum Lector, keep your men out of sight. No hostile engagement at this stage unless provoked."

He eventually turns to Silverwrists who had been observing for a while the hull of the vessel under the leaden and bleak light of the dawned day:

"Lector, this vessel will not take off for a while, considering the extent of damages sustained and I query the availability of required parts. I can only but fathom what Warp-induced abilities the crew may have, however they should be stranded here for some time."

The Lector, ever silent, seems to ponder these news. He then turns to Roldar and:

"The two of us will collect the rest of your semi-squad and we will go investigate these newcomers to the site. I want to know what we might be up to and if they are indeed Imperial Guards extract from them the whereabouts of the accursed Grey Knights."

The other Marines and Silverwrists remain with the bundled and hidden enginseer captured from the ship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 18, 2013, 01:26:05 PM
The Cabal has been climbing for what seems like days, with Nouri and his coterie weaving charms to obfuscate the group as they climb the hive.  After about a day of slow, but steady progress, Nouri stops to change their tactics just as the ship is almost into full view.

"Ben'shmen, Kiltren, we are looking for supplies and things that we might use to bargain with.  Organize 2 our troops into 2 groups to search, and tell them to be mindful - we are not looking for confrontation..  Coordinate with Luliana so that the groups are supported by a thrall, I will help coordinate as well.  And gentlemen, do not range far we will continue to climb for some time yet. Remember, our fate is not yet written in stone; we shall change it."

Nouri, Luliana and the thrall-wizards, work to establish mind links. Nouri every so often sends his Psychic Shadow to survey the happenings around the ship and hive to gather intelligence and to determine who would be most receptive to actually speaking or perhaps more appropriately, getting him off this accursed rock.

So while he is unwilling to risk the wilderness, perhaps he can make the ship come to him or perhaps, they can bend the Immaterium to bridge the gap between the ship and his band.

Nouri's spirit-projection works very well indeed, allowing him to observe what transpires at the crash site. Not in a direct camera-like fashion, but more akin to a immaterial mirage. He can see the crashed ship - and from the seething thoughts and emotions of the crew he can discern that they've a long way to go before it can take off again. He can also see the growing number of people at the site; many have braved the wastes in the hopes of a ticket out of here - or loot...some bands are here to loot the ship, whilst yet others intend to prey upon other scavengers. It is going to be a mess...

He also detects another psychic presence. One quite unlike his own. This one is cool focus over a chasm of seething anger and violence. A sanctioned Imperial psyker no doubt. Hard to read his strength...he's either quite weak, or very very strong, depending on how you interpret the signs.

OOC: Moving a starship is way beyond your abilities. You could move something smaller, your warband included if you had time and resources to a great ritual.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 18, 2013, 01:30:54 PM
Having now been able to inspect the ship from a better vantage point Azrael has a much better conception of the state of the ship and the repairs needed.  There is significant damage to the external hull plating where it was struck by the Xenos fighter, it is unlikely the ship has enough spare parts to fully replace all of the missing sections, but with the right equipment Azrael should be able to craft appropriate parts from the various scrap metal available in the vicinity.  It would not be a permanent fix, and certainly not pretty, but it would serve to allow the ship to leave the atmosphere.  What he is more concerned about is internal damage, some of the gashes in the hull are quite deep, and if he remembers correctly some of those areas contain important equipment.  He won't know for certain until he sees inside or has a chance to question a member of the crew, but internal damage could be more difficult.

Whatever the state of any internal damage the crew of the ship are not being as efficient with the external repairs as Azrael thinks they would be if directed by an experienced techpriest.  That at least gave him an extra card to play.

Azrael would no doubt be a great asset; whomever is in charge of the Machine Mysteries on the vessel isn't a fully qualified Tech-priest like you.

Most of what you need to fix the ship can no doubt be found somewhere in the hive; despite the near absolute destruction something always survives. It's quite the task though - finding the parts, bringing them here, repairing the ship. All in the face of other warbands.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 18, 2013, 01:50:03 PM
@Maegon: The polluted air is getting thinner and colder. Four thousand meters above the surface of Cadia your men are beginning to feel the effects of the climb and the climate - the hive is no longer sealed against the environment in any meaningful fashion. For all his own weariness the Inquisitor is among the fortunate; he can just seal his armour and enjoy the comforts of a controlled and steadily replenished atmosphere. It is no exaggeration that you, and you alone, could go to the very top.

Still, you must push on, at least of a while longer. Fate has revealed that you will be tested over the next few days, but that if you stay true you will be rewarded. It could be interpreted as meaning you'll find some of what you're after higher up; as you've correctly deduced some of the higher areas may still contain some useful gear.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 18, 2013, 01:52:34 PM
@Lexander: There are many newcomers, and more are arriving by the hour. Thus far there haven't been much interaction, but sooner or later someone will try to make a move for the ship - or start fighting with each other. It is inevitable given the situation.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 18, 2013, 02:07:15 PM
Gaius looks up as he feels the touch of someone probing his psychic walls. It is not a gentle touch, but one filled with rage. Though his walls stand firm, he feels the strenght of the intruder. This is no amateur dabbler, but someone who knows what he's doing. The touch feels alien, though, unrefined; where Gaius himself is like a razor, this feels like someone is trying to bludgeon him with a club.

The presence is gone again. He reinforces his mental barriers and looks at the men around him. Some on foot, some riding light vehicles, all looking forward with a grim motivation. They should reach Lancer and the others by nightfall. He can feel the familiar presence of Lancers team in the distance, but as he expands his mind he also senses a large number of minds in the area, making it difficult to single them out at this distance. But the number of minds emanating a psychic presence is concerning. As is the familiar presence the hardended minds of Space Marines. Something in the back of Gaius' mind screams in anger and fear as he notices them, though he cannot say why.

"General Maximus, let us increase the pace. I want to reach Lancer before nightfall". The old man nods and barks an order.

For now, Gaius keeps himself hidden, his power contained. He has yet to feel threatened by those he has sensed, but with the amount of people in the area any confrontation is likely to become most... unpleasant. And stray bullets can kill him just as easy as any man.

They press on and manage to reach Lancer and his crew without confrontation. The Scourge assembled again, they expand the camp and build more makeshift fortifications. Come morning, it is time to get a full view of the situation.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 18, 2013, 02:27:43 PM
Nouri settles into himself to still the maelstrom of self-doubt within.  Before reaching out to the other psychic presence, assuredly and curtly.

{I am Nouri and even my untrained eyes can tell that the situation at the ship shall become untenable quickly.  Ships need crews and yet, desperateness may rob that one of hers before she can even be the beacon of hope that is drawing some one towards her.}

While he "talks" to Gaius, he speaks to Luliana.  "Luliana, there is another psyker of note, tell the others to redouble their walls. The ship is weeks from being repaired and it is all but already under siege. Tell Kiltren and Ben that they should being also looking for supplies that might be useful for the ship.  We will begin gathering that as well, though we will need a more defensible position."

{Perhaps there is a way that your and yours and I and mine might change the course of fate for that ship, and also ours as well, enough to get off this crag.}
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 18, 2013, 02:49:42 PM
The quest and usage of Chaos artefacts by the Relictors had been driven by a deeply ingrained consideration, that mere humans would have translated in their weak minds as fighting fire with fire.

The abundance of human and probably less human materials in the area led the Lector to consider them to further the achievement of his own most sacred missions. Conscious of the preciousness of lives of his loyal brethren from the last pure chapter of Imperial Marines not blinded and misguided by the Inquisition, the Lector sets out to gather around him human tools and thus create an expendable host.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 18, 2013, 03:11:42 PM
{I am Nouri and even my untrained eyes can tell that the situation at the ship shall become untenable quickly.  Ships need crews and yet, desperateness may rob that one of hers before she can even be the beacon of hope that is drawing some one towards her.}

{Perhaps there is a way that your and yours and I and mine might change the course of fate for that ship, and also ours as well, enough to get off this crag.}

For some time, Gaius stays quiet. Then Nouri feels the light touch of his response, a feeble and erratic voice from far away.

"You are not wrong, psyker. The ship will prove valuable, no doubt, if we are able to gain control. Yet, ......" The message becomes a faint whisper, too weak for Nouri to understand. Then, it returns: ".... I suggest you come to our camp, so we can meet in person. Someone of your strenght should have no trouble finding me".
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 18, 2013, 05:38:23 PM
Nouri smiles.

{But there is much to be done.  That ship will need supplies and parts which will not be found in the wilderness, but rather the hive. And yet, that is not all that will be needed. The ship and crew must be protected while repairs are made and its injured are tended to. I daresay our meeting will be delayed for a brief time.} he says and reaching out to the captain of the ship.

{You must know what some of the most likely outcomes are for your ship and crew?  But why should you except this fate when you have so much left to accomplish in the name of your lord?  There are those of us within the waste who can help you - soldiers to bolster your ranks and protect your ship, technician to help raise your ship, raiders to help you find supplies and psykers to help hide you while this all happen.  All you must agree to is to take us from this crag.}
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 18, 2013, 06:11:01 PM
Corporal Usher nods to his men, as a silent order to obey without discussion.
The five men drop their weapons.

Usher offers the handle of his chainsword to Derryck as sign of submission.

"We have no hostile intent. We came to see the ship."

Derryck accepts Usher's chainsword while the others collect the weapons his men dropped.

"I presumed as much," said Derryck flatly.  Then pointing up the hill with Usher's chainsword, "this way, the boss will want to meet you."

Derryck directs Usher and his men up the hill to where Azrael has set up a small base of operations in a ruin almost completely hidden amongst the rocks.

About half-way there they pass not far from where Locum-Lector Galrek is hiding.  Derryck is quite certain that they are being watched, but as no attack comes he does not say anything, simply noting the spot so he can discuss it with Azrael later.  Watchers who don't attack immediately suggests a more organised and cautious group, who could make useful allies in this endeavour, or else more dangerous enemies.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 18, 2013, 06:36:32 PM
Derryck directs Usher and his men up the hill to where Azrael has set up a small base of operations in a ruin almost completely hidden amongst the rocks.

Usher and the four Spiders follow Derryck quietly.

For sure, their equipment is in better condition than our.
I wonder who their "boss" is...


The Caporal is surprised to discover that the "boss" is a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, named Azrael Kane. He wears a carapace armour instead of red robes, but his four mechadendrites and the strange light in his augmentics eyes leave little doubt.

"Please accept my sincere greetings, Magos. As said to the Sergeant here, our squad of five men was send the see the ship. We have no hostile intent. Our Master only gave us an observation mission."

Guessing the coming question, Usher avoids the Magos to ask:

"We serve Inquisitor Maegon Solemnys, of the Ordo Hereticus."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 18, 2013, 06:46:40 PM
"Please accept my deep respect, Magos. As said to the Sergeant here, our squad of five men was send the see the ship. We have no hostile intent. Our Master only gave us an observation mission."

"Indeed there are many groups who have come to investigate the ship, finding one that is not hostile is a pleasant surprise," replied Azrael, with perhaps just a hint of sarcasm, "I should like to speak to your master, do you have a means of contacting them?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 19, 2013, 01:16:14 AM
"Indeed there are many groups who have come to investigate the ship, finding one that is not hostile is a pleasant surprise," replied Azrael, with perhaps just a hint of sarcasm, "I should like to speak to your master, do you have a means of contacting them?"

"Sure."

Caporal Usher hesitates just a fraction of second.

"Secured frequency. "

But that should not be a problem for you...

"937.2 MHz. 3GP24 standard. Keyword Enigma One-Six-Nine."

Usher indicates the radio confiscated by Derrick's men:

"Our vox-device is set with the correct parameters, except the keyword. But it suffered some damaged these past years... I you have a better device..."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 19, 2013, 01:11:35 PM
"Our vox-device is set with the correct parameters, except the keyword. But it suffered some damaged these past years... I you have a better device..."

Azrael gestures to Derryck to pass him the vox.  He gives a quick inspection and then says, "I do indeed, however I can repair this one easily enough.  Consider it a gesture of goodwill."

He then proceeds to rapidly partially dismantle the vox-set and sends someone to fetch a couple of parts.  After a short time he finishes tweaking components inside the device and reassembles the casing, handing it to Usher.

"I think you will find that it is as good as new.  You may speak to your master yourself."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 19, 2013, 07:43:40 PM

They press on and manage to reach Lancer and his crew without confrontation. The Scourge assembled again, they expand the camp and build more makeshift fortifications. Come morning, it is time to get a full view of the situation.

The Scourge has been reunited. They have lost 3 troopers during the march - one to a mine, one to an unseen sniper and one lost, presumed dead.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 19, 2013, 07:46:48 PM

The abundance of human and probably less human materials in the area led the Lector to consider them to further the achievement of his own most sacred missions. Conscious of the preciousness of lives of his loyal brethren from the last pure chapter of Imperial Marines not blinded and misguided by the Inquisition, the Lector sets out to gather around him human tools and thus create an expendable host.


The Marines kill the leader and officers of another small warband that have set up camp in the vicinity. The procedure is fairy standard - use the scouts to gather intelligence, the strike swiftly and with overwhelming force using the marines. The survivors of the warband are given a simple choice - swear allegiance or die.

You now have 2 squads of poor-quality troopers.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 19, 2013, 09:02:53 PM
Night falls on the second day (but do feel free to continue your conversations before moving on).

During the dark hours some unknown forces mounts a fairly large-scale assault on the ship. They stage from the ruined fort-town and attack the bow of the vessel - the ship's defences have poor firing arcs and the rubble provides ample cover for the attackers.

Do you wish to interfere?

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 19, 2013, 11:00:32 PM
"Protect your mind, Nemus. I must read the future paths before deciding possible actions."

The Inquisitor did not survive 182 years without being very provident.

The Pilgrim. Like yesterday...
Five of Discordia - The Warlock. Rogue psyker displaying his psychic powers.
The Tower. Once more, Maegon already drew this card yesterday...
Master of Mandatio - The High Lord. Guidance, planning for the future...
Strenght. Serenity, comprehension, discipline,  inner strength.


The meaning is clear.

They must keep going higher.

Maegon feels disturbances in the Immaterium. Like... flux and reflux of psychic energy between two points of the material world, through the immaterial world. He recognizes psychic communication between two powerful entities.

But the Inquisitor has not regain enough power to interfere. Since his mental duel with Sorcerer Malifarius of the Death Guard six months ago, his body and mind have not recovered their full abilities.

Up. I feel that something of great interest is waiting for me up there.

@Maegon: The polluted air is getting thinner and colder. Four thousand meters above the surface of Cadia your men are beginning to feel the effects of the climb and the climate - the hive is no longer sealed against the environment in any meaningful fashion. For all his own weariness the Inquisitor is among the fortunate; he can just seal his armour and enjoy the comforts of a controlled and steadily replenished atmosphere. It is no exaggeration that you, and you alone, could go to the very top.

Still, you must push on, at least of a while longer. Fate has revealed that you will be tested over the next few days, but that if you stay true you will be rewarded. It could be interpreted as meaning you'll find some of what you're after higher up; as you've correctly deduced some of the higher areas may still contain some useful gear.

"Nemus, you take command. I have to keep climbing. Alone."

The Interrogator thinks a moment to object, but he knows that it would be useless.

"Alright. Good luck, Master."

Azrael gestures to Derryck to pass him the vox.  He gives a quick inspection and then says, "I do indeed, however I can repair this one easily enough.  Consider it a gesture of goodwill."

He then proceeds to rapidly partially dismantle the vox-set and sends someone to fetch a couple of parts.  After a short time he finishes tweaking components inside the device and reassembles the casing, handing it to Usher.

"I think you will find that it is as good as new.  You may speak to your master yourself."

Usher thanks the Magos and calls the Inquisitor once more. This time, the vox-device seems to work perfectly, without being affected by interference.

While the Inquisitor prepares to resume his ascension, Sergeant Malavida calls him:

"Inquisitor ! We just received a new call from Caporal Usher !"

"Great."

Maegon thinks of his penultimate draw, this morning.
Six of Adeptio - The Tech-priest.
Unity ?

"Caporal, glad to hear you. What are the news ?"

"Inquisitor, we just met Magos Azrael Kane and the Nar-Ghosts."

Just as expected.

"There is a lot of agitation around the ship. Several other unknown factions..."

"Usher, please activate the speaker."

"Done."

"Magos, my name is Maegon Solemnys, Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos. Please accept my sincere greetings. I'm glad to know that my men are in good company. Also it's a pleasure to know that the Adeptus Mechanicus has still representatives on this cursed planet."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 20, 2013, 01:29:50 AM
"Magos, my name is Maegon Solemnys, Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos. Please accept my sincere greetings. I'm glad to know that my men are in good company. Also it's a pleasure to know that the Adeptus Mechanicus has still representatives on this cursed planet."

There is some degree of muttering amongst the Nar-Ghosts present in the room at the mention that Usher's master is an Inquisitor.  Azrael is not fazed by it however, he knows a few things about the Inquisition, most importantly that there are two types of Inquisitor, the kind that adopts a 'burn them all and let the Emperor sort them out' attitude, and the rather more, shall we say, pragmatic kind.  Quite rightly Azrael doubts that any of the former variety would have survived on Cadia this long, while one of the latter variety might be a useful ally.

Azrael waves his hand for quiet while responding, "Thank you, Inquisitor.  Judging by your sentiments I would guess that you are as eager to find a way of this 'cursed planet' as I, and I believe that in that cause we might be of use to one another."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 20, 2013, 03:03:30 AM
Night falls on the second day (but do feel free to continue your conversations before moving on).

During the dark hours some unknown forces mounts a fairly large-scale assault on the ship. They stage from the ruined fort-town and attack the bow of the vessel - the ship's defences have poor firing arcs and the rubble provides ample cover for the attackers.

Do you wish to interfere?

Nouri sits cross-legged and watches the bright flashes of the ships defenses, barely dimmed by the hazy smog, illuminate the darkness from his perch in the hive. "And so it begins," he mutters to himself while rubbing the beard that has grown since last he had a proper shave.  A subtle rustle to his left and Luliana comes to sits next to him.  Kiltren and a small group watch out while Ben jovially snores quietly.

"Master, should you not rest?" she says quietly.  He looks at her for a second before turning back to look upon the battle below.  "Champion, awaken the Thralls, I have need of their shadows tonight," he says.  She nods though he can already tell she would object if not for her training.

"Luliana, we have the components for a greater ritual and yet, I would not have that prevent us from our salvation. We yet have faith, Luliana.  You shall anchor them and I shall give them substance and purpose," he says curtly to which she nods to awaken the Thrall-Wizards.

Within 10 minutes all has been made ready and the Cabal begins its work. The Thralls stand arranged around Luliana  in a circle.  Four small braziers mark the cardinal directions around Luliana, their light casts the shadows of the men outwards. Nouri stands on the outside of the circle with an assistant and begins quiet chant which Luliana and each Thrall join in.  Nouri takes a small knife and cuts his right hand, letting the blood pool into his hand, before dipping two fingers in it to anoint each Thrall's forehead in runes of magic.  The thralls' shadows seem to writhe in anticipation as the magic begins to take hold.

Nouri behind each thrall in turn and seemingly thrusts his left hand it their shadows before flinging it upwards.  There is an audible snap as the Shadow is freed from its mortal tether and as this happens, each thrall is guided to the ground by Nouri's assistant as they collapse. When all the Shadow's are freed, they writhe about the area, before Nouri calls out to them - and they gather and listen.

"Ul-ras navacar, Nouri nul mothras. Vualrat ohmnulven. Dulshass Evenmoir poircen." [I, Nouri, call forth the faithful to battle. Go forth and bear our enemies into the Abyss. For we sacrifice them upon the alter of god as I command.]

With that Nouri throws out his right hand casting his blood upon them. As it rains upon them, it does not pass through them, but rather runs down their bodies.  They in turn bow deeply to Nouri before turning and jumping off the hive perch and melding to shadows of the night.

Nouri turns too look back upon Luliana who still slowly and quietly intones.  "Tether them well, Luliana. We do not want them to make sacrifice of my Thralls instead of my enemies," he says softly before turning and gracefully falling into lotus position to watch the battle and command the Shadows as a ghostly apparition upon the battlefield.

[OOC: The shadows are kinda envisioned like a hybrid of a d&d Shadow and say, a Dementor from Harry Potter.]

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 20, 2013, 10:49:46 AM
Night falls on the second day (but do feel free to continue your conversations before moving on).

During the dark hours some unknown forces mounts a fairly large-scale assault on the ship. They stage from the ruined fort-town and attack the bow of the vessel - the ship's defences have poor firing arcs and the rubble provides ample cover for the attackers.

Do you wish to interfere?

From his viewpoint, Gaius observes as the battle continues. As he allows his mind to expand, he can smell the raw emotions on the battlefield: anger, fear, determination. In the back of his mind, excited voices are whispering. He smiles bitterly and shuts them out. "Hannah, come to me, there is a lesson to be learned here. Within minutes the girl comes up behind him.

"There are times when you have to choose not only whether to fight, but who to fight, Hannah. At this point, our "competitors" are a greater threat to us than the ships crew. And it seems as if they have the upper hand at this point. Let's see if we cant even out the battlefield, shall we? Lodge on to my mind and stay quiet, girl". She nods.

Together, their minds shifts to the battlefield. "The human mind can be a fragile thing, Hannah, stone cold in one instant, and burning with emotion the next. Rare is the person who can shield himself perfectly, especially if he has not been trained in the psychic arts. Look at this one, down here". They hover above a soldier taking cover behind a huge treestump. "Do you see his feeble shield? All humans have some form of natural resistance to outside influence. But without training, you will find the shield to be flawed, and weak". With a thin incision they move through a veil thin as silk, and his mind is open to them. Gaius tastes the soldiers emotions, before unleashing his own. The soldier screams in terror, eyes filled with panic. No longer able to control his emotions, he starts to flee, only to be hit by the defensive fire from the ship. Gaius moves on to another soldier, repeating his actions.

Now, moving from mind to mind like this is time-consuming. More precise, and more powerful, but time-consuming nonetheless. And there are already plenty of emotions on the field, can you smell them, Hannah? That feeling of doubt that lingers? Let us expand it". Expanding his mind again, he augments the feeling of doubt among those in range. Some soldiers stop for a second, before they shrug it off and continue, while others halt, clearly conflicted. And some starts to withdraw towards their base.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 20, 2013, 03:33:58 PM
...Expanding his mind again, he augments the feeling of doubt among those in range. Some soldiers stop for a second, before they shrug it off and continue, while others halt, clearly conflicted. And some starts to withdraw towards their base.

And those who do not heed their doubt, surely heed their terror.

Nouri takes the field as a immaterial ghostly apparition of awesome glory. The Shadow servitors take the field seconds later; screams reverberate throughout the local immaterium moments later as the Shadows tear through some of the attacking host visibly dragging their very souls into the darkness to be fed upon.  With the dark sacrifice now complete, that Shadows are given even greater substance. Nouri is almost overcome by the exhilaration of these kills - no not the kill - but rather the promise of more to come. 

The Immaterium calls out its seductions, yet Nouri is a Chaos Sorcerer, he shall not easily lose his way. He throws up his hands and ghostly chains spring forth to wrap around the necks of the Shadows.  And like a dark puppeteer, Nouri directs his marionettes upon the attacking host leaving nothing but desiccated husks in his wake.  Yet, the Ruinous Powers are not without their mercies, for in this moment those who can find faith find Nouri not as an executioner, but as salvation incarnate. And those who accept become marked as belong to the Cabal.

More men flee before the Chaos Sorcerer, as Gaius' doubt seeps further into their minds and takes root for this is no longer a battle meant for mere men. 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 20, 2013, 10:15:32 PM
Thank you, Inquisitor.  Judging by your sentiments I would guess that you are as eager to find a way of this 'cursed planet' as I, and I believe that in that cause we might be of use to one another."

"Great. Victory can not be achieved by acting alone. Cooperation is the key. Cadia is condemned, but Imperials are still fighting. We must all unite against our enemies. Did you already find allies near the ship ? And did you learn to who belong this ship ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 21, 2013, 12:18:44 AM
Victory can not be achieved by acting alone.
"My sentiments exactly"

Did you already find allies near the ship ?
We are working with a group led by a Space Wolf by the name of Hrothgar, I will notify him of our meeting so that you may speak to him later.  There are also other groups in the area, but we have not yet had any friendly contact.  I presume that aside from your man Usher and his squad the rest of your force is still in Hemshin?  Do you have a good vantage point from which to observe the ship?

And did you learn to who belong this ship ?
We do not know the name of the captain, however we have seen at least one Chaos Space Marine bearing the heraldry of the Emperor's Children patrolling amongst the repair teams.

[OOC: That probably about wraps up the conversation between Azrael and Maegon, so now we can get back in chronological order! ;D]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 21, 2013, 11:06:23 AM
Maegon ponders his response.

"Space Wolf are brave warriors, with impressive ferocity. Their support will be invaluable.
On the other hand, Emperor's Children are wicked warriors, capable of the worst abominations.
In all cases, only Space Marines are so well placed to fight other Space Marines."

Fratricide war, ten thousand years old......
Loyalists versus traitors...
Mechanicus versus Dark Mechanicus...
Ordos versus Ordos, Puritains versus Radicals versus other Radicals versus the whole Galaxy...


"Moreover, I am concerned about the corruption that this ship has surely sustained... The crew, the structure, the machine spirit... In addition to mechanical repairs, the purge may be long."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 21, 2013, 12:32:06 PM
The Lector and his various followers witness the assault on the crippled vessels. The Marines remain on high alert. Single or isolated elements drifting close to them will be eliminated swiftly and ruthlessly, otherwise they remain aloof from the ongoing assault.

After the assault is well underway, Roldar starts approaching again stealthily the vessel in search of any breaches in the perimeter that could be exploited to try to enter it through one of the hull's breaches.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 21, 2013, 02:16:37 PM
The Lector and his various followers witness the assault on the crippled vessels. The Marines remain on high alert. Single or isolated elements drifting close to them will be eliminated swiftly and ruthlessly, otherwise they remain aloof from the ongoing assault.

After the assault is well underway, Roldar starts approaching again stealthily the vessel in search of any breaches in the perimeter that could be exploited to try to enter it through one of the hull's breaches.


The attack has already begun to falter. A bit surprising in fact, since it looked like the attackers might actually make it all the way inside the ship. Instead they are behaving very unprofessionally and a general rout is close at hand.

There are a couple of options for getting in:

A) Take the same way the attackers did - move through the ruins and onto the bow of the vessel, looking for a way in.
B) On the ground; go for the main entrance ramp. It's fairly well defended though, but you should be able to punch through.
C) Your Marine squad could make assault jumps and land on top of the vessel, then effect entrance through one of the major hull ruptures. Also risky because a vigilant enemy might have time to fire defensive turrets at you. Scouts also cannot go - they have no jump capability.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 21, 2013, 03:36:05 PM
The Scouts and the ragtag host, commanded by Roldar, are ordered to move swiftly and they start firing into the disorderly retreat of the assailants in an attempt to turn them back on the defenders and thus increase the level of confusion for a few minutes, in order to provide some cover for the Lector and his Marines, after a final check of their dwindling supplies, to proceed with jump assaults.

The Lector and Locum Lector direct the assault in person. The Lector Locum, whom training as an aspirant Librarian was shortened by the downfall of the Chapter, raises his fledgling mental barriers and probe, slightly aware of the tentacles of the Phoenician's spawn and also of some psykers and other Warp-twisted abominations.

Weapons at the ready, the Marines start scouting for some nearby turrets and vents to be disabled, before turning their attention to a promising enough breach in the hulk.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 21, 2013, 08:08:13 PM
The Scouts and the ragtag host, commanded by Roldar, are ordered to move swiftly and they start firing into the disorderly retreat of the assailants in an attempt to turn them back on the defenders and thus increase the level of confusion for a few minutes, in order to provide some cover for the Lector and his Marines, after a final check of their dwindling supplies, to proceed with jump assaults.

The Lector and Locum Lector direct the assault in person. The Lector Locum, whom training as an aspirant Librarian was shortened by the downfall of the Chapter, raises his fledgling mental barriers and probe, slightly aware of the tentacles of the Phoenician's spawn and also of some psykers and other Warp-twisted abominations.

Weapons at the ready, the Marines start scouting for some nearby turrets and vents to be disabled, before turning their attention to a promising enough breach in the hulk.

The scouts contribute greatly toward the sudden collapse of the enemy's morale and the subsequent rout/slaughter. One scout reports seeing 'fleeting shapes, like daemons made of shadow'. You lose 5 men from your new 'recruits', but no scouts.

The jump assault goes reasonably well: One Marine is forced to abort due to technical issues and another jump unit shuts down in mid-flight, causing the Marine to plummet to the ground. The aborted Marine teams up with the scouts instead, but the crash victim sustains serious injury and is immobilized.

With 10 Marines you swiftly disable a nearby turret, dispatch a handful of crewmen and penetrate into the voidship. Five minutes later your group has expended five hundred bolter shells (2/3 of your remaining reserve) and butchered more than eighty determined defenders. You've yet to lose a man, but several marines are injured and more are experiencing armour breaches. One more major engagement and you risk running out of ammo and losing marines.

You are now in command of the ships central spine corridor, enabling you to move swiftly to all major ship's sections. On such a small vessel there are only two sections you need to worry about; the command module and the enginarium. You've yet to see the Emperor's Child - thus far the enemy has been a varied mix of humans, mutants, aliens - all of them twisted and misshapen in various ways.

What to do?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 21, 2013, 08:15:11 PM
Massed bolter fire cuts through the dark night: Heavy calibre hyper-explosive mass-reactive rounds punch through armour and flesh with equal ease - then low up their targets from the inside. In the span of a few minutes the enemy assault has turned from determined attack into a massacre.

Bright streaks of light light up the night sky as a squad of Adeptus Astartes launches out of the ruins and onto the voidship - one is shot down in midair and hits the ground hard - the rest land safely on the ship's hull and moments later they've battled their way inside...the cacophony of bolter fire becomes a muddled groan as the Marines work their way deeper inside the hull...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 21, 2013, 08:19:11 PM
@Maegon: Does the Inquisitor continue his climb after finishing the conversation with Azrael?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 21, 2013, 09:01:00 PM
After the furry of the onslaught quietens down and the Marines have established their initial perimeter, the Lector turns to his second in command, the aspirant Librarian:

"Locum Lector, do you sense any further presences in our vicinity? We will not withstand another encounter like this one, and we also need to resupply before we can make a move and see what awaits us in the dark bowels of this twisted ship."

Turning to his men, while his lieutenant considers his orders, he barks:

"Astartes, get whatever supplies you can use from these and stand ready to move at my command. We will move in pairs no one is to wander on his own through this thing. Keep your eyes open and your hearts of iron. The Chapter will prevail." concludes the Lector.

----

Outside, Roldar his Scouts and other riffraff followers withdraw to allow the failed assailants to scatter. Puzzled as he might be Roldar regroups his men and starts hunting for supplies left behind, while three Scouts are dispatched to try and recover their fallen comrade under the expected cover of darkness.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 21, 2013, 09:41:28 PM
"Moreover, I am concerned about the corruption that this ship has surely sustained... The crew, the structure, the machine spirit... In addition to mechanical repairs, the purge may be long."

"Indeed, though I am not so worried about the ship itself.  From external appearances at least it does not appear that corruption has soaked too deeply into it."



After concluding with Maegon, Azrael informed Hrothgar of the substance of their conversation, allowing the two of them to discuss things themselves at their leisure later.  He also told Usher that he and his men were free to go, but were also welcome to remain with the Nar-Ghosts if they wished.

Derryck also then mentioned the location where he had sensed watchers to Azrael and they discussed investigating it the next day. [OOC: won't happen now]



Some time later Lukas, who was observing the ship and it's surroundings, radioed in to say that there was a large group moving through the ruins at the bow of the ship, presumably intent on attacking it.  The group seemed large enough that it posed a real threat to the ship.  Azrael considered the situation for a moment and then decided that allowing the assailants to attack the ship and cause some casualties to the defenders, before then providing support to the defenders and 'rescuing' them might be a way to enable them to get onto the ship without having to fight their way through the crew.  He contacted Hrothgar and Maegon to inform them of his plan and then instructed those of the Nar-Ghosts who were capable as snipers to get into observation positions, and assist Lukas in taking out any of the defenders who seemed to be a leader (especially that Emperor's Child if he appeared), while the rest were to move under cover closer to the ship.



Lukas picked out a few targets while the others were getting into position, moving silently between firing positions so that it seemed there were many more snipers, and making it difficult for anyone who might try to return fire, though in the general confusion this was probably not a likely prospect anyway.

Several more snipers got into position and joined Lukas in striking at the defenders, keeping the locations and frequency low enough to seem random and disorienting.  Just as the rest of the Nar-Ghosts were almost in position however the tide suddenly seemed to turn and the attacking force began to break, despite the fact that they seemed to have the upper hand.  This was unexpected and caught Azrael slightly off balance.  He told the snipers to continue pinning down the defenders but had the rest fall back slightly and stay in cover while they reconsidered the situation in case a new unknown force had entered the equation.  He also contacted Maegon up in the hive to see if he could say anything from his elevated vantage point.

[OOC: As events around the ship have moved a little faster than I expected I thought I needed to bring Azrael back into the action, but it also seemed appropriate for them to have moved a little faster than Azrael expected too!]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 22, 2013, 06:29:08 PM
@Azrael: Unfortunately for Azrael and the Nar-ghosts they were caught slight off guard. With the bulk of their force recently arrived and completely exhausted from a harrowing march it must be admitted that fighting a battle wasn't on everyone's mind. Especially not since rumor had it that the Magos had found allies and were negotiating additional alliance...

So when the attack came the Nar-ghosts did what they do best; wait and watch. And the Astartes assault came out of nowhere; one minute everything was 'calm' (as calm as a massed assault on a downed starship gets) and the next all hell broke lose. None of the watching Nar-ghosts felt any particular urge to get caught up in that tangle. Not when they could sit back and ponder in mixed awe and disbelief as ten men assaulted a starship with a crew of thousands - Astartes may be superhuman, but they are not immortal. You know that - you've seen them die before. It only takes more firepower than from the rest of you grunts.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 22, 2013, 06:33:14 PM
After the furry of the onslaught quietens down and the Marines have established their initial perimeter, the Lector turns to his second in command, the aspirant Librarian:

"Locum Lector, do you sense any further presences in our vicinity? We will not withstand another encounter like this one, and we also need to resupply before we can make a move and see what awaits us in the dark bowels of this twisted ship."

Turning to his men, while his lieutenant considers his orders, he barks:

"Astartes, get whatever supplies you can use from these and stand ready to move at my command. We will move in pairs no one is to wander on his own through this thing. Keep your eyes open and your hearts of iron. The Chapter will prevail." concludes the Lector.

----

Outside, Roldar his Scouts and other riffraff followers withdraw to allow the failed assailants to scatter. Puzzled as he might be Roldar regroups his men and starts hunting for supplies left behind, while three Scouts are dispatched to try and recover their fallen comrade under the expected cover of darkness.

Resupplying with prove difficult; the enemy is not equipped with Astartes weapons. You can of course use just about anything to kill with, but it won't be as effective. Chainswords and disciplined bolter fire seems the way to go.

"The ship is swarming with life, at least six hundred souls, possibly as many as a thousand. On the command deck...a presence unlike the others...the Renegade I warrant. There is also something in the enginarium...something otherworldly, a warp presence Sir."

---

Outside the scouts move in the secure the fallen brother, hoping that the darkness and the chaos will shield them as they cross open ground...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 22, 2013, 07:04:32 PM
The Lector nods at his second in command and orders:

"Brothers, we move towards the enginarium. Hold tight on the ammo."

He then uses the battle code to order to sequence of movement:

Key (L: Lector / LL: Locum Lector / x: Marine if my count is right we are down to 8 Marines inside plus their officers)
-------------------------------------
Rear       Center            Front
              (wounded, etc.)
x LL           x                   x x
x x             x                   L x
-------------------------------------
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 22, 2013, 08:10:04 PM
OOC: 8+2 officers is correct.



The enginarium is perhaps the best choice; within its confines there must be no heavy weapons fire, lest the ship become totally unsalvageable. That give the Marines an edge they sorely need; none can best them in vicious hand-to-hand combat.

You meet no resistance on your way in. Indeed, the double layer of heavy blast doors opens to welcome you into the waiting embrace of the enginarium. A trap perhaps? Or something altogether more sinister?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 22, 2013, 08:28:54 PM
The Marines stop. The rear-guard arranges itself in a defensive position lest something attempts to creep up on them from behind. Two Marines silently take cover on either side of the gaping door and throw, one a suffocating grenade, the other a blinding grenade. In the meantime the Locum Lector mentally probes the area before scanning the door and its surroundings for a mechanical trap.

In absence of any detection, the Lector will move forward the Seeing Tower of Silence at his arm, covered by the two Astartes standing by the door and followed by the last Brother of the rear-guard.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 22, 2013, 11:05:08 PM
"Indeed, though I am not so worried about the ship itself.  From external appearances at least it does not appear that corruption has soaked too deeply into it."

Maegon and his retinue hear shootings via the vox device of the Stormtroopers. The communication begins to falter once more. Things are getting serious near the ship.

"Good luck, Magos. I will keep climbing the spire as high as I can. I leave Caporal Usher and his men under your protection. They will stay in touch with Interrogator Nemus."

The Inquisitor blesses his men and restarts to climb the traitorous stairs alone.

"Nemus, please inform the Magos about our discoveries concerning the xenos craft and pilot. He will surely find them of great interest. Also, please send teams to explore the neighborhood and establish an observation point on the ship. We should have a clear view of the dorsal part of the ship. Keep our allies informed."

The ascension is hard and long. Maegon is forced to stop several times to rest. The respirator integrated to the helmet of his power armor avoids being affected by the polluted atmosphere. Meanwhile, his com-system allows him to receive news from Nemus and reply briefly.

The Hive Spires are the furthest from the horrors of the lower levels and as such are the most luxuriously outfitted, serving as the homes of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the city, including the planetary Imperial nobility, the wealthiest merchants, industrial barons and any visitors of importance from off-world.

After several hours, Maegon reaches a plateau more extensive than the previous ones, catching his attention. A beautiful garden extended there long ago. All the flowers and animals are dead now. However, a pleasant smell still floats in the air. The scent diffusers are probably still functional.

The Inquisitor goes around the dead garden, surrounded by several luxurious mansions. Some doors are still locked, others are wide open. He extends his arm, from which hang several pendants oscillating in the cold wind. They designate one of the mansions, with a stylized bestiary engraved on the walls.

Maegon pushes the silver doors and enters the mansion.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 23, 2013, 02:42:34 AM
With the enemy attack faltering and the rout begun, Nouri let's the enemy flee into night, satisfied that his task here is done. He draws back the ghostly chain tightly calling the Shadows to heel before quickly grabbing each one and flinging it back to its body.  They fight, but in this realm, they are surely outmatched.  As each is re-tethered to his mortal anchor, the thralls awaken, significantly weakened, but no less for wear.

But Nouri feels the need to continue.  Might courses through him, teasing a glimpse of the truly infinite, a seduction that plays again and again for those that tread his path.  A lesser being might be overcome, but Nouri steels himself to investigate the ship.  A task made easier by the rends in the hull of the ship, a ship made to be a bulwark against the vast void and its many wonders and terrors.  With some many holes, he easily slips in and move toward the command center to observe the Renegade.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 09:11:29 AM
@Azrael: You snipers have spotted a trio of Space Marine scouts moving into the open to secure their fallen brother. They are terribly exposed, but thus far the darkness and the general chaos have protected them. You can get a pict feed from their sniper scopes if you like - allowing you to identify them as belonging to a chapter called the 'Relictors'. I doubt Azrael would know anything about them, their excommunication included.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 09:22:21 AM
@Nouri: The command deck isn't very large - just a hollow space twenty meters long and somewhat less in width. A massive crysteel viewport dominates the bow end of the chamber - it's a testament to resilience of this material that it has only cracked, but not shattered during the crash.

There are about sixty people packed onto the bridge. Two thirds of them are armed and are preparing for a counterattack out through the command deck's security doors - no doubt they intend to try and expel the boarders. The rest are ship's crew, working feverishly at their control stations.

Sixty people, but only one of them matters: The hulking Space marine in the heraldry of the Emperor's Children. His armour is so ancient and baroquely decorated that it can only be described as a work of art. By comparison the unhelmeted Marine inside is coarse, almost ugly. His features are craggy, his jawline like a ragged cliff, his coarse hair cut so short it looks like stubble. And you believed all of Fulgrim's progeny were as beautiful as he - clearly not this one.

You've not more time to muse; the giant lifts his head as if he senses something...his head snaps around and he fixes you with his gaze...quick as lighting he moves...in an instant he is upon you, a long knife of jagged black rock or glass in his hand. The pain that follows with his slashes are unbearable; the black knife bores into your soul, snuffing out you life one slash at a time.

What to do, what to do...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 09:25:10 AM
@Gaius: You've good view of what's going on - both physically and psychically. In particular you can quite keenly feel Nouri's psychic screams of agony as the space marine cuts his soul open. You can also feel something stirring deep inside the ships enginarium, something alien, something dark, something daemonic.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 09:45:54 AM
@Lexander: The enginarium of such a small vessel is by necessity compact. A roughly hemispherical chamber, no more than fifty meters across, occupies the deep central part of the ship's stern. Below the deck you'll find the ship's solar generator - the device that generates the power required to fly this lump of metal between the stars. The chamber itself is divided into several layers or levels with walkways and work stations circling the archaic sphere that is the ship's warp engine. You enter at middling height, giving you a direct view of the sphere as it hangs idle in its cradle, ringed with supports and utility feeds. A first glance it appears to be a perfect sphere of black-and-gold, but closer inspection revels it to be made of miniature facets that seem to shift as you look at them. The effect is almost hypnotic.

Your entrance has sent several short an mishapped mutants - or maybe they are abhumans, you're not entirely sure - scurrying for cover. They do not appear armed or dangerous. Your men quickly fan out to secure the chamber while keeping the entrance guarded in case of a counterattack.

A shout of warning: "Lector, blast doors are closing!"

And you man is right; the massive doors that would normally have barred your entrance are now rumbling shut behind you.

"Welcome Lector," a deep voice rumbles, "I have been expecting you."

The warp core is the source of the voice - and an eerie light that shifts between pinks and red and purples.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 09:59:11 AM
@Azrael: On your way up you've note the location of several items worthy of recovery, all of them below 8000 meters. With their location known your men can use whatever breath masks remain to them and retrieve the goods. Some food, useful clothes, mixed paraphernalia, some items that could have trade value once you get away from here - and nearly a thousand rounds of standard-calibre autocannon ammo. You found a ruined tripple-A position that still had ammo remaining. If you can get the Hydra to run you will have ammo of it.

You push open the silver door and step into the gloom: And stare up at an Astartes in dead-grey power armour. In an instant you know what he is - for to those with the knowledge of such things there is no mistaking his powerful Aegis armour - a member of the fabled Grey Knights Chapter. He's holding a heavy rapid-fire stormbolter levelled at you. There is also a...presence behind you, it's dull and muted, but it's there.

"Step forward and identify. We have been monitoring your climb for some time now...Inquisitor."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 23, 2013, 01:07:48 PM
The Lector seems unimpressed when flatly answering the voice when moving forward, alone:

"And let it be known that my Brothers and I are grateful for making us feel so welcome."

The Lector notices at the back of his mind the often-rumored but never openly talked about within the Chapter, small whisper emanating from the Seeing Tower of Silence. In presence of the warp core, he also notices that the claw protruding from the back of the shield and grasping his armored arm seems to strengthen its hold.

His Brothers take position around him weapons aimed at the core and surrounding vital parts of the voidship's enginarium. The Lector Locum raises his psychic barriers and sends a mental tendril to his armor, preparing for the unveiling of the Maleficent Orb.

-----

Outside Roldar leads the rescue mission and after having secured his Brother, he orders two Scouts and five recruits to carry him, whilst the other Scouts and men cover the surrounding area. A prickling at the back of his neck, a faint sensation of unease confirms to him that his party has been spotted. He enters a "hunter's trans" such as he was taught by an old Relictor, who once might have been an Imperial Assassin. Motionlessly crouching, he empties his mind of the fear of the prey and allows his inner eye to examine his memory of the landscape for hiding places. A few heartbeats later, he motions his men to a small cave whose presence was barely noticed two days ago and which remained, present as a tiny and invisible hook, in his memory. 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 23, 2013, 01:13:17 PM
@Maegon: On your way up you've note the location of several items worthy of recovery, all of them below 8000 meters. With their location known your men can use whatever breath masks remain to them and retrieve the goods. Some food, useful clothes, mixed paraphernalia, some items that could have trade value once you get away from here - and nearly a thousand rounds of standard-calibre autocannon ammo. You found a ruined tripple-A position that still had ammo remaining. If you can get the Hydra to run you will have ammo of it.

The Inquisitor keeps Nemus informed of these discoveries, so the Stormtroopers can be send to collect the precious items.  Only Sergeant Malavida and his men have the required equipment and physical capacity to achieve such aims. With his fingers, Maegon engraves burned =M= letters on the walls to guide them.

You push open the silver door and step into the gloom: And stare up at an Astartes in dead-grey power armour. In an instant you know what he is - for to those with the knowledge of such things there is no mistaking his powerful Aegis armour - a member of the fabled Grey Knights Chapter. He's holding a heavy rapid-fire stormbolter levelled at you. There is also a...presence behind you, it's dull and muted, but it's there.

"Step forward and identify. We have been monitoring your climb for some time now...Inquisitor."

Maegon bows with a knee on ground as a sign of respect, then walks toward the Astartes.
In theory, Inquisitors have the ability to command the Grey Knights. In practice, there is no way to pretend commanding the Elite of the Space Marines if you do not belong to the Ordo Malleus, have sufficient influence and have earned their respect on field.

"Inquisitor Maegon Solemnys, Ordo Hereticus. Born on Hive-world Macharia in 834.M41, Cadian Sector. It is a pleasure to see that your esteemed Chapter still does honor of its presence on Cadia. The Emperor's Tarot guided my steps up to this place, and to you. What is the purpose of our meeting ?"

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCHsvzFc830/TV48zmOOVhI/AAAAAAAAACM/LMD1zjbCJvo/s1600/images.jpg)
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 02:04:02 PM
Painful seconds pass as the Astartes in front of you scans your Inquisitorial rosette. With all that has happened these past years...you do not think they you've been officially declared rogue...but you cannot know for sure.

The Grey Knight in front of you - whose designation is Decimus according to the charcoal filigree on his gorget - beacons for you to fall in beside him. His gun is no longer pointing at your face, but the softly echoing footsteps that follow you indicates the presence of a second adversary at your back.

"That will be for the Justicar decide." And that's all he has to say about that.

He sets a cruel pace for one as old and frail as you, but the march is mercifully short.

Three more Grey Knights await. One of them clearly an officer. Justicar Junius.

As far as you can tell this is a temporary base of sorts; they've gathered about them materials and supplies that Astartes might need to operate for prolonged periods of time.

Junius. "If the Tarot led you to us Inquisitor; to what purpose?" You can feel the collective psychic presence of the Knights - they've come out of their Aegis shells and joined forces, probing and picking at you. Trying to see what kind of man might one day decide to climb all the way up to find their hidden base. You can only hope they find no trace of your...

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 23, 2013, 02:45:19 PM
@Azrael: You snipers have spotted a trio of Space Marine scouts moving into the open to secure their fallen brother. They are terribly exposed, but thus far the darkness and the general chaos have protected them. You can get a pict feed from their sniper scopes if you like - allowing you to identify them as belonging to a chapter called the 'Relictors'. I doubt Azrael would know anything about them, their excommunication included.
Azrael's comm bead buzzes as Lukas contacts him, "Looks like we have three Marine scouts moving in to retrieve the Marine whose jump pack failed earlier."

"Patch me in to the feed from your scope Lukas."

Lukas does so, allowing Azrael to see the scouts moving towards the ship.  From the markings they are from a chapter called the Relictors, but Azrael doesn't recognise it, not one of the more well known chapters.  Although no one has spotted them yet there is no cover between them and the fallen Marine and they are terribly exposed.  Although it is impossible to know their intentions for certain it is a reasonable guess that the Marines, like Azrael, see the ship as a potential way off-world and have used the chaos of the attack from the ruins to stage their own assault on the ship.  The cramped confines of a ships corridors are the ideal environment for a Space Marine, their small numbers are not a weakness in such close quarters allowing them to make the most of their armoured might.  As such they stand a good chance of clearing out a good fraction of the defending crew.  They will never be able to hold it however, certainly not for long enough to repair it, and from the state of their equipment they don't have the technical skills to do so anyway.  As such they would need allies after this battle...

"Keep a close eye on them Lukas, and keep any hostiles off their backs.  I am going to try and establish a communications channel to them, but if that fails I want to know which way they go."

"Affirmative"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 03:02:38 PM
Lukas quietly passes the order to his snipers; despite the excellent honey-pot setup there will be no killing of the scouts. Quite the contrary, the order from above is to keep them alive.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 23, 2013, 04:32:08 PM
@Nouri: The command deck isn't very large - just a hollow space twenty meters long and somewhat less in width. A massive crysteel viewport dominates the bow end of the chamber - it's a testament to resilience of this material that it has only cracked, but not shattered during the crash.

There are about sixty people packed onto the bridge. Two thirds of them are armed and are preparing for a counterattack out through the command deck's security doors - no doubt they intend to try and expel the boarders. The rest are ship's crew, working feverishly at their control stations.

Sixty people, but only one of them matters: The hulking Space marine in the heraldry of the Emperor's Children. His armour is so ancient and baroquely decorated that it can only be described as a work of art. By comparison the unhelmeted Marine inside is coarse, almost ugly. His features are craggy, his jawline like a ragged cliff, his coarse hair cut so short it looks like stubble. And you believed all of Fulgrim's progeny were as beautiful as he - clearly not this one.

You've not more time to muse; the giant lifts his head as if he senses something...his head snaps around and he fixes you with his gaze...quick as lighting he moves...in an instant he is upon you, a long knife of jagged black rock or glass in his hand. The pain that follows with his slashes are unbearable; the black knife bores into your soul, snuffing out you life one slash at a time.

What to do, what to do...

Nouri cannot help but retreat inward to flee the onslaught. In his retreat, he knows fear as for but a second, he all but succumbs to mortal frailties.  In his desperation,  he reaches out to the closest presences and strongest within the Immaterium, latching onto Gaius, Hannah, Luliana, the Lector and a darker presence deeper yet within the ship and his psyche grabs upon them tightly.  He feels impending death and thus abject failure. And yet in failure, he also know humility and in his humility, he finds faith. sublime whispers of the Immaterium.  Nouri hears the Word and whispers them back in response. 

With those words, Nouri's third eye opens wide and his mark once subtly hidden blazes brightly within the Immaterium.  As the Immaterium responds to his summons, power manifest around him pulling him towards the darkness below and engulfing the Renegade ripping at his armor and body.  Nouri's soul is flung into the Enginarium pulling with it his body, and tugging upon Gaius begging to bring him along body and soul as well.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho October 23, 2013, 05:56:22 PM
Painful seconds pass as the Astartes in front of you scans your Inquisitorial rosette. With all that has happened these past years...you do not think they you've been officially declared rogue...but you cannot know for sure.

What Maegon did, was for the benefit of Mankind and of the Imperium.
For the legendary Phoenix to reborn from his ashes, first he must burn.
Such philosophy is not uncommon among the radical factions of the Ordos.

However, in the presence of Gray Knights, Maegon is careful not to issue such thoughts, not even the slightest fraction of such thoughts.

The Grey Knight in front of you - whose designation is Decimus according to the charcoal filigree on his gorget - beacons for you to fall in beside him. His gun is no longer pointing at your face, but the softly echoing footsteps that follow you indicates the presence of a second adversary at your back.

"That will be for the Justicar decide." And that's all he has to say about that.

He sets a cruel pace for one as old and frail as you, but the march is mercifully short.

Three more Grey Knights await. One of them clearly an officer. Justicar Junius.

As far as you can tell this is a temporary base of sorts; they've gathered about them materials and supplies that Astartes might need to operate for prolonged periods of time.

Junius. "If the Tarot led you to us Inquisitor; to what purpose?" You can feel the collective psychic presence of the Knights - they've come out of their Aegis shells and joined forces, probing and picking at you. Trying to see what kind of man might one day decide to climb all the way up to find their hidden base. You can only hope they find no trace of your...

If he was not a fully trained Inquisitor, Maegon would sh*t his pants and power armour as well.

Instead, he remains calm and concentrate.

He seems intentionally just a little worried, like an agent of his rank should be, surrounded by four suspicious powerful Astartes psykers.

His mental locks keep his shameful secrets in an inviolable part of his mind. If the locks were broken, his whole mind would be erased, Maegon wuold fall into madness and die the next moment. Such is the power of his hypno-indoctrination, intended to protect the forbidden knowledge of the Inquisitors against their adversaries.

Moreover, without Maegon being aware, Kairos the Oracle strengthened these locks, while taking care not to leave any single trace of his influence.

The Grey Knights can read the mark of the dreadful fights that Maegon led against heretics, xenos and daemons. His soul could not emerge unscathed, but such is the common fate of the Inquisitors, who sacrifice themselves to protect Mankind.

@Azrael: You snipers have spotted a trio of Space Marine scouts moving into the open to secure their fallen brother. They are terribly exposed, but thus far the darkness and the general chaos have protected them. You can get a pict feed from their sniper scopes if you like - allowing you to identify them as belonging to a chapter called the 'Relictors'. I doubt Azrael would know anything about them, their excommunication included.
Azrael's comm bead buzzes as Lukas contacts him, "Looks like we have three Marine scouts moving in to retrieve the Marine whose jump pack failed earlier."

"Patch me in to the feed from your scope Lukas."

Lukas does so, allowing Azrael to see the scouts moving towards the ship.  From the markings they are from a chapter called the Relictors, but Azrael doesn't recognise it, not one of the more well known chapters.  Although no one has spotted them yet there is no cover between them and the fallen Marine and they are terribly exposed.  Although it is impossible to know their intentions for certain it is a reasonable guess that the Marines, like Azrael, see the ship as a potential way off-world and have used the chaos of the attack from the ruins to stage their own assault on the ship.  The cramped confines of a ships corridors are the ideal environment for a Space Marine, their small numbers are not a weakness in such close quarters allowing them to make the most of their armoured might.  As such they stand a good chance of clearing out a good fraction of the defending crew.  They will never be able to hold it however, certainly not for long enough to repair it, and from the state of their equipment they don't have the technical skills to do so anyway.  As such they would need allies after this battle...

Caporal Usher hears whispers mentioning the name of the Relictors begin to spread among the Nar-Ghosts. He informs Nemus, and in return the Interrogator informs him of their nature.

Excommunicate Traitoris

Usher goes search for Derryck or Azrael to transmit the message.

Junius. "If the Tarot led you to us Inquisitor; to what purpose?"

At this precise moment, Maegon's micro-bead sizzles when he receives a message from Nemus on their secured frequency.

"To bring you my help and get your help, by the Emperor's Will. A battle is raging outside Kasr hemshin, near a ship belonging to the abhorred Children of Fulgrim. I just learn that the Relictors are also implied."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 23, 2013, 06:37:04 PM
Lukas quietly passes the order to his snipers; despite the excellent honey-pot setup there will be no killing of the scouts. Quite the contrary, the order from above is to keep them alive.
Azrael can sense that Lukas is not entirely happy with his orders, he does like bringing down 'big game' as he tends to refer to Space Marines in such situations.  Azrael can't blame him either, they have completely clear shots and could easily take out all three Scouts and finish off the injured Marine.  That would not, however, deal with the 9 Marines that went into the ship, and while they could happily terminate the Scouts without the other Marines knowing who did it that would only give them the leverage of marginally decreasing the Marines numbers, rather than actively placing them in the Nar-Ghosts' debt.

Usher goes search for Derryck or Azrael to transmit the message.
Usher finds Azrael just as he is setting up a narrow-beam communications link with which to try and contact the Scouts.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 06:47:07 PM
The Justicar gives you a short nod. "Perhaps. We are on the hunt for Relictors. Perhaps your presence here is meant to lead us back to onto their trail..."

His voice trails off as a fifth Grey Knight - is there no end of them? - steps into view. Despite the thin air and biting cold he goes without a helmet, instead relying on a re-breather mask to supply his triple lungs with oxygenated air. Could he have lost it in battle? Or does he go without on purpose?

Junius: "Master Aquilus..."

Aquilus, using a mental sending even you can pick up: "Site Gamma has gone live. Class II warp incursion in progress. Get your men ready; we jump for Spire 12, level 697, north quadrant in fifteen seconds." Addressing you directly. "Inquisitor: If the Tarot guided you once, let it do it twice."

You watch as the Knights move as one, deftly checking themselves and each other as they hurtle towards the edge of a hive-side balcony. Aquilus is second last to go, followed by a heavy-weapons operator you hadn't spotted before - he must have been on-station on the balcony. Six Knights all told. Soon they are just little specks falling quickly down and away...

...with a start you realize what their target it. The site of the sorcerous incident your felt earlier in the neighboring spire.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 23, 2013, 08:17:48 PM
@Nouri: The space marine screams at you. "Your feeble powers are no match for a grandson of Fulgrim!" And he is right, try as you might your soul's might patters like rain upon his plated from. All you can do is flee.

Desperately you reach out to Luliana. She hears you plight and comes to your aid; quickly sacrificing one of the thralls she kickstarts and impromptu ritual. Fueled in no small part by your own angst and anguish the doors of the warp rips open; time and space becomes one, as does soul and body. One moment you are incorporeal on the bridge, the next you are reunited with your body deep in the enginarium. You are hurting and bleeding from multiple sympathetic injuries.

Half your host is here as well; your three steadfast helpers, nine thralls and seventeen other followers. Around you the enginarium and the voice of the warp core...and a squad of space marines. There is much confusion.



Seconds later six Grey Knights come in hard in Spire 12. Their jump units fire at the last possible instant - enough to cushion the fall, but not long enough for the enemy to react. Six seconds later the remaining thralls and cultists have been hacked to bloody bits by the fearsome force weapons wielded by the knights. Not a single shot is fired.

"Master: Anomaly contained, but the warp focus has escaped us..."

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 23, 2013, 08:57:18 PM
With those words, Nouri's third eye opens wide and his mark once subtly hidden blazes brightly within the Immaterium.  As the Immaterium responds to his summons, power manifest around him pulling him towards the darkness below and engulfing the Renegade ripping at his armor and body.  Nouri's soul is flung into the Enginarium pulling with it his body, and tugging upon Gaius begging to bring him along body and soul as well.

Gaius curses as the onslaught from Nouri brings him to his knees. "Hannah, shield yourself!". He detaches her from his conscience with some difficulty, as the girl is so frightened she desperately clings on to whatever support she can find. What kind of sorcerer is this? The panic; the pain. It reminds him of memories best left alone. With that thought the voices that only Gaius can hear starts to scream again. Or is it...singing? The distraction is too much, and his shield falters briefly. The world spins before his eyes as he is powerless to resist Nouris grasp, and he feels his body physically pulled in several directions at once. The pain is nearly unbearable, yet all he hears is the rythimcal screams inside his head.

Then everything is dark. Several people are yelling around him, yet Gaius can only focus on one person. Though his psychic presence has muted somewhat, he can still feel the chaos emanating from Nouri. No, feel is not correct. With him so close, he can nearly taste the chaos. Instinctively he shields himself again, noticing that the voices inside his head also went quiet as his body physically manifested itself in this place, wherever it is.

He stands up, slowly. "Are you alive, sorcerer?". Looking up he takes in the situation around him: Space Marines, brandishing their guns as their very lives depended on it. "Oh, but their lives DO depend on it" someone whispers in the back of his mind. Another group of people runs towards him and Nouri. Someone grabs him and roughly holds him in place. He allows it for the time being, watching as they carry Nouri to the side of the room. He senses their psychic abilities, and keeps his presence small. No point adding more fuel to the fire. He quietly starts to emanate a sense of tranquility, hoping to calm everybody.

Then it hits him. With all the people in the room, a larger presence still hides there. He breathes the word between clenched teeth: "Daemon!"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 23, 2013, 11:49:15 PM
The Locum Lector's mind is howling with alarm at the apparition of what his powers clearly identify as warped psykers, or worse. Remembering the lessons of the Venerable Attestor, the Relictors' Arch Librarian, he allows the fear, the hatred, the repulsion and something else, tasting oddly like envy, to run in and out his mind such as rivlets of cold water would stream on stones. After a moment of what a mere human would have termed panick, and a Space Marine, hesitation, he reasserts his barriers and renews the contact lost for a moment with the Orb, whose presence he can now feel, like an external, wild and viscous heart, which would send waves of a sickening sensation of unlimited power through his body.

This, the Locum Lector summarises for his Lector in a few laconic words, after having activated the encoded communicator with a tongue that cannot shed an enduring taste of salt and... blood:

"Infested ones have entered the perimeter, Sir."

The Lector, shield strongly clutching at his arm and weapon in hand, does not move from his forward position, facing the warp core which greeted him. His Astartes can only wonder whether their commander has heard or his aware of the commotion in the enginarium.

Ingrained obedience leads the Astartes to silently aim their projectile weapons, for some, and hand-to-hand ones for others, at what seems to be branded servants of the visibly agonising sorcerer. A nearby follower of the sorcerer who visibly wandered too close to the Relictors' group has one arm severed by the screaming chainsword of an Astartes before being kicked aside like a broken and dying puppet.

An efficient psyker could probably sense that the Marines' hardened mental training allows them to perceive a certain manipulation of emotions and perceptions in the area resulting effectively in raising the Marines' aggressivity and awareness. The Lector Locum remains an active, even if probably somewhat bordering on overload, mental presence, whilst the Lector should remain shrouded in mental silence. 

The Astartes remain as if transfixed, arms unwavering, aim taken in a semi-circle promising death adn suffering to intruders. Semi-circle having as Lextor Severus thrusting from its centre.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 24, 2013, 01:58:03 AM
Then it hits him. With all the people in the room, a larger presence still hides there. He breathes the word between clenched teeth: "Daemon!"

Nouri breathes heavily, gasping for air and wildly disoriented for a moment. He defensive wounds all over his hands and his face has a few minor slashes.  He sees Luliana and the others and quickly regains his senses. He slowly stands before registering the presence of the Space Marines, Gaius and the Neverborn.

"Well met, Gaius, though I wish it were under better circumstance.  Fulgrim's child is on the command deck, and I dare say, he is mighty...though...perhaps not as might as you, Neverborn..." He eyes them for a briefest moment, before turning his eyes towards the Warp-Drive. 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 24, 2013, 08:51:59 AM
The voice: "Daemon? Neverborn? Such foolish things to say. I am no daemon - and I have been born and died more times that all of you together even will experience. The only daemon on board this ship is the child of Fulgrim."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 24, 2013, 10:25:42 AM
Closing his eyes, Gaius takes a deep breath, reinforcing his defenses. As he opens his eyes again, he studies the people around him with senses amplified by his psychic abilities. He takes particular notice of Nouri and the unknown Space Marines, searching their auras and minds for clues as to what they are doing here.

"The mere presence of Grey Knights aboard this ship suggests you are lying, Daemon". He looks towards the Warp-drive, searching for signs of physical demonic manefestations. "But be that as it may, I must point out, Nouri, that while this child of Fulgrim seemed quite eager to kill you, this entity has yet to cause us any harm. And closer to the point, the only acts of violence within the enginarium have been carried out by Space Marines". He looks at the dead thrall.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to evalute all threats present".

He gathers his strenght as he turns to the Space Marines. "Perhaps you should state your business here, unless you intend to start hacking all of us to pieces?".
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 24, 2013, 04:52:19 PM
The Lector Locum had looked for some time at the new comer who has been addressing the Astartes. He answers him curtly, visibly ignoring the question leveled at his Lector:

"Identify yourself and the means of your entry here."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 24, 2013, 08:08:09 PM
As a side note: There seems to be quite a few more of the stocky little mutants that you first noticed; there must be hundred of pairs of eyes warily eying you. They appear neither hostile nor heavily armed.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) October 24, 2013, 09:00:36 PM
"Neither I nor the rest of the occupants in this room are much concerned with my presence here at this time, nor with my arrival. I imagine we  are all much more concerned with whether you and your fellow dogs" - he nods towards the wolves painted on the marine's armor - "are a threat to us or not. That, and the potential loss of limbs and lives, that's bound to cause some worry too".

For a brief second the Lector feels something against his mental walls, like the pinprick of a needle. He cannot tell if someone penetrated them or not. The voice of Gaius is suddenly inside his head: Lector Lexander Severus - of the Relictors, no less. I am Gaius. See, introductions can be done without threats. Especially when your fellow soldiers can be read like an open book. Now, I do not know if you fully appreciate the situation at hand, but let me assure you that this creature hiding within the warp-drive, is not something to be taken lightly. Nor are the space marines currently hunting the sorcerer bleeding next to us - his name is Nouri by the way. Why don't we skip the pleasantries and decide whether you and your men pose a threat or not, before this situation gets more out of hand than it already is?. The voice disappears, but Gaius continues to stare at the Lector for several seconds.

He then looks around the room, turning to face the mutants. "It is crowded in here, isn't it? I greet you, friends. Do not be alarmed. Though I cannot vouch for the butchers over there, I do not believe anyone else means you any harm". As he talks, he continues to emanate tranquil emotions throughout the room.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 24, 2013, 09:43:07 PM
One of the squat mutants - this one has a bushy white beard, streaked with oil and incense - steps up to the railing of an overhead walkway and addresses you, not meekly, but quite firmly.

"Greetings to you too. As long as you do not try to harm the Honoured Ancestors all will be well."

By 'Honoured Ancestors' he seems to mean the daemon-infested warp core.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 24, 2013, 10:38:48 PM
Nouri nods in agreement with Gaius.

"And I suppose you should be quick about it, the Child of Fulgrim is readying to mount a counter-attack," he says. Nouri turns to regard Kiltren and Ben.  "You should prepare them for the coming battle. We'll need cover..." he says and they quickly move to begin setting up throughout the Enginarium, still giving wide-berth to the Space Marines.

He eyes Luliana who nods at him and gathers a few of the thralls.

"Let me know if you are able to find them, Luliana.  We will not leave our brethren."

Nouri gives the Lector Locum his full attention. Before Luliana comes back and says to him. "Master, they are gone...Grey Knights..." Nouri's eyes narrow before he looks again to the Lector.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 26, 2013, 12:16:07 AM
Usher finds Azrael just as he is setting up a narrow-beam communications link with which to try and contact the Scouts.
"Is this really urgent, I am rather in the middle of something?"

"I felt I should tell you that the Relictors are excommunicate traitoris"

Azrael turned to regard Usher with a somewhat quizzical and bemused expression.  When he repaired Usher's vox unit he installed a small relay such that, provided he was within a reasonable distance, he would hear any communications between Usher and the Inquisitor's forces in the Hive.  As such he actually already knew why Usher was here, but he wasn't going to let Usher know that.

"I fail to see what that has to do with anything"

"They are traitors and heretics and knowingly aiding a traitor is to become one," responded Usher, a little taken aback.

Azrael's expression turned to amused and he raised an eyebrow, "Really Usher I would not have expected you to be so naive.  Who exactly on this planet do you think has not been branded a traitor or a heretic by someone?  I strongly suspect that though he may not admit it you, your Inquisitor is probably regarded as such by some people.  I also doubt very much that he had anything to do with you coming to me did he?"

"No, the Inquisitor did not ask me to see you, but how dare you suggest that he is a traitor!"

"I did not suggest that Inquisitor Maegon is a traitor, I suggested that some people most likely consider him to be, I am not among them.  These Relictors are most likely in the same situation, I have little time for the lackeys of Chaos, but these Marines do not look like Chaos-worshippers to me.  And even if they were, in the present situation we can't be too picky about temporary allies," Azrael looked somewhat pointedly at Usher as he said the word 'temporary', "Feel free to talk to the Inquisitor about it later, but I feel that he will agree with me."

Usher looked slightly distraught, but acquiesced and turned and walked away.

Azrael watched Usher go for a second and then quietly contacted Derryck.

"Derryck, I'm sure you have been watching our guests anyway, but I want you to keep an especially close eye on them, and be prepared to neutralise them if necessary.  Preferably non-lethally as they may still be of use, but not if it would place any of ours in danger."

"Aye Magos," Derryck confirmed.

Azrael turned back to the communications link and made some adjustments, the Scouts were now almost at the fallen marine by the ship.  They had got further than he would like, but at least they would be stationary temporarily.  He narrowed the beam further and set the power such that it would reach the Scouts, but not much further, and then switched to a broad band signal over all channels.

"Lukas, let me know if you see any indications that they've received my message," he said before activating the link.

"Relictor Scouts, this is Magos Azrael Kane.  We are providing you with sniper cover while you extract your brother.  We can also provide medical assistance to treat him once you clear the ship.  If you hear me, respond on channel 486.5 with standard encryption pattern bravo-tango-one."

"Anything Lukas?"

"One of them raised his hand to his ear and looked around, looks like he heard you.  They'll know we can take them out easy as pie if they don't play ball," Lukas replied, it was obvious he was grinning slightly.

"Indeed, don't raise any attention, but if any hostile comes within a reasonable range take them out within sight of the Scouts just to make sure they get the message."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 28, 2013, 02:59:49 PM
Aboard the ship

Gaius could sense the puzzlement and a flashing anger of the Lector at having the Tower of Silence breached so easily, this puzzlement he can still feel when his mental probe is slowly drowned by whispering voices, which he cannot pinpoint and as a warm of bees they prevent him from further concentrating and reaching the Lector any further. The Lector turns slightly to face the newcomers. Turning to Gaius:

"Our Chapter has no quarrel with you and your... allies" the Lector's voice clearly marks a question as to how such a disparate group of people have landed in the middle of the enginarium.

"That being said I fear that if you are in league with the bewitched Grey Knights, we do have a quarrel that we need to clear."

The Lector seems expecting an answer before deciding on a course of action.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 28, 2013, 04:12:58 PM
Around the ship

Roldar receives the communication, so do his brethren. Since the radio-silence with his Lector has begun (and which would coincide with the Astartes entry in the enginarium), no one challenged his new-found leadership over his brothers and local recruits. Realising the vulnerability of his position, which he had feared all along, he simply answers:

"Magos Azrael Kane you are in contact with the Third Company of the Relictors. Cover most welcome. We are seeking suitable position."

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 28, 2013, 11:05:37 PM
Aboard the ship

Gaius could sense the puzzlement and a flashing anger of the Lector at having the Tower of Silence breached so easily, this puzzlement he can still feel when his mental probe is slowly drowned by whispering voices, which he cannot pinpoint and as a warm of bees they prevent him from further concentrating and reaching the Lector any further. The Lector turns slightly to face the newcomers. Turning to Gaius:

"Our Chapter has no quarrel with you and your... allies" the Lector's voice clearly marks a question as to how such a disparate group of people have landed in the middle of the enginarium.

"That being said I fear that if you are in league with the bewitched Grey Knights, we do have a quarrel that we need to clear."

The Lector seems expecting an answer before deciding on a course of action.

Nouri snorts. "I daresay the Grey Knight are the enemy of every thing they cannot ascribe to their tragically narrowly defined lexicon. I think even you can see that if they are your enemies, then amongst this group of misfits you can find kin, if not blood brothers," he says.

"Of course, they are not our most principle issues at they moment, that would be the Child of Fulgrim," he says. He looks around the room for a moment, before tapping his chin for a moment.

"I suppose our ritual from before drew them to us...perhaps..." He turns to the Lector and Gaius.  "We are outgunned and outnumbered. Perhaps we should see if the Grey Knights might not even the upcoming battle?"  He says.

"What if we draw them here using that..." He says pointing to the warp core.

"Let our enemies fight amongst themselves," he says.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 29, 2013, 03:15:55 PM
"Magos Azrael Kane you are in contact with the Third Company of the Relictors. Cover most welcome. We are seeking suitable position."

"I am transmitting you coordinates at which we can meet you with medical assistance."

Then to Lukas, "Keep them in your sights at all times and stay out of sight, especially when I meet them with Irena.  It always pays to be prepared where Space Marines are involved."

Azrael then considers for a moment, before notifying Hrothgar of their contact with the Relictors.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 29, 2013, 07:54:32 PM
Outside: Hrothgar has camped close by; he sends his man Ravn over with a squad of men to observe.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 29, 2013, 07:59:40 PM
Inside: The warp core/daemon/whatever remains silent as you talk amongst yourselves. After a while it interjects, "this is all very good, but what does it matter when you might all soon be dead? He comes for you, and there is not a one among you that can stand before him and live. Ten thousand years he has fought and killed; how do you propose to stop such a one?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 29, 2013, 11:23:12 PM
Inside: The warp core/daemon/whatever remains silent as you talk amongst yourselves. After a while it interjects, "this is all very good, but what does it matter when you might all soon be dead? He comes for you, and there is not a one among you that can stand before him and live. Ten thousand years he has fought and killed; how do you propose to stop such a one?"

The Lector shruggs off the comments from the wounded sorcerer, his attention returning to the warp core and his voice sounds as if amplified by the voice gear embedded in his helmet:

"You mentioned that you were waiting for me, what do you want and why would you take part in this feud with the reviled spawn of Fulgrim?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 29, 2013, 11:30:34 PM
Outside - Roldar and his men

The two dozens odds Scout Marines and their followers move warily towards the destination provided. The small retinue is led by Roldar with a two Scouts and three recruits carrying the wounded Marine who hovers between consciousness and unconsciousness, whislst another one carries his discarded weaponry. The Relictors seem to comply ostensibly with the communications received. One observer would only notice that one of the members keeps moving in and outside of sight as if searching for something.

The Relictors would adopt a defensive position and keep watch near the indicated site.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 30, 2013, 09:30:03 AM
Warp core: "The relic you carry...surely you know what it is?" Getting no immediate reply it continues. "You wish to get away from this place, do you not? Well, Xerxzes of the Emperor's Children is all that stand between you and that goal. He enslaves us all - kill him and the ship will be yours to command: The damage is not so extensive it cannot be repaired. Soon you could be among the stars again."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 30, 2013, 02:56:54 PM
The Lector shakes his armored head and takes the floor with a puzzled voice:

"The Tower of Silence? What of it?"

Before continuing:

"The abomination shall certainly be fought, however what do you stand to gain from his demise, Daemon or whatever you might be? You also fail to state whether you plan to help or whether your minions will stand by the Relictors?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 30, 2013, 08:25:46 PM
Warp core: "It has a name? How cute. Let me answer thus: If it be the Tower of Silence then I be the Citadel of Quiet."

Something resembling laughter follows.

"I stand to gain that which is most important to me: The freedom of my kin, the squats of the Tol-Bazar, the very clan that forged this ship and took her to the stars."

A slight pause follows.

"Unfortunately I dare not aid you; should you fail my kin will suffer horribly."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 30, 2013, 08:55:47 PM
Azrael waits with Irena and her medical supplies and a small group of other members of the Nar-Ghosts at the meeting point, while Lukas keeps watch with his snipers and the rest of the warband hang back (along with Corporal Usher and his men, as given his earlier feelings Azrael decided it would be better if he were not there for their first meeting with the Relictors).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 30, 2013, 09:57:33 PM
Nouri regards the Tower of Silence for a few moments before speaking.

"If you shall not help then at least you can perhaps explain how this trinket should help us free your kin?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 30, 2013, 10:40:46 PM
"Is it not obvious? The Relictors' hunt for such items have ultimately brought them here, to this time and place. What concurrence. Or not. It depends on the eye of the beholder. Now that they are here they will find a means to kill the abomination and free us all. So they must if their hunt is to continue. Or they could lay down their arms and let the child of Fulgrim kill them; but I think not, Imperial Astartes are good at adapting and overcoming."

"Or did you mean it more literally? In which case the Tower could come in handy for warding off the fell blows of Xerxzes. Whom - I must hasten to add - they claim bested a Greater Daemon in single combat. A lie most likely, but he is quite dangerous in the melee."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 31, 2013, 12:12:14 AM
A coarse voice sounding from the enginarium's inter-vox speakers: "Do not listen to the lies of the Daemon, for it can speak only falsehood. I wish you no harm - despite what you have done to my loyal crewmen." The voice addresses the core. "Now get this door open. I will suffer no more of your shenanigans."

"I will have no part in this," the core protests.

Xerxez over the speakers: "Have it your way. Then I Name thee once: Tol-Bazar. Open this gate." The core hisses and hums. "I Name thee twice: K..." Before he can finish the second name the core relents. "Have mercy! Do not name me by my True names in front of all these strangers!"

The blast doors starts to grind open...

"A wise choice o Wicked One," says the darkness in the hallway beyond.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 31, 2013, 01:06:53 PM
A short communication cracks between the Lector and his Locum, both move swiftly on either side of the Warp core. A plate on the decorated pectoral armor of the Locum Lector slides and reveals the sickening contour and malevolent light shed by a first-size orb, beating like a heart. Whilst their brethren move around them in a protecting circle.

Whilst the blast door start moving, the Lector turns to the sorcerer Nouri, and comments softly:

"Sorcerer, let us all have some amusement, and call in, if you can, the boisterous Grey Knights you seem to entertain dealings with. For once they might have a useful purpose."

Nodding to the slowly opening doors, he adds loudly:

"Spawn of the Phoenician who once served Mankind, what were to happen were we to destroy this core, now?"

 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B October 31, 2013, 01:33:08 PM
"Progeny of the Fire Hawks, who once labored in ignorance for the Corpse-God of Terra: The daemon would be set free - and this ship would become even more useless than it already is. I would caution you not to give it much heed; already it has convinces the squat mutants that live aboard this vessel that it is their benevolent ancestral spirits."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 31, 2013, 02:09:09 PM
The Lector and his brethren do not alter their pose. The Lector turns his head towards the sorcerer Nouri and the psyker Gaius, as if leaving them a chance to speak before acting.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 31, 2013, 02:25:12 PM
Azrael waits with Irena and her medical supplies and a small group of other members of the Nar-Ghosts at the meeting point, while Lukas keeps watch with his snipers and the rest of the warband hang back (along with Corporal Usher and his men, as given his earlier feelings Azrael decided it would be better if he were not there for their first meeting with the Relictors).

Two Scouts and a handful of local recruits can be overheard eventually progressing slowly and warily. One of them eventually notices the waiting group and he stops some fifty yards away communicating in the previous code:

"Third Company of Relictors in sight. Request clearance to approach."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) October 31, 2013, 09:27:28 PM
Lulianna and the remnants of the Cabal work quietly behind cover while those with guns have trained them firmly on the dark corridor.  Lulianna and the Cabal work to summon the energies necessary to gain the notice of the Grey Knights.  A greenish ball of pure warp fire coalesces between them.  It won't be long now until they will release it into the night.

With a few quick gestures and whispered words, the air around Nouri and the Cabal shimmers as a slightly opaque shield comes into existence.

"And why should your words bear more truth than the daemon?  I imagine you two have much in common."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord October 31, 2013, 11:04:18 PM
"Third Company of Relictors in sight. Request clearance to approach."
"You are cleared to approach," Azrael responds while Irena begins to unpack some of her medical supplies.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 31, 2013, 11:13:58 PM
The Scouts and the recruits come near and await. Seeing the woman from the Magos' retinue unpacking what could seem as supplies, the contingent approaches, eight scouts and the retinue of men, carrying between them the wounded Astartes. He seems to have fits of consciousness however his body conveys an impression of limpness not usually associated with the enhanced body of a Marine.



 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker October 31, 2013, 11:24:17 PM
Lulianna and the remnants of the Cabal work quietly behind cover while those with guns have trained them firmly on the dark corridor.  Lulianna and the Cabal work to summon the energies necessary to gain the notice of the Grey Knights.  A greenish ball of pure warp fire coalesces between them.  It won't be long now until they will release it into the night.

With a few quick gestures and whispered words, the air around Nouri and the Cabal shimmers as a slightly opaque shield comes into existence.

"And why should your words bear more truth than the daemon?  I imagine you two have much in common."

A mettalic laughter escapes the helmet of the Lector who then adds:

"Well-spoken, sorcerer."

Turning  to the darkness filtering through the nearly open blast doors, outside he adds:

"O Scion of a Daemon, the Fire Hawks are no more, betrayed as they were not by the Emperor but by His Inquisition whose minds have been corrupted by the Corruption, just as it did with what was a famed Primarch. I shall not repeat my words."

Whilst the exchange had been ongoing, the Locum Lector had firmed his psykik link up with the Maleficent Orb using it as a protective shell to surround his own mind. Only him could feel the presence of the Orb around his own soul: moist and damp such as a bathing in a swamp, repulsive and corruptive like the breath of a Daemon, yet so mighty and exhilarating. This achieved, he starts proding Tol-Bazar to ascertain its nature and, if possible, intentions.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 01, 2013, 01:22:21 AM
The Scouts and the recruits come near and await. Seeing the woman from the Magos' retinue unpacking what could seem as supplies, the contingent approaches, eight scouts and the retinue of men, carrying between them the wounded Astartes. He seems to have fits of consciousness however his body conveys an impression of limpness not usually associated with the enhanced body of a Marine.
Irena and Azrael step forward as the scouts bring the injured Marine forwards.

"Greetings, I am Magos Kane, this is Irena Karovska.  She is quite a skilled medic, we will do what we can for your brother."

"We'll need to get him out of his armour," says Irena, bringing out some diagnostic equipment.

"We probably will, however his armour will have an array of monitoring equipment built into it that hopefully still functions.  I can interface with it so that we can make an initial diagnosis," interjected Azrael, "Please lie your brother down on the ground here and I will connect to his armour's monitoring systems."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 01, 2013, 12:13:28 PM
The Scouts start silently complying with the Mago, when from a nearby pool of shadow emerges another one (the ninth) who greets the Mago:

"I am Roldar of the Relictors' Third Company. On behalf of my Chapter, we thank you, Mago, and your followers for your assistance".

He then kneels by his brother and start deftly unfastening the non-critical pieces of armor and equipment, who are reverently aside and guarded by two Scouts, whilst Roldar silently helps and possibly keeps watch over Irena's actions.

Reports from the still functioning systems indicate severe spinal injuries and cranial trauma.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 01, 2013, 03:38:29 PM
The marine has gone into a sort of self-induced coma; if given proper care he should recover within a few weeks of time. His armour is a mess. It is several damage and will require weeks, if not moths of labor to bring back to function.

The night-time attack has now ended completely and silence reigns (except some screams from the injured and the dying).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 01, 2013, 04:00:11 PM
Roldar turns to Mago Kane after having read the reports from the armor health monitor and listened to Irena's conclusions:

"Mago Kane, the dire state of our brother will need to be reported to our Lector, who with the rest of our brethren, is boarding the voidship as we speak."

Roldar pauses for a moment, looking at the voidship glittering under the night sky dimly lit by timid stars, before he continues:

"Our place is at the side of our Lector and our brethren fighting there, nevertheless we will not let behind a disabled brother and we cannot take for granted your prolonged help, for which I thank you. I therefore need to know what your intentions are. "
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 01, 2013, 06:37:18 PM
"Our place is at the side of our Lector and our brethren fighting there, nevertheless we will not let behind a disabled brother and we cannot take for granted your prolonged help, for which I thank you. I therefore need to know what your intentions are. "

"We, like yourselves I presume, saw the ship as a potential means to leave this planet.  As such our goals are aligned, you do not wish to leave your brother behind, and we want to be on that ship," Azrael said nodding towards the voidship.

"Your brothers will be far better than us at clearing away any resistance on board the ship, but you will need greater numbers if you are to hold it.  In addition you will need assistance making the necessary repairs to the vessel, and Irena can continue to care for your injured brother here," gesturing towards the injured Marine.

"He will heal faster if I have access to a full ship's medicae facility as well," added Irena.

Azrael nodded again, and held out his hand, "While of course I appreciate that your Lector would need to approve it, I suggest that we consider ourselves allies."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 01, 2013, 09:17:28 PM

Whilst the exchange had been ongoing, the Locum Lector had firmed his psykik link up with the Maleficent Orb using it as a protective shell to surround his own mind. Only him could feel the presence of the Orb around his own soul: moist and damp such as a bathing in a swamp, repulsive and corruptive like the breath of a Daemon, yet so mighty and exhilarating. This achieved, he starts proding Tol-Bazar to ascertain its nature and, if possible, intentions.

Ascertaining anything about a daemon is very tricky; it is by its very hard to pin down. A mutable thing, filled with lies and corruption. And how, exactly, do you tell the difference between a deceitful daemon and the spirit of a honourable ancestor? Is there even a difference?

As far as Adorus can tell there is a powerful psychic presence contained within the warp core. Tainted or not...much harder to tell, since the Warp by nature IS taint. It is not exactly common for daemonic entities to act through inanimate objects; mostly they require a physical body with a soul that they can possess if they are to exist on this plane. That doesn't mean it can't be a daemon, but it does mean that it's a special case.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 01, 2013, 09:33:45 PM
The core speaks: "What are you doing little sorcerers?" it says, addressing Nouir. "Surely you are not foolish enough to attract the attention of the Grey Knights?" it says, sound as incredulous as a pulsating warp core is capable of.

Xerxzes interrupts: "Quite your sniveling daemon." Addressing the Relictors. "We were all betrayed Lector. I learned that lesson ten millennia ago when the Emperor turned against his own children. Too bad so many believed the lies told by the victors; had the truth become know your Chapter would not have suffered unfairly at the hands of the Inquisition."

The core interjects: "But the Grey Knights Xerxzes! Even you cannot hope to defeat them!"

Xerxzes, unfazed: "But the lies are gone now. Bold men are free to define their own truth, to seek their own answers.

I came here to Cadia seeking such men, for they are needed on the front lines. But the Ner'gal assaulted my vessel...and things got a bit more complicated than I had envisioned. So there is no need for all this hostility; ignore the lies of the daemon and join forces with me. Soon we shall have the ship repairs and we will set course for greatness."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 02, 2013, 07:45:39 AM
Nouri looks from Xerxzes to the Lector to the core and then to the Cabal before speaking.

"Any act often repeated soon forms a habit; and habit allowed, steadily gains in strength. At first it may be but as a spider's web, easily broken through, but if not resisted it soon binds us with chains of steel. In your eons of struggle against the Corpse-god, is he not enslaved, if by nothing else his opposition?" he says.

"Change is upon us, Lector - change is upon the Imperium. Yet, all changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.  Cast away the gasping specters of the yester-years. They have won, but in their victory, they cannot bring Mankind hope for they are yet slaves to the Corpse-king, not because of a deluded sense of love, but rather fanatic hatred," he says.

"Cast them away and let's choose a path unburden and unconcerned by their past, but rather we shall forge anew our future. I would not be a slave again, Lector and I would pray this true of you as well."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 02, 2013, 09:49:13 AM

Maegon will be exploring the upper Hive, examining the tracks of the Grey Knights and searching for blessed or damned items.

Also he'll lead a subtle ritual of his own to influence the dreams of the other characters (if they ever sleep ;))

There isn't much in the way of blessed or damned items, but there is a bit of mundane gear to be found. Your men could potentially ascend all the way up here and retrieve it, but you're not sure it will be worth the effort. Better to have them focus on what you found on the lower levels - more gear for less effort.

Dawn arrives early high up in the hive spire; the night rains have scoured the skies reasonably clear once again and the rays of the sun are able to pierce the remaining cloud cover with enough intensity to bathe the ruined hive in a multitude of red-tinged colours. The view form the hive-balcony is spectacular.

Taking stock of the situation you conclude that the powerful orbital communicator is the most interesting item. You've managed to access it using your Rosette's clearance codes. You've listened only briefly, but you've picked up multiple signals, some coming from the hive, others from the wastelands - and a few scraps filtering down from orbit. Would that you were better at this or had a savant or vox-servitor at hand.

Other than that you've located a crate of mundane bolter ammo, and some spare parts for power armour sub-systems. There are also some tools laying about that could come in handy for a tech-priest.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 02, 2013, 10:03:09 AM
Ravn relays a message from his master, Hrothgar: "Magos Azrael. The attack has ended and I suggest we use the opportunity to secure a more advantageous position. We should move into the ruins - all of use - and establish a perimeter there. Thusly placed we will have control of the most advantageous approach to the ship: If we desire we can stage an assault of our own. Or if we do not so desire we have the ability to block the advance of other warbands; they must either fight us in close quarters terrain or cross open ground to attack the ship."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 02, 2013, 01:15:14 PM
"Magos Azrael. The attack has ended and I suggest we use the opportunity to secure a more advantageous position. We should move into the ruins - all of us - and establish a perimeter there. Thusly placed we will have control of the most advantageous approach to the ship: If we desire we can stage an assault of our own. Or if we do not so desire we have the ability to block the advance of other warbands; they must either fight us in close quarters terrain or cross open ground to attack the ship."

"I agree, we will move as soon as I've constructed a stretcher to keep the Relictor marine stable and avoid aggravating his injuries, which will not take long."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 02, 2013, 06:35:39 PM
OOC: Could we try to make posts have a little more body and forward momentum? I know we're all trying to get a feel for the game here, every time you make a post, try to think of how it could make the story flow forward.



Dawn has come. The violence has ended, both inside and outside the ship.

On the inside there is something of a standoff in the enginarium; the warp core/daemon/hallowed ancestral spirits vs. Xerxes, grandson on Fulgrim - with Lexander, Nouri and Gaius undecided in the middle (but you're talking, not shooting ATM). You will likely want to continue talking, questioning both the core and the chaos marine.

On the outside Azrael (backed up by Hrothgar) has moved into the best possible position within the ruined outpost. You will likely want to reinforce your position, put out scouts to watch approaching warbands, look for supplies and/or recruits and so forth. You could also speak to other warbands by vox, try to get into the ship etc. There are lots of options.

Back in the hive Maegon has found quite a bit of supplies. It will take his elites days to bring it all down to a breathable level, but once that has been accomplished he'll have advanced to Resources: 1 (meaning he'll a stockpile of stuff that will last for a while).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 02, 2013, 07:47:33 PM
On the outside Azrael (backed up by Hrothgar) has moved into the best possible position within the ruined outpost. You will likely want to reinforce your position, put out scouts to watch approaching warbands, look for supplies and/or recruits and so forth. You could also speak to other warbands by vox, try to get into the ship etc. There are lots of options.

Having occupied the ruins to the front of the ship Azrael and the Nar-Ghosts quickly get to work doing what they do best and fortify all approaches to the ship through the ruins with all many of booby-traps - deadfall pits, tripwire explosives, unstable rock piles, landmines, etc, supported by Hrothgar's host, Corporal Usher and his men, and Roldar and the Relictor scouts.  Before long the ruins are a complete nightmare gauntlet that ought to be enough to try the resolve of even the most determined foe.  As they move through the ruins putting the fortifications in place they scour the area for any resources left behind during the rout of the previous nights assault, as well as any survivors from it, who would either be inducted into the warband or put out of their misery as appropriate.

The injured Relictor Space Marine seemed to be stabilising well under Irena's care, and while they were hardly at leisure the reduction in pace was welcome for the human members of the warbands, allowing them to take turns getting a little rest.

Despite any concerns Azrael may have had Usher seemed to be getting along reasonably with the Relictors, he seemed to be satisfied that Azrael's assertion that the Relictors were probably just as misunderstood as themselves was accurate, as the Relictors certainly gave no impression of being Chaos worshippers.  On the contrary they seemed somewhat closer to the typical view of an Imperial Space Marine than the distinctly wolfish Hrothgar.

Later in the day Azrael spoke to Roldar again, "Have you been able to make contact with your Lector at all?  If we are going to try and make our way onto the ship it would be better to know what awaits us."

He also inquired of Usher whether he had heard anything from the Inquisitor or his men in the hive.  In particular when he had slept for a while earlier (the first time he had in some time, Mechanicus implants are quite useful for keeping one going beyond the limits of normal human endurance, though nowhere near as effective as a Space Marine's symbiotes), he had a somewhat odd dream involving Maegon.  Of course Azrael still has the bug in Usher's vox unit, but this doesn't work when he is asleep.

[OOC: Is that more what you had in mind?]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 02, 2013, 08:59:04 PM
Outside the voidship

Roldar agrees to the proposal of Mago Kane and both warbands fall in. The Scouts provide their help in ascertaining the perimeter and they take positions to cover the surroundings. They will however report only to Roldar.

Roldar is still unable to communicate with the Lector and in turn he assumes the command of the remaining Relictors and the small retinue they have assembled around them. Within a few hours of having seen his Marine brother settled he approaches Mago Kane again:

"Mago Kane, we wish to mount a renewed and this time well coordinated assault on the vessel, if only to link forces with our brethren who have entered it. I do believe that the Lector and our the other Relictors are still alive and as we all stand, we are your best chance to seize the voidship. I see no disalignment of interest between our respective parties and in any event the Relictors have no feud with your party. I am however interested in understanding your relationship with what appear to be renegade Space Wolves."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 02, 2013, 09:27:36 PM
"Mago Kane, we wish to mount a renewed and this time well coordinated assault on the vessel, if only to link forces with our brethren who have entered it. I do believe that the Lector and our the other Relictors are still alive and as we all stand, we are your best chance to seize the voidship. I see no disalignment of interest between our respective parties and in any event the Relictors have no feud with your party. I am however interested in understanding your relationship with what appear to be renegade Space Wolves."

"I agree, I have been studying the vessel to ascertain the best path of entry, I believe I should be able to grant us access through a maintenance hatch on the prow.  My people are only human however and are tired, not to mention that our already low supplies are stretched thin, as I presume are your own.  I feel that we would be best served by spending the rest of the day recuperating and gathering what supplies we can that were no doubt abandoned during the disorganised rout of the attackers last night and then entering the ship at dawn tomorrow.  If you wish to move ahead of us I will get you into the ship and we will follow later, we will need to leave a small group in the rear with your brother until we have secured sufficient of the interior in any case.  I also plan to leave Lukas and his snipers to keep watch in the ruins.

As to Hrothgar our relationship is much the same the same is it is with yourself.  We made contact with Hrothgar's band in the Hive before we made our way across the wastes to the ship on the basis that neither of us would be able to take control of the ship alone.  What his status is I have not enquired, under the circumstances I considered it to be poor etiquette.  I suspect however that he is indeed a 'renegade' if you choose to use those terms.  What led him to that path I do not of course know for certain, however you will no doubt have noticed that even for a Space Wolf there is something uncommonly wolf-like about him.  I suspect that he may be a mutant and became an outcast as a result."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 02, 2013, 09:38:02 PM
Inside the voidship

The last words of the sorcerer seem to raise the tension within the enginarium. The Lector turns to Nouri and addresses him:

"I fail to understand your point sorcerer, yet the degree of your perdition is unveiled by your words. Your intimate association with the Grey Knights and your implicit support for the delusion proffered by this Fallen Marine corroborate what our Chapter has beholden as true and right since the Inquisition, misguided and perverted from the within, has turned many a once loyal Chapter into a renegade against Mankind. Rules and sacred bonds are what distinguish Man from the degenerated creatures that have disavowed their nature and turned to serve Abaddon and his minions. Our Chapter has therefore initiated its own crusade of which we are but a mere spark on Cadia. Now state your chosen side here and now, and live with the consequences."

Turning to Xerxzes he adds:

"I am offering instead you deliverance and the blessing of our Conclave. Just like the Imperium is certainly doomed, for it is convulsed from within and besieged by those who once gave their blood and souls to defend it, so is the vainglorious quest of Fulrgim and Lucius, the Soulthief. Have you forgotten after these millennia the legendary feats of your banner on Istvaan III? Do you ever crave, Xerxzes, for the purity that must have been inhabiting the hearts of your brothers there and then?"

   
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 03, 2013, 02:06:59 PM
Outside the voidship

Roldar nods at the words of Mago Kane and answers:

"Your approach, Mago Kane, is sound, and we would rather mount a meaningful offensive rather than waste the overall effort."

Casting a critical eye on his own non-Astartes recruits he adds:

"And I believe that some rest is also required for our friends here."

With a few curt words he allows the new recruits to disband and get some rest, after having helped the Mago's men with setting up the camp and gathering whatever supplies can be scanvenged.

Roldar then starts watching Hrothgar and his own retinue from afar. From his backpack, he unfolds a probe, not unlike a black mechanical spider with a strange device on its back. The probe soon enough starts crawling towards the Space Wolf and his heteroclite followers.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 03, 2013, 06:47:05 PM
Inside the voidship

The last words of the sorcerer seem to raise the tension within the enginarium. The Lector turns to Nouri and addresses him:

"I fail to understand your point sorcerer, yet the degree of your perdition is unveiled by your words. Your intimate association with the Grey Knights and your implicit support for the delusion proffered by this Fallen Marine corroborate what our Chapter has beholden as true and right since the Inquisition, misguided and perverted from the within, has turned many a once loyal Chapter into a renegade against Mankind. Rules and sacred bonds are what distinguish Man from the degenerated creatures that have disavowed their nature and turned to serve Abaddon and his minions. Our Chapter has therefore initiated its own crusade of which we are but a mere spark on Cadia. Now state your chosen side here and now, and live with the consequences."
 

"This cabal would be larger were it not for the Grey Knights; they've no less than half of our brethren.  You are not the only, Lector, to feel their sting.  And I daresay you understand far better my point; their are two supposed sides, either you are for Mankind or your against Mankind.  I would say, Lector, that I am for man and that means fighting the corruption within it, defeating the Inquisition, and setting it upon a different path, a better future that isn't spinning perilously close to utter destruction," he says.

"Xerxzes, if we were to join you, with perhaps some of the other men that can be mustered yet on Cadia, how shall be proceed first?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 03, 2013, 08:18:17 PM
Xerxzes, to Lexander: "The young ones, always so certain. Yet what do you know of purity and honour? What do you know of Istvaan? What do you know of the Great Betrayal? The answer is nothing. Nothing except lies...ten thousand years of lies, one heaped on top of another."

He steps forward, into the ruddy light of the enginarium. A towering giant in arcane power armour that seem to resemble the colours of the Cadian dawn. His helmet is donned now, but his bolter is still slung. Instead he is armed with twain melee weapons; a vicious-looking chainsword and a jagged obsidian blade that remains matte-black despite the pulsating lights of the warp-core. 

He keeps talking. "Do not let the past or narrow-minded dogma limit your vision Relictor. Yours is a chapter that dared look beyond the veil of lies. That cost you dearly, but to those of your that still live: Do not throw away what you have gained. Lift your gaze from you single-minded quest for chaos-infused artefacts and look the the greater whole. Look up an realize you are free of the yoke - free to realize your dreams, free to seek vengeance against the Grey Knights...if that is what you truly desire."

Addressing all of you in general: "The Great Betrayer, the Corpse-God of Terra, is dead at long last. The extinction of the baleful glare of the Astronomican is proof enough. This is the dawn of a brave new ago and you could be its heroes! Yes, you! You, not me! I'm from a different day and age, my time long past, this is your age."

He fixes Nouri with his visored gaze: "First we must decide: Will there will be battle between us - or not. With these hands I have killed more than a million men, a few dozen more shall no bother me. So which is it? Death or glory?"

Those of you with strong minds or significant psychic shielding are not so affected (i.e. Nouri, Luliana, Gaius, Lexander and the Locum), but for the rank and file Xerxzes worlds seem uncommonly wise and fair. So much so that they cannot see any reason  at all to attack the noble space marine.

The warp core: "You idiots! Why did you listen to him! Kill him, kill him now!!!"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 03, 2013, 08:32:04 PM
Outside the voidship

Roldar then starts watching Hrothgar and his own retinue from afar. From his backpack, he unfolds a probe, not unlike a black mechanical spider with a strange device on its back. The probe soon enough starts crawling towards the Space Wolf and his heteroclite followers.

They don't do a whole lot. They set up camp as agreed and set about fortifying their sector. Later the other space marine, Ravn, sends two scouts out of camp. Next thing that happens is Hrothgar suddenly spinning around, bolt pistol in hand. A single shot is fired. The spider-probe falls silent.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 04, 2013, 01:44:48 PM
Aboard the voidship

The Lector answers steadily the Fallen Astartes:
“Dreams? What dreams can be harbored within your depraved breast?  Sensuality and decay, which are the phantasms Fulrgim, Lucius and the others of your Chapter have vainly pursued since Horus and his dark followers collapsed. I look upon you and I see the fate that would befall my brothers and I should we bend the knee. For what you offer us, here and now, is indeed another yoke infused with delirium and insanity.”

Turning to Nouri he adds:

“Sorcerer, I hear you, and today is not the day the Astartes of our Chapter will fight you and your men unless you force us to. Look in front of you and see what the Warp-induced horror that tries to ensnare you and your followers. The Emperor may be gone and the Imperium rotten from the within, but then, join us in building what the Imperium might have been, had it not been infiltrated and perverted from the within by the very lords of Xerxzes.“

As he speaks, the Lectors notices a certain shift in the poise of his men, certain more relaxed grip on a weapon here, a slight nodding there, as if the words of Fulgrim’s child preyed upon their minds.
Turning to Xerxzes he concludes:

“I serve my Conclave and Chapter out of choice, whilst you are chained to a Daemon and his vapors. Death seems preferable than any more of these sweet falsehoods professed here.”

With a swift nod, he ignites his powerful jet-pack and propels himself, Tower of Silence thrust forward and chainsaw sword screaming on Xerxzes. The Locum Lector taps the power of the Orb to shield the other Astartes from the waves emanating from Xerxzes.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 04, 2013, 09:59:04 PM
Everything grows still for Nouri as choice and fate give birth to destiny seconds before the Lector moves. He watches the multitude of scenarios that see the Enginarium awash in the blood of his followers, Gaius disemboweled or Nouri’s head cleanly separate from his shoulders.  No, Nouri would prevent that, though the cost will high and no one shall leave the room untouched.

Just as the Lector moves, Lulianna and completes the spells to draw forth the Grey Knights, as the green warpfire steaks towards Xerxzes and the open Enginarium door seeking the sky beyond. Just as Luliana collapses to the ground from her undertaking, Nouri dives towards the green warpfire thrusting his hand into it.  The pain is indescribable as is the sickening smell of burning flesh.  As the fire wash over his hand, it is transmuted into razor sharp crystal shards that streak towards Xerzxes.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 04, 2013, 11:06:36 PM
Junius. "If the Tarot led you to us Inquisitor; to what purpose?"
: LordPsycho
At this precise moment, Maegon's micro-bead sizzles when he receives a message from Nemus on their secured frequency.

"To bring you my help and get your help, by the Emperor's Will. A battle is raging outside Kasr hemshin, near a ship belonging to the abhorred Children of Fulgrim. I just learn that the Relictors are also implied."
: DM B
The Justicar gives you a short nod. "Perhaps. We are on the hunt for Relictors. Perhaps your presence here is meant to lead us back to onto their trail..."

His voice trails off as a fifth Grey Knight - is there no end of them? - steps into view. Despite the thin air and biting cold he goes without a helmet, instead relying on a re-breather mask to supply his triple lungs with oxygenated air. Could he have lost it in battle? Or does he go without on purpose?

Junius: "Master Aquilus..."

Aquilus, using a mental sending even you can pick up: "Site Gamma has gone live. Class II warp incursion in progress. Get your men ready; we jump for Spire 12, level 697, north quadrant in fifteen seconds." Addressing you directly. "Inquisitor: If the Tarot guided you once, let it do it twice."

You watch as the Knights move as one, deftly checking themselves and each other as they hurtle towards the edge of a hive-side balcony. Aquilus is second last to go, followed by a heavy-weapons operator you hadn't spotted before - he must have been on-station on the balcony. Six Knights all told. Soon they are just little specks falling quickly down and away...

...with a start you realize what their target it. The site of the sorcerous incident your felt earlier in the neighboring spire.

Maegon utters a mental sigh of relief. He's still alive.

The Grey Knights haven't discovered my secrets.
Or did they ? And thought I was a lesser evil ?...

This "Master Aquilus"... Another powerful player in the game.


The Inquisitor decides to tour the mansion that housed the Knights.
Just in case.

: DM B
Six Grey Knights come in hard in Spire 12. Their jump units fire at the last possible instant - enough to cushion the fall, but not long enough for the enemy to react. Six seconds later the remaining thralls and cultists have been hacked to bloody bits by the fearsome force weapons wielded by the knights. Not a single shot is fired.

"Master: Anomaly contained, but the warp focus has escaped us..."

Maegon raises the head from the book and smile.
In the neighboring Spire, the Grey Knights severed several life strings in a few seconds.
Sweet melody...

He closes the book and leaves the library.
No work of interest can be found here.

Another disturbance in the Immaterium draws his attention.
The Ship...

Usher finds Azrael just as he is setting up a narrow-beam communications link with which to try and contact the Scouts.
"Is this really urgent, I am rather in the middle of something?"

"I felt I should tell you that the Relictors are excommunicate traitoris"

Azrael turned to regard Usher with a somewhat quizzical and bemused expression.  When he repaired Usher's vox unit he installed a small relay such that, provided he was within a reasonable distance, he would hear any communications between Usher and the Inquisitor's forces in the Hive.  As such he actually already knew why Usher was here, but he wasn't going to let Usher know that.

"I fail to see what that has to do with anything"

"They are traitors and heretics and knowingly aiding a traitor is to become one," responded Usher, a little taken aback.

Azrael's expression turned to amused and he raised an eyebrow, "Really Usher I would not have expected you to be so naive.  Who exactly on this planet do you think has not been branded a traitor or a heretic by someone?  I strongly suspect that though he may not admit it you, your Inquisitor is probably regarded as such by some people.  I also doubt very much that he had anything to do with you coming to me did he?"

"No, the Inquisitor did not ask me to see you, but how dare you suggest that he is a traitor!"

"I did not suggest that Inquisitor Maegon is a traitor, I suggested that some people most likely consider him to be, I am not among them.  These Relictors are most likely in the same situation, I have little time for the lackeys of Chaos, but these Marines do not look like Chaos-worshippers to me.  And even if they were, in the present situation we can't be too picky about temporary allies," Azrael looked somewhat pointedly at Usher as he said the word 'temporary', "Feel free to talk to the Inquisitor about it later, but I feel that he will agree with me."

Usher looked slightly distraught, but acquiesced and turned and walked away.

While walking back to his men, the Caporal thinks about what the Magos said.

He's right... Nobody on Cadia survived the horrors of recent years by remaining pure as snow...
The Inquisitor... His strange rituals, could they ?...


Maegon explores the upper Hive, examining the tracks of the Grey Knights and searching for blessed or damned items.

There isn't much in the way of blessed or damned items, but there is a bit of mundane gear to be found. Your men could potentially ascend all the way up here and retrieve it, but you're not sure it will be worth the effort. Better to have them focus on what you found on the lower levels - more gear for less effort.

Dawn arrives early high up in the hive spire; the night rains have scoured the skies reasonably clear once again and the rays of the sun are able to pierce the remaining cloud cover with enough intensity to bathe the ruined hive in a multitude of red-tinged colours. The view form the hive-balcony is spectacular.

Taking stock of the situation you conclude that the powerful orbital communicator is the most interesting item. You've managed to access it using your Rosette's clearance codes. You've listened only briefly, but you've picked up multiple signals, some coming from the hive, others from the wastelands - and a few scraps filtering down from orbit. Would that you were better at this or had a savant or vox-servitor at hand.

Other than that you've located a crate of mundane bolter ammo, and some spare parts for power armour sub-systems. There are also some tools laying about that could come in handy for a tech-priest.

Maegon is satisfied with his discoveries.
All the time, he stayed in contact with Nemus, who stayed in contact with Usher.
The Interrogator was impressed by the story of the meeting between the Inquisitor and the Grey Knights.

"Listen to news from Caporal Usher and tell him about the orbital communicator. But don't give him information about the Grey Knights."

"Master ?"

"My last Tarot reading told me so."

Nemus doesn't need to ask more, he has full confidence in the judgment and foresight of his Master.

"We found a family, seven hungry civilians, hidden in an abandoned Schola. They survived with the reserves of the canteen, now empty...The father was the deputy director, while the mother was an art teacher. We are not sure that the five teenagers are their children, but it's all the same now. The group comprised thirteen children five years ago, but the diseases and malnutrition..."

"I understand. Treat them well."

Maegon goes out on the balcony, thinking about how to use the communicator at best. He can not reach full performance without a savant or a tech-priest, but he is almost certain that he can broadcast a message through the Hive.

From the balcony, he looks at the Ship through the augmentics eyes of his helmet. He sees forms moving around, but can not distinguish their identities.

The Inquisitor draws an imaginary circle on the ground and sits in, then lights a psycho-stimulant herb pipe. For an hour, he spits smoke to the clouds and thoughts through the Immaterium. Dreamers will make strange dreams before dawn breaks.

Exhausted, he falls asleep here.

Dawn has come. The violence has ended, both inside and outside the ship.

In the hive Maegon has found quite a bit of supplies. It will take his elites days to bring it all down to a breathable level, but once that has been accomplished he'll have advanced to Resources: 1 (meaning he'll a stockpile of stuff that will last for a while).

Maegon keeps sleeping, dreaming, smiling and shivering.

Meanwhile, the Stormtroopers take turns to recover the equipment that he discovered, while Nemus and Jethro supervise the civilians securing the base of operation.

Azrael inquires of Usher whether he had heard anything from the Inquisitor or his men in the hive.  In particular when he had slept for a while earlier (the first time he had in some time, Mechanicus implants are quite useful for keeping one going beyond the limits of normal human endurance, though nowhere near as effective as a Space Marine's symbiotes), he had a somewhat odd dream involving Maegon.  Of course Azrael still has the bug in Usher's vox unit, but this doesn't work when he is asleep.

"The Inquisitor found a powerful orbital communicator in the heights of the hive ! However, he won't be able to operate it alone..."



Maegon finally wakes up. It was a long time he did not sleep so much, but he still feels so exhausted...
He walks a bit on the balcony then sits again to read his Tarot.

The Reaper.
Eleven of Discordia. The Soulless.
Ace of Mandatio. The Savage.
Five of Excuteria. The Captain.
The Chariot.


Holy Throne... The metallic Xenos will attack the Ship once more !

Maegon takes his cards and rises precipitously.
Shadows of three dark fighters are visible above the clouds.



Usher receives a new message via his com-device.

"Emperor protects..."

He runs as fast as possible.

"Magos ! We'll be under attack soon !"

Azrael already knows.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 04, 2013, 11:44:35 PM
Outside the voidship

Roldar notices with a wry smile the destruction of the crawling probe. Space Wolves always had an innerving ability to smell out such ploys. The reminiscence of the days when his Chapter was part of the larger holy body of the loyalist Astartes passes fugitively through the sout's mind. Gone are the days when agents from the Officio Assassinorum were training him. Suddenly Roldar's meditation is interrupted by his sense of a crispation of the Magos and following the Magos' gaze skywards, his enhanced oil binoculars help him distinguish flying shapes approaching at great velocity.

Gone is, for now, the pull to investigate the renegade Space Wolf and his pack.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 05, 2013, 12:21:17 AM
"The Inquisitor found a powerful orbital communicator in the heights of the hive ! However, he won't be able to operate it alone..."
A most interesting find, Azrael would certainly be able to allow it to be utilised to it's full potential.


"Magos ! We'll be under attack soon !"

Azrael already knows.

"Fething hell," Azrael breathed under his breath, "Those damnable Xenos have atrocious timing."

Azrael thinks for a split second.  They could melt away into the ruins and try and avoid attracting the attention of the Xenos fighters.  That would almost certainly work and save the warbands any loses, but the fighters would still be free to attack the ship.  They didn't have any weapons that could really do anything against fast aircraft, the Marines bolters might be able to do some damage, but not enough and it would only draw attention to them.  The only weaponry nearby capable of posing a serious threat to the fighters were the defensive turrets of the ship.  Some of them were damaged in the first attack of the Xenos and in the crash, but Azrael had studied them and there were still a good number left.  He did not know the crew situation inside however, and a Mechanicum adept would be far better able to coordinate the fire control than any of the human crew...

Then he remembered the orbital communicator, it would be difficult, and he would have to talk Maegon through it, but it was just possible that they might be able to use it to attract the attention of something else, a ship in orbit perhaps, on to the fighters to take them out...

In the meantime the rest of the warbands needed to move, either into the ship or disperse.  Between the Nar-Ghosts, Hrothgar's band, Roldar and his scouts, Usher, and the new recruits they had gathered from the survivors of the previous assault on the ship there were well over 100 people in the ruins.  Far too many to get through the maintenance hatch in time, even if Azrael resorted to breaching charges rather than hacking into the controls, no they would have to scatter while he tried to assist Maegon with the orbital communicator and hope the ship's crew could deal enough damage with the turrets themselves.

Azrael immediately started shouting orders at the Nar-Ghosts to disperse and take cover as deep in the ruins as they could get.

"Everyone, get out of sight as fast as you can!  Sam," he called to the servitor, "to me!"

Derryck had had an uneasy sensation even before Azrael had started yelling and quickly started directing the dispersal of the camp, covering up as many traces of their presence as he could at the same time.

Azrael nearly bowled Usher over and just for a second Usher got a glimpse of just how terrifying a Mechanicum adept can be in a combat situation.
"Usher, I need to contact the Inquisitor immediately, you may come with me if you wish, but I need your vox unit at once!"

As the rest of the warband went to ground and out of sight, Azrael took Sam higher up into one of the ruins, it was out of sight from above, but vulnerable if a stray shot came their way.  It was necessary though if he was to maintain a strong vox link to Maegon.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 05, 2013, 09:26:04 AM

With a swift nod, he ignites his powerful jet-pack and propels himself, Tower of Silence thrust forward and chainsaw sword screaming on Xerxzes. The Locum Lector taps the power of the Orb to shield the other Astartes from the waves emanating from Xerxzes.


Xerxzes meets your attack with the preternatural skill of a veteran of the long war. He deflects your chainsword blow...uses your own momentum to flank you...and in the fraction of a second - too short a time for any mortal warrior to have struck - that you are vulnerable he slips under the Tower with his jagged knife and pierces the weekly armoured armpit of your power armour.

The blade goes deep enough to puncture your primary heart. In itself this is a very serious injury, even for an Astartes. You won't die - you have a secondary heart just for this purpose - and as long as you're in your suit, pumped up on combat drugs you can keep fighting. You'll need medical care later on...which can become problematic as you've no apothecary amongst you.

The physical injury is severe, but you're used to pain. All marines are. But this, this is different. This is like having a piece of your soul cut out of you. It is a pain not of the body, but something deeper. Something you're ill prepared to resist.

You're barely able to ward of a decapitating blow from his chainsword. The Towers saves your life, seeming to move of its own volition. As the teeth of Xerxzes chainsword bites into the shield you realize that it is no ordinary weapon, but a blade infused with the power of Chaos. Again the Tower saves your life, for no ordinary substance would have resisted the daemonic blade quite to readily.

You are desperately out of your league.

Thanks to the Locum the rest of the marines snap out of their hypnotized condition, their minds groggy and confused (but rapidly recovering).


Just as the Lector moves, Lulianna and completes the spells to draw forth the Grey Knights, as the green warpfire steaks towards Xerxzes and the open Enginarium door seeking the sky beyond. Just as Luliana collapses to the ground from her undertaking, Nouri dives towards the green warpfire thrusting his hand into it.  The pain is indescribable as is the sickening smell of burning flesh.  As the fire wash over his hand, it is transmuted into razor sharp crystal shards that streak towards Xerzxes.

The shards hit Xerxzes with full force, interrupting his unrelenting assault on Lector Lexander, thereby saving the Relictor's life.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 05, 2013, 10:21:22 AM
Azrael nearly bowled Usher over and just for a second Usher got a glimpse of just how terrifying a Mechanicum adept can be in a combat situation.
"Usher, I need to contact the Inquisitor immediately, you may come with me if you wish, but I need your vox unit at once!"

As the rest of the warband went to ground and out of sight, Azrael took Sam higher up into one of the ruins, it was out of sight from above, but vulnerable if a stray shot came their way.  It was necessary though if he was to maintain a strong vox link to Maegon.

Looking at the sky with a worried look, Usher and his four men run after Azrael and Sam. The fighters are still high, but this is a question of minutes before they attack...

"Understood ! Interrogator, please ask Inquisitor Solemnys to reach the communicator ! Magos Kane takes the vox unit."

Usher gives the transmitter to Azrael.

"Caporal ! Roman fell and injured his ankle !"

"Habem, Tonk, carry him and follow us !"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 05, 2013, 10:51:57 AM
The pain is nothing like the Lector ever felt and through a haze he perceives that his arm is moved by the Tower of Silence as it deflects the blows of the Fallen Astartes. Suddenly the Lector is brought to his senses by another sharp and burning pain shooting through his forearm all the way to his head. The languor infused by the pain and a feeling of emptiness is dispelled as the Tower's claws pierce the power armor and bite the forearm of the Lector, as a bird of prey would have done with the unprotected hand of a falconer in ages long gone.

The whispers in the Lector's head, which had became more audible since the initial intrusion of Gaius the Sane, seem to become more focused and concentrated, almost in an understandable chorus of feminine voices.

In a moment, the Lector seizes upon the hesitation of Xerxzes, as he is hit by the shards, and howling the Relictors' battle cry, he lunges aims a thrusting blow in the pelvis area of the armor, where the various hard plates of lower abdomen, hips protectors and upper legs meet.

The other Astartes start recovering and aim their weapons at the entrance, should any other minions try to interfere in the duel between the fallen and the excommunicated Astartes.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) November 05, 2013, 11:09:25 AM
For the longest time Gaius continues to stand still, his eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to the fighting around him. Within his mind, he feeds on the confusion and anger in the room, drawing it in. Directing his attention towards the warp core for a few seconds, he focuses on the entity inside. "It seems the dice have been cast, daemon. Needless to say, if we fail in bringing down this grandon of Fulgrim, your existence is as doomed as ours. Do not stand idly by as these companions of ours waste their lives, but lend me your strenght instead.

He does not wait for the daemons response, instead he inhales deeply and opens his eyes. Where bloodshot blue eyes used to look out, there is only whiteness now. The air around Gaius is resonating with energy as he focuses on Xerxes, throwing all his might into a psychic blow that would shatter both mind and body of any normal human being. But the grandson of Fulgrim is far more powerful than any "normal" human being. Though Gaius' blow slams hard into both his physical and mental defenses, he barely loses momentum as he continues his onslaught towards the Lector.

With clenched teeth Gaius continues to batter on the walls of the old marine. Little by little, he feels Xerxes give way to his blows. Inside Gaius' head, voices are cheering him on. Then his target turns to look at him, if only for a second. The first blow sends Gaius to his knees. The second sends him flying across the room. His mental walls stand firm, barely, but his body crashes hard into the structure surrounding the warp core. Through the metal he can sense the daemon inside the core. The pain is excruciating as he forces himself to stand, leaning heavily on the warp core. Any time now, daemon. Lend me the power to bring this foe down, or I will rip the ship apart around us!. As Gaius gathers his power once more, sounds of moving metal can be heard in the ceiling and walls around them.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 05, 2013, 12:49:15 PM
Lexander is able to score a hit upon Xerxzes, adamantium teeth chewing into his abdominal armour. If only you had a little more time...if you only could have maintained the pressure long enough to bore though into his guts! But you don't have time. The enemy gives you none, moving faster than any foe you've yet had to face. His chaos blade smashes into yours, cutting right through it an ruining it beyond the power of any tech-priest to repair.

Unknown to Lexander Gaius begins his mental assault...slowing down the enemy just enough for Laxander to desperately dodge his next few blows. Its only two seconds worth of breathing space, but in that brief time the rest of the Relictors get their act together and swarm Xerxzes...the first to reach him is aware with a backhanded strike that cuts his head clean off, despite the armour protecting him. Then seven more marines surround the enemy, hacking away with whatever melee weapons they possess...

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 05, 2013, 12:55:41 PM

With clenched teeth Gaius continues to batter on the walls of the old marine. Little by little, he feels Xerxes give way to his blows. Inside Gaius' head, voices are cheering him on. Then his target turns to look at him, if only for a second. The first blow sends Gaius to his knees. The second sends him flying across the room. His mental walls stand firm, barely, but his body crashes hard into the structure surrounding the warp core. Through the metal he can sense the daemon inside the core. The pain is excruciating as he forces himself to stand, leaning heavily on the warp core. Any time now, daemon. Lend me the power to bring this foe down, or I will rip the ship apart around us!. As Gaius gathers his power once more, sounds of moving metal can be heard in the ceiling and walls around them.

A voice inside your head: "Yes little one, let me in and I will finish the spawn of Fulgrim for you..."

A second Relictor goes down, his leg hacked off above the knee. Blows fall like rain upon Xerzes, but however hard or well they strike they cannot seem to finish him. A third Relictor is taken out of the fight as an obsidian blade flies past his guard and punches right through his visor and into his brain.

The voice is gone, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness that weighs heavily upon your soul, pushing all that is you down into a tiny corner of your mind. Were it not for your considerable strength of will and psychic prowess you would have been obliterated forever - now you are merely a prisoner inside your own possessed mind.

The warp core falls eerily silent as the thing that was once Gaius steps forward, tall and proud. "Xerxzes," it says. "We meet again in the flesh at long last."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 05, 2013, 01:04:31 PM
Outside

The three xenos craft come in low and fast to give any defensive turrets minimum chance of firing for effect. Fortunately for you it means that their strafing run is equally brief; a torrent of energy bolts the strikes with the force of lascannons pepper the ruins and the ship's hull, without doing much damage to anything.

The xenos, however, are not so fortunate. One turret scores a string of hits - Azral can call the guidance of the Machine God, but to the rest of the watchers it's just plain luck - on of of the fighters, leaving wounded and streaming black smoke. After that they dare not come so close again; instead the two undamaged craft land somewhere in the hills beyond your view.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 05, 2013, 02:43:14 PM
Outside the voidship

At the time when Gaius approaches Fulgrim's spawn, Roldar's communicator picks suddenly a fragment of screamed order which he identifies as coming from the Locum Lector to Astartes Eldhron. It takes only a few moments for the Scout to approach Magos Kane:

"Magos Kane, the stakes for the voidship are only getting higher and a struggle is taking place on-board as we speak. We will now pick-up your offer to let us in through a hatch in the hull. I do believe that your skills would be required if we are to try and seize partial or total control of the voidship. TWe are offering to escort you and whoever of your retinue is willing to join."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 05, 2013, 07:16:58 PM
"Magos Kane, the stakes for the voidship are only getting higher and a struggle is taking place on-board as we speak. We will now pick-up your offer to let us in through a hatch in the hull. I do believe that your skills would be required if we are to try and seize partial or total control of the voidship. TWe are offering to escort you and whoever of your retinue is willing to join."
Azrael sighed slightly and muttered under his breath, "Unfortunately having six arms does not enable me to be in two places at once."

Then louder, to Roldar he responds, "I understand, however the remaining two Xenos fighters are still operational and I do not like the idea of being attacked from the rear or them calling in reinforcements.  Find Derryck, he can show you the maintenance hatch and assist with placing breaching charges.  With luck anyone on the ship who notices the blast will assume it was damage from the Xenos attack.  I must finish my work with Inquisitor Maegon on the orbital communicator.  I will join you once that is done and you have secured a foothold in the ship."

Just as Roldar turns to go, Azrael holds out 2 small oddly designed communicators, "Here, these are linked to my own frequency.  Give one to Hrothgar.  Once the orbital communicator is fully operational it will be able to act as a relay so that we can communicate inside the ship."

As the Relictor heads back towards the ship Azrael sends a quick message to Lukas, "Have your snipers fan out into the ruins and watch all approaches.  I want to know if anything from those Xenos craft makes its way toward the ship."

He then turns back to vox unit, which he has partially dismantled and linked into his own communication array [OOC: the same one he used to contact the Scouts earlier] and Sam's systems.

Maegon has nearly reached the communicator, and so Azrael starts talking him through how to activate its various functions.  Once the initial activation is complete Maegon will be able to link the pict unit in his armour to it to speed the process.  At the moment Azrael's first priority is to use it to intercept and jam any signals the Xenos craft are sending.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 05, 2013, 08:24:07 PM
Inside the Voidship Enginarium

Nouri falls back to the Cabal as his troops train their eyes (and guns) on the Enginarium door.  Nouri calls out to the Thralls with irritation.

"The swords, you fools, quickly," his voice spurring them into action while he points to the chain-swords of the 2 dying and dead Relicators.  Two of the thralls with unsubtle arcane movements quickly summon the might to draws the swords to towards the Cabal circle.  Nouri watches in abject horror and jealously as the daemon overtakes Gaius, while the cabal infuses and annoints the two chainswords with Ruinous might as they slowly hover and circle around them. 

Unable to seal the magic within the circle, Nouri grabs both blades grimacing in pain, and hurls both of them towards the battle with sorcererous might.  The blades lazily spin as they fly through the air before seemingly righting themselves to uncannily fall into the dying space-marine.  As each pierces one of his hearts, his macabre dances ends, and his life-forces seeps into the blades to locking in the Ruinous power that now infuses each blade.

The two sword sit temptingly before Gaius-yet-not-Gaius and the Lector.

With that Nouri begins leading the Cabal in another undertaking far more important that the last few.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 05, 2013, 11:03:34 PM
Heights of Kasr Hemshin

The old Inquisitor stops running in front of the control console of the orbital communicator, breathless under his helmet.

Since Azrael linked the vox unit carried by the Spiders to his own communication array, he is now able to talk directly to Maegon, without Nemus as an intermediate.

Thanks to Azrael, even if the Magos knows few himself, Maegon learned that the xenos fighters landed in the hills and that an epic battle is raging inside the voidship. The agent of the Ordos would like to know more about the Relictors and the mutant Space Wolves - Wulfen... - but that will have to wait.

Maegon describes the communicator structure and the control console to Azrael, who easily recognizes their patterns. Following his instructions, Maegon performs the required rituals to awaken and appease the machine-spirit, then enters specific commands to reactivate the communicator subsystems, check their respective conditions and prepare a message.

"An amber light twinkles ! The antenna is partly damaged... Now, a red light... Encryptor is indicated "missing"... Stolen ? Another red light... Long range communications are unavailable. But short and middle ranges communications should work ! Green lights ! What's next ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 05, 2013, 11:25:44 PM
"An amber light twinkles ! The antenna is partly damaged... Now, a red light... Encryptor is indicated "missing"... Stolen ? Another red light... Long range communications are unavailable. But short and middle ranges communications should work ! Green lights ! What's next ?"
Azrael considers the state of the orbital communicator.  No long range communications, so no reaching orbit then, but short and mid will be sufficient to cover the area around the ship.  The missing encryptor unit is annoying but not crippling, and it isn't really necessary for basic jamming of the Xenos craft's signals in any case, Azrael will just need to instruct Maegon how to bypass it.  More complex adjustments will be needed to use it for communications and proper interception, but that can be done after the basic jamming is set up.

"You will need to bypass the encryptor unit.  There is a switch next to the indicator for the encryptor unit, switch it and then open the panel above.  Once you have opened the panel remove the board at the far right, then close the panel again and turn the switch back to its previous position."

With the bypass complete Maegon can set the communicator to simply blast static noise across all frequencies except the narrow bands they are using for their own communications.  The Xenos might eventually be able to find the gaps in the noise, but it would take them time, more than sufficient for Azrael to instruct Maegon in the more complex adjustments that would need to be made.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 09:06:23 AM
The situation becomes even more complicated; as if on cue the servants of Xerxzes rush into the chamber, about sixty of them in total. A misshapen, but undeniably dangerous group of mutants and misfits - some of them are so twisted you suspect them might not be human at all. All are sporting guns of various kinds, but fearful of the consequences of weapons fire in the enginarium they attack with melee weapons only.

Lexander's Relictors turn to meet this new threat; at this they are far more successful, blunting the enemy charge and killing half a dozen  attackers without a single injury among them. What will Lexander and the Locum do? Support the men or focus their attention on Xerxzes?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 06, 2013, 10:28:14 AM
Aboard the voidship

The Lector throws aside the broken chainsword, probably his first gesture of rage and lack of control since he accomplished his elevation to Astartes status. In the ongoing melee around him, he cannot help but feel the anger and desperation of his brothers as they throws their lives in the fight to shield the one of their leader.

The enchanted swords provided by Nouri and his thralls seem to allow him to join the melee again. Quickly seizing one, barely feeling the strain on his second and last heart, he turns to Xerxzes who just smashed the visor of a Relictor and turns his back to the Lector. With a mighty blow, seizing his new found blade with both hands, he downs it on the junction between the right shoulder and arm of Fulgrim's grand son.

The Locum Lector taps again the Orb, feeling as he so does, another small part of himself going into the void, and projects phantasms of fear and dread across the mutants being fought off mercilessly by the Relictors who have started chanting their peon of death.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 06, 2013, 10:42:07 AM
Outside the voidship

Roldar receives the communicator from the Magos and turns to Derryck. As they speak together, two Scouts are detailed to remain with the injured Astartes and another one seconded by Helial Silverwrists is hurrying a small ceremony held in such a dismal place with the local recruits. He can be overheard:

"... and now, you stand on higher ground than any other man, save your masters the Astartes of the Relictors Chapter who will nurture and elevate you for the remainder of your mortal days. Raise and be proudly recognised Men-at-Arms of the Blessed and Honourable of the Relictors."

A small ritual is performed where the newly baptized Men-at-Arms are being given the accolade by the Scouts.

Having seen this achieved, Roldar, alone, approaches the makeshift camp of the renegade Space Wolf.

"Hrothgar, once of the Space Wolves, I, Roldar of the Relictors greet you today. The fires of war are kindled again, if ever they dwindled and the Relictors have nothing to offer but a chance to pick-up a mortal feud against a scion of what was once a revered Primarch of the Imperium. What is your answer if any?"

Having heard the answer from the Space Wolf, Roldar will then turn to Derryck and lead the group towards the pointed maintenance hatch (OOC: Roldar, Helial Silverwrists, 6 Scouts, 15 "Men-at-Arms") 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 01:14:48 PM
@Roldar: Without his helmet on the rogue Space Wolf looks a lot less like a true space marine; his features are not those of a human, but a feral beast. He sniffs the air as Roldar approaches, a decided inhumane gesture. His eyes are yellow where there should be whites.

"No little scout, we are not so stupid as to let ourselves be trapped inside a metal coffin even as enemy war-machines march on us." He gestures emphatically towards the hills. "You go fight the scion of Fulgrim alone. I shall wait here to see what the outcome is."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 01:21:26 PM
Powerful static floods every available vox channel.

Only those units controlled by Azrael continue to work unimpeded.

Those of you inside the ship is also largely shielded (but you're even less able to speak to those outside now)
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 01:31:01 PM
@Lexander: The chainsword bites deep this time, piecing armour can chewing through bone and flesh with equal ease. Perhaps it's the chaos enchantment. Perhaps it is your own desperate strength. His arm dangling uselessly Lexander snaps a kick to the inside of your knee, ruining the joint and crushing the join inside. As you topple over he deftly moves the chaos-infused chainsword in his left hand into your path, letting your own momentum work against you. You can feel it's teeth checking into your guts...then you are flung clear as Gaius leaps into the melee, preceded by a telekinetic strike that sends anyone with a dozen meters flying. Red and amber warning lights are flashing inside your mind; suit breaches and sub-system failures, multiple severe injuries...not looking good at all.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 06, 2013, 01:31:50 PM
"No little scout, we are not so stupid as to let ourselves be trapped inside a metal coffin even as enemy war-machines march on us." He gestures emphatically towards the hills. "You go fight the scion of Fulgrim alone. I shall wait here to see what the outcome is."
Lukas overheard the exchange between Roldar and Hrothgar.

"If we are both remaining outside I suggest we coordinate.  My snipers can provide information on anything coming this way and take out individual troops, but you are more able to deal with anything larger that might come."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 01:33:12 PM
Between the psychic might of the Locum Lector and the bravery of the remaining Relictors the line is holding. But it will not last long; soon more of Lexander's marines will fall and the enemy will flood the enginarium and kill you all.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 06, 2013, 01:37:13 PM

Lukas overheard the exchange between Roldar and Hrothgar.

"If we are both remaining outside I suggest we coordinate.  My snipers can provide information on anything coming this way and take out individual troops, but you are more able to deal with anything larger that might come."

Hrothgar pretends not to notice Lukas, before finally deigning to reply:

"Something larger IS coming. Can you not feel the tremors in the ground? Can you not hear?"

Now that the Space Wolf mentions it; yes, perhaps there is something. An almost imperceptible tremor. A faint noise, like many clawed feet being dragged across stony ground.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 06, 2013, 01:50:13 PM
With the bypass complete Maegon can set the communicator to simply blast static noise across all frequencies except the narrow bands they are using for their own communications.  The Xenos might eventually be able to find the gaps in the noise, but it would take them time, more than sufficient for Azrael to instruct Maegon in the more complex adjustments that would need to be made.

"That seems to work, Magos ! But be careful. Please remember that the xenos fighters are able to transform into walking war machine. Kind of Arachnids..."

Maegon manipulates other commands, as he understands their operation without the help of Azrael now.

"I'll scan all mid and short-range frequencies to identify possible assistance, but I fear that with our jamming... What do you think about programming a sequence of mixed interference and distress signals ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 06, 2013, 02:28:19 PM
"Something larger IS coming. Can you not feel the tremors in the ground? Can you not hear?"
Lukas frowns and listens for a moment.  Nothing at first, but then maybe, yes maybe there is a very faint noise.

"Your hearing is more sensitive than mine.  Nonetheless, with my scopes my sight is at least as good as yours and you can't be in five places at once, so I repeat my offer of cooperation.  We can sight them, maybe even cause some minor damage or distract them, and relay their positions to you."



"That seems to work, Magos ! But be careful. Please remember that the xenos fighters are able to transform into walking war machine. Kind of Arachnids..."

Maegon manipulates other commands, as he understands their operation without the help of Azrael now.

"I'll scan all mid and short-range frequencies to identify possible assistance, but I fear that with our jamming... What do you think about programming a sequence of mixed interference and distress signals ?"
"Unfortunately heavy weaponry is not something that we have in abundance.  One of Derryck's objectives is to locate fire control on the ship, the ships weapons are the best way we have to deal with the Xenos.  You have had a chance to observe them more closely, did you identify anything that looked like a weak point?"

"The current jamming set-up is a blunt instrument, but it was easy to arrange.  If the encryptor unit were still present and I were there myself I could program the communicator to search out the individual signals of the Xenos and block only them.  Without the encryptor unit that would be very difficult and we lack time.  Interference interspersed with distress signals seems a reasonable route, though we do not know what kind of response they would elicit.  I am beginning to wonder if this ship is more curse than blessing."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 06, 2013, 03:00:48 PM
Aboard the voidship

As the Lector falls on his knees, his left hand clutching instinctively at his violated abdomen, a veil of blackness shuts him out of his immediate surroundings. A faint and then stronger silky voice seems to sing in his mind and a sensation of well-being and remoteness engulfs the martyred Astartes. In a state of semi-delirium he is reminiscent of the Imperial nursery which was probably the first and last time the Lector was acquainted briefly with sweetness and kindness, before the Imperium and his Calling turned him into a rampart of Mankind. During this black-out which might have lasted for one or two heartbeats, the claw of the Seeing Tower of Silence, which had already penetrated armour and flesh, when the main heart of the Astartes had been pierced through, starts expanding with black thin tendrils running through the arteries and veins, spreading a black liquid which mingled with the Astartes enriched blood and accelerating coagulation here, fighting infection there and providing the broken body with additional strength and resilience. In the mind of the Lector the melodious song continued unabated, even though the words and meanings of it remained elusive and reticent to human understanding. Unseen behind its Mark VII visor, the eyes of the Lector altered from their erstwhile human appearance became pools of blackness and eventually closed, probably for ever, after one or two last flicker as futile as the wing beats of a dying butterfly in the storm. On the Seeing Tower of Silence, an eye, visible as if through a crimson mist, opens and without blinking scans the surroundings, conveying with its glaze an almost irresistible message of sadness,
Grunting as he slowly tries to stand, the Lector notices that his eyesight seems oddly out of focus as well as disturbingly out of place. Where once stood his brothers and foes, the Lector can now see a full scenery of blazing silhouettes, where his fellow Astartes stand and fight, as well as other shapeless monstrosities where the servants of Xerxzes are pressing on, before noticing the Locum Lector as a bright silhouette whose very heart pulsates and radiates darkness. He eventually involuntarily gasps when he perceives what once was Gaius the Sane.
All along, the song recedes but never quite stops, and he manages to grasp certain words, or at least so he thinks: “…my child.”

OOC: DM B, feel free to slam this if too what not  :-X
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 07, 2013, 09:40:21 AM
"Something larger IS coming. Can you not feel the tremors in the ground? Can you not hear?"
Lukas frowns and listens for a moment.  Nothing at first, but then maybe, yes maybe there is a very faint noise.

"Your hearing is more sensitive than mine.  Nonetheless, with my scopes my sight is at least as good as yours and you can't be in five places at once, so I repeat my offer of cooperation.  We can sight them, maybe even cause some minor damage or distract them, and relay their positions to you."


"You have a point human. If my brusqueness offended you know that it isn't personal, only professional. I meet so few human warriors worthy of the title...

...we shall pool our resources. We need to set up spotters, determine their likely route of approach and aestimate their capabilities. We do not want them to damage the ship any more than they already have, so we need to take them out before they reach our position. Coordinate with sergeant Ravn."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 07, 2013, 11:43:38 AM
On behalf of Nouri:



Nouri and the cabal work quickly, but time is growing short and they haven't marshaled enough might yet.  From the corner of his eyes, he  sees one of the Squats taking cover and the whispers of the Void give give rise to a plan.

"Noble Squats, your honored ancestor has need of your prayers! Lift your voice in praise to the Honored Ancestor!"  From the mind of a squat, he quickly plucks a prayer in which he leads them and from his humble beginning, a chorus of murmured quickly emerges.  Nouri shifts from the Squats to the Cabal and with a nod they begin working their unwittingly acolytes into the greater working.  And with the addition of true faith, much stands to be done, but Nouri seemingly only gathers the growing storm the the weight of which he toils, while some of the Thralls and Squats are broken.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 07, 2013, 12:06:47 PM
Xerxzes gets up much quicker than any marine has a right to, chainsword still grasped in his left hand. The Gaius-thing is upon him immediately, wielding the force sword of Gaius. A rain of blows are exchanged, so fast that no mortal man could have kept pace. The blades lock, and in that instant the second chaos-blade so thoughtless enchanted by Nouri leaps up and past Xerzes' guard, burrowing through the weakened abdominal plates. Xerxzes falls back a pace, to find himself grasped from behind by Lector Lexander. Seemingly unaffected by his crippling injuries he locks the scion of Fulgrim in place. The Gaius-thing severs Xerxzes sword-arm at the wrist.

Meanwhile the squats have taken to arms, wielding tools and whatever makeshift weapons they have been able to procure. It's not much, but added to the psychic fear conjured by the Lector Locum and the remaining Relictors it is enough to stem the tide.

"Enough," screams the Gaius-thing in a voice not at all like Gaius'. When a small group of fighters do not heed its command quickly enough it sends them flying - allies and enemies alike - with great force at the merest flick of a wrist. "Defy me at your own peril," it shouts with a voice that reverberates throughout the ship.

Xerxzes tries to tear free from the Lector, but the Relictor captain has found preternatural strength somewhere and Xerxzes is going nowhere!

Instead Gaius tears the embedded chainsword free without ever touching the hilt. Next an unseen force breaks the Emperor's Child's helmet seal and lifts it clear of the marine's head. The face inside is twisted by rage, pain, and defiance. Xerxzes' first act is to spit Gaius in the face; the skin on his left cheek immediately turns bright red, then it starts oozing and running as the bio-acid in the marine's spit does its thing. Gaius doesn't even twitch.

"You and me," Gaius says in that strange voice, "are going to be one again."

"Never, " Xerxzes replies curtly.

Gaius smiles in entirely the wrong way, as if his face doesn't really know which muscles to move when smiling. The effect is...disconcerting.

Gaius turns to face Nouri and his thralls. "And what of you sorcerer? Will you serve a worthy master or do you wish to be consumed, body and soul along with your thralls?"



This is where Nouri must decide what to do. Defy what is obviously not some ancestor spirits, but a potent warp entity or abject himself before the daemon?

Lexander has accepted the gift of chaos and is currently a thrall to whatever the Tower is. He could try to fight it of course, but he has already let it in, so it might not be that easy.

Gaius is possessed by the daemon and can't do squat (pun intended).
 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 07, 2013, 02:39:43 PM
Outside the voidship

Roldar shrugs and comments only to Hrothgar:

“Well so be it, happy must be the one that is unbound by friend or foe.”

Roldar and his retinue surround Derryck as they approach warily the voidship, in search of the maintenance hatch.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 07, 2013, 02:54:10 PM
Aboard the voidship

The left shoulder protective plate of the Lector starts fuming slightly as surfaces the insignia of the Relictors. Only it is not the usual silver white colour, but rather a deep angry crimson hue.

A brief message is sent by the Locum Lector to his loyal Astartes:

“Honour our brother, the Lector.”     
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 08, 2013, 02:34:04 AM
With the daemons words, Nouri cannot help but be thrown back to a miserable childhood spent toiling away for other masters and Nouri does not move backwards, yet he remembers his time as a Thrall when his life was ruled by false obeisance.  Yet, as he takes the necessary action, even as he plots his revenge.

With a subtle thought, he attempts to step onto the edge of Xerxzes mind while looking into the eyes of the noble space marine.  Nouri poses him a question.

A choice, Xerxzes: allow me to use your life to fuel one spell and deny this arrogant daemon its assumed prize or servitude.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 08, 2013, 09:25:08 AM
Gaius: "No? Pitty. We could have become fast friends. The wonders I could have taught you..."

Addressing the assembled fighters. "Kill them, but save the sorcerer for me."

The Relictors turn to face their new enemy, reving their chainswords as they spring into the ranks of the Tenebrous Cabal. At about the same time Nouri is picked up by an unseen force and repeatedly hammered with great force into unyielding wall panels. He's not much more than a rag doll when faced with the full might of a daemon.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 08, 2013, 11:33:49 AM
"Unfortunately heavy weaponry is not something that we have in abundance.  One of Derryck's objectives is to locate fire control on the ship, the ships weapons are the best way we have to deal with the Xenos.  You have had a chance to observe them more closely, did you identify anything that looked like a weak point?"

"Destroy their legs to render them motionless. The joints between the body and the legs looks like weak points, but they have several joints... Otherwise, their power sources... Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to identify where the "brain" was located..."

"The current jamming set-up is a blunt instrument, but it was easy to arrange.  If the encryptor unit were still present and I were there myself I could program the communicator to search out the individual signals of the Xenos and block only them.  Without the encryptor unit that would be very difficult and we lack time.  Interference interspersed with distress signals seems a reasonable route, though we do not know what kind of response they would elicit.  I am beginning to wonder if this ship is more curse than blessing."

A curse, for sure...

"Alright, let's do that ! Not trying is worse than failing..."

Maegon strums on the keyboard and presses different buttons of the control panel, according to the instructions received from Azrael. The message loop sent on the airwaves includes a request for assistance, identification of a xenos threat and voidship coordinates. For now, Maegon refrains from identifying himself, as well as indicating that the voidship belongs to the Emperor's Children.

"Magos, do you know the ship name and what's happening inside ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 08, 2013, 11:50:59 AM
Maegon strums on the keyboard and presses different buttons of the control panel, according to the instructions received from Azrael. The message loop sent on the airwaves includes a request for assistance, identification of a xenos threat and voidship coordinates. For now, Maegon refrains from identifying himself, as well as indicating that the voidship belongs to the Emperor's Children.

After a few minutes, Maegon receives a half scrambled signal:

"grzzgzggzgzz...geant Kremiel of the Ravenw...zzvvggvrr....identi...grrzzzzvvrr...xenos vehi...zvnnnrrzzz"

Ravenwing ? Jetbikes, Land Speeders and Plasma Weapons, together with their incomparable talent, would be a great asset against the xenos arachnids...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 08, 2013, 12:05:05 PM
"Destroy their legs to render them motionless. The joints between the body and the legs looks like weak points, but they have several joints... Otherwise, their power sources... Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to identify where the "brain" was located..."
"My thanks Inquisitor, that information will be valuable."
Azrael breaks off briefly to pass the information on to Lukas and Hrothgar.

"Magos, do you know the ship name and what's happening inside ?"
"The ship is apparently called the 'Sensibilious'.  As to what is happening inside we have precious little information.  The Relictors picked up a brief garbled transmission from their brothers on the ship, it seems there is a significant struggle going on inside but beyond that we are in the dark.  A substantial portion of my people are preparing to enter the ship as we speak so we may know more soon.  Their first target is to secure fire control in order to use the ship's weapons against the Xenos.  The Relictors will I believe head directly to try and relieve their brothers."



Roldar and his retinue surround Derryck as they approach warily the voidship, in search of the maintenance hatch.
Derryck instructs a couple of the Nar-Ghosts in placing breaching charges around the maintenance hatch and then they all retreat a distance to avoid the blast of the detonation.  When the small cloud of smoke clears the hatch has been blown off its hinges leaving the way clear to enter the ship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 08, 2013, 12:11:36 PM
Entering the voidship

Roldar and his followers take cover as the charges laid on the hatch by Derryck detonate with a muffled bang.

Clasping Derryck's shoulder, Roldar comments:

"Well done. You are free of your decisions, even though your skills would not come amiss on board this thing."

The Scouts enter first, bolters at the ready, followed by their Men-at-Arms led by Helial.   

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 08, 2013, 12:33:14 PM
Outside the voidship

Usher and his men, Roman, Habem, Tonk and Pumarkin, await anxiously near Azrael, while he speaks with the Inquisitor.

Roman is injured and unable to run, but can still hold his lasgun. The four other Spiders hesitated to join the other groups, the one preparing to intercept the xenos or the one entering the voidship, but their lasguns and few grenades would be usuless in such battles.

Instead of stupidly running to their death, the Necromundian soldiers stay with the Magos.
They form a poor escort, but it's better than nothing...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 08, 2013, 02:03:37 PM
"Well done. You are free of your decisions, even though your skills would not come amiss on board this thing."
Derryck gives Roldar a quick salute.
"I wish you well Relictor.  If we find a way to assist you while we are working towards our goals we will do so, the Magos' communicator will enable you to stay in contact with us."

With that the two part ways, Derryck and the Nar-Ghosts heading in the direction Azrael recommended would lead them to fire control with the least resistance.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 08, 2013, 03:35:43 PM
Semi-OOC: Taking control of the command deck (aka. the bridge) is one way of controlling the turrets. The other option is to physically locate each turret and operate them locally. The latter option is probably out of reach due to a lack of manpower. Remember that while this is a small ship it's vastly larger than any supercarrier ever built. So there are a lot of rooms and corridors and whatnot. Plus there are still a thousand or so crew...so do not make the mistake of imagine this ship as 'small' in the absolute sense.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 08, 2013, 05:44:34 PM
A choice, Xerxzes: allow me to use your life to fuel one spell and deny this arrogant daemon its assumed prize or servitude.


A mental reply: "Feel free to use your own life, sorcerer. Though I should perhaps warn you - at this stage there is naught you can do. You imbeciles attacked my ship, killed my crew - and incredibly stupid it might sound, you set free the daemon. A very powerful daemon - I would know, because I imprisoned him. Well, now you get to reap what you have sown."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 09, 2013, 10:58:20 AM
Moving this forward:

Luliana has no intention of standing idly by while she and the other wizards are hacked to pieces; instead she continues to weave defensive enchantments to buy the group more time. Hoping against hope that the Gods will change their minds and show her favour.

The sorcerers are protected Kiltren Chigier (who seems to have accepted that Nouri is done for and is putting his trust in a new mistress) and the cult-warriors. Ben'shmen Grefsh is nowhere to be seen, having absconded during the fight.

Against them are arrayed the remaining Relictors and their librarian - a fairly even match - as things stand the ravenous marines are unable to simply slaughter the Tenebrous Cabal!

The Gaius-daemon finally takes notice: "Sorceress!" he shouts to Luliana, "your powers are considerable, worthy of my notice. Perhaps you will be more reasonable than your former master?" He doesn't call of the attack, however, preferring to have the upper hand in any negotiation.

Luliana: "Yes. I submit to your superior might oh Great Emissary! Nouri was wrong not to recognize you majesty and noble bearing!"

Nouri lies battered and broken (but not dead) on the floor, forgotten for the moment.

The Gaius-daemon: "Then drop your wards and attend me. I have need of your services."

Luliana does as she's bid, walking proudly between the still-running chainswords of the Relictors. "Your will master."

The Gaius-daemon: "I would be reunited with my host," it says, pointing as the immobilized form of Xerxzes. "It would be easier on the both of us if he would just let me in willingly - but he won't. Which is where you come in. You will oversee a ritual of possession to ease my passage. Can you do this?"

Luliana: "Thy will be done master. All that is require is the customary sacrifices to fuel the ritual."

The Gaius-daemon: "Indeed. Six should suffice. You pick suitable ones."

Luliana proceeds to prepare the ritual.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 09, 2013, 07:09:14 PM
"Well done. You are free of your decisions, even though your skills would not come amiss on board this thing."
Derryck gives Roldar a quick salute.
"I wish you well Relictor.  If we find a way to assist you while we are working towards our goals we will do so, the Magos' communicator will enable you to stay in contact with us."

With that the two part ways, Derryck and the Nar-Ghosts heading in the direction Azrael recommended would lead them to fire control with the least resistance.

OOC: Perhaps I missed something, but I cannot find out how many troops are going in with Derryck. Please clarify (or point me in the right direction).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 09, 2013, 07:10:37 PM
Entering the voidship

Roldar and his followers take cover as the charges laid on the hatch by Derryck detonate with a muffled bang.

Clasping Derryck's shoulder, Roldar comments:

"Well done. You are free of your decisions, even though your skills would not come amiss on board this thing."

The Scouts enter first, bolters at the ready, followed by their Men-at-Arms led by Helial.   



OOC: They've successfully entered the ship, near the bow. But what do they intend to do? Not just wander aimlessly I suppose?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 09, 2013, 07:13:47 PM
OOC: Also not entirely sure what part of the Nar-ghosts are setting up a forward defence vs. the fighters-turned-into-titans and who are staying out of sight along with the Magos.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 10, 2013, 03:24:25 PM
Luliana smugly peers down at the battered and disheveled body of Nouri; if he were awake, he would make a very suitable sacrifice. She smiles ever so briefly, surprised that their reckoning came so quickly and that the gods favor her so.  Ultimately, Luliana selects 4 squats, a thrall (whose talent could one day threaten her) and a spacemarine. She prepares them quickly for the undertaking that shall soon commence.

Nouri seethes with fury in the dark recesses of unconsciousness.  Surrounded by darkness all he can hears is the thunderous thumping around him.  Yet before he can question, between the echoes he hears:
"Do not ask which creature screams in the night. Do not question who waits for you in the shadow. It is my cry that wakes you in the night, and my body that crouches in the shadow. I am Tzeentch and you are the puppet that dances to my tune...”

Oblivion is chased away.

Nouri awakens in pain just as Luliana begins the ritual in earnest: all eyes are on her.  He slowly stands uses he hand to steady himself as he sways into the wall, but it isn’t the charred hand he remembers. The hand and forearm are blackened like charcoal with an ever so slight midnight blue tinge.  And it looks like smooth obsidian, though it yet moves like flesh; he flexes a hand now adorned with straight blackened claws. He turns to the ritual with purpose.

Nouri quickly recognizes the ritual circle: a high ritual incorporating both a greater summoning, an exorcism and elements to compel the vessel.  He observes as the daemon releases and is drawn out of the Gaius, and as it settles down upon Xerxzes to begin a battle-of-wills, for which the outcome is assured without some intervention as the first sacrifice is drained and the second one is used. To his right he can see Ben slowly slinking about and he looks eyes with him for a moment before marshaling for a last assault.

Nouri bursts forth towards the 3rd and 4th sacrifices with the intent to kill them before they can be used to fuel the ritual. At the same time, Ben moves to pull out the thrall and drag out Gaius.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune) November 10, 2013, 07:50:27 PM
Observing the spectacle happening, Gaius tests the boundaries confining him inside his own mind. The daemon is strong, much stronger than he expected, and certainly stronger than he can ever hope to be. It is clear that force will not let Gaius resume control over his body. Yet, his body is unfamiliar to the daemon, and through years of meditation Gaius has explored his own mind over and over again, sealing off parts of it and expanding other parts. So well hidden anyone studying his mind would never suspect it was there. If he were to enter those parts, the daemon might lose track of him. Perhaps a way to freedom can be found after all.

He knows what he has to do, yet fear holds him back. He no longer remembers what horrors lie within, but he must have had reasons for sealing off more than half his life's secrets. But as he is no longer in control of his body, perhaps the damage caused by revisiting those memories can be dampened. Or perhaps it will extinguish the last part of him, releasing him from this body, and this life. A blessing, perhaps, compared to his current situation.

As the daemons attention is turned towards Luliana, Gaius ventures deeper inside his own mind. The memories come flooding back, tearing at the very fabric of his soul. How can any man live with such action as he has done? Even without his body, the pain feels almost physical. Like spikes being driven through his head. It grows increasingly difficult to maintain focus, yet he forces himself to carry on. The daemon seems to ignore him, absorbed in Lulianas ritual.

His will is weakening. The task of keeping his mind and soul intact seems to heavy to carry. Easier to give up. Less painful. Yet, he continues. Within these hidden memories he is protected from the daemons power, but what can protect him from himself?

Then, suddenly, he watches his body from above. An almost invisible thread chains his consciousness to his body, but he is free nontheless. Turning his attention towards Xerxes, he uses whatever strenght he has left to invade the weakened marine's mind. He knows what he's looking for:  The daemons true name.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 10, 2013, 09:24:19 PM
[OOC: Warning, this is going to be long! ;D]

With that the two part ways, Derryck and the Nar-Ghosts heading in the direction Azrael recommended would lead them to fire control with the least resistance.

Moving through any enemy installation with over 40 people [OOC: Derryck + 40 Nar-Ghosts + 4 recruits from the ruins] stealthily is not an easy task.  As such Derryck took 4 of the best and most experienced warriors with him to form an advance group that could deactivate security optics allowing the bulk of the group to pass unnoticed.  As they were sticking to back corridors and the crew had plenty to keep them occupied in distant parts of the ship they did not expect to encounter much resistance, at least hopefully nothing the 5 of them couldn't handle.

The first two groups of crew members they came across indeed were no problem.  There had only been 3 of them in each group, unarmoured and only armed with pistols they had surrendered without a fight.  Azrael had asked them to try and minimise crew casualties as he hoped to be able to establish relations with them later, as such Derryck simply knocked them out, tied them up and locked them in storage cupboards.

The third group however decided to be stupid.  There were 6 of them, slightly out-numbering Derryck's team, and two of them had rifles rather than just pistols, but they were still outgunned by the Nar-Ghosts.  Had they any sense they would have surrendered too, however they decided to opt for heroics and fought back.  Derryck and his men put them down quickly, but Jonas and Theo were injured in the process.  Theo only slightly, though it would slow him down, but Jonas was serious.  They weren't too far from their entry point yet and the way back should be clear, so after weighing it up for a moment Derryck sent Theo plus one of the other ghosts, Renard, to take Jonas back to Irena outside the ship, cycling two others into the vanguard team.



Meanwhile outside the ship

"I think that is as much as I can do from here Inquisitor," said Azrael, packing up his communications equipment, "The orbital communicator should enable us to remain in contact now.  I am going into the ship to see if I can try and salvage something from this situation.  I will keep you informed of progress."

The Magos turns to Corporal Usher, "Your support would be welcome if you would offer it."
Usher nods, "Aye, we will assist you, but Roman here cannot go far or fast."
"We will leave him in the care of Irena along with the injured Relictor, come Sam," says Azrael, gesturing for the servitor to carry Roman as they make their way down to the maintenance hatch.
[OOC: Hope this is fine LordPyscho]

Irena is hidden a short distance from the maintenance hatch with an assistant, Karl, and the injured Relictor marine.

Azrael enters their small hideout followed by Sam carrying Roman and then Usher and the other Necromundans.
"I have another patient for you Irena," Azrael nods towards Roman, "his ankle is injured."
Sam sets Roman down carefully beside Irena, who delicately examines Roman's ankle.  Roman winces slightly as she does so.
"It is very badly sprained, but not broken.  Nonetheless you will not be able to use it much for the next few days," Irena says kindly.
"We will leave him in your capable hands," Azrael says turning to go.
"Good luck," Irena says softly.
"Thank you," Azrael replies, as he steps out of the small hideout.

Azrael, Sam and the four remaining Necromundans reach the maintenance hatch and enter the ship.  They take a different path to Derryck, winding through narrow corridors until Azrael finds what he was looking for, a small data shrine from which he can access the ships systems.

Azrael then goes through various safety procedures, including connecting Sam to the shrine.  He had a bad experience with a renegade Land Raider the warband came across some time ago.  Its machine spirit had been heavily corrupted and quite insane.  While Azrael had been able to deal with it, it was not an experience he wished to repeat, at least certainly not without warning, and so he had been much more cautious before connecting to unknown machines ever since.

Satisfied that nothing unpleasant was lurking within this part of the ships data grid, or at least nothing his failsafes can't handle, Azrael jacks himself into the shrine.

"Keep watch while I access this shrine please Usher, my perception of the physical world will be dulled whilst I am connected."

There is the familiar feeling of falling through blackness until his consciousness emerges into the grid.  It has been a long time since he has connected to a grid large and complex enough to support a full anthropomorphic actualisation and he stretches his incorporeal form as he drinks in the experience.
"It's good to be back," he says quietly to himself, before turning to look at his surroundings.

Every Mechanicum adept experiences connecting to a data grid differently, their mind projecting a landscape onto the grid to aid interaction.  For senior adepts the landscape also varies with the level of immersion.  At this low level of immersion, to Azrael, the data grid appeared as a long corridor full of doors and with the occasional branch leading off it.  Different Magi treat their anthropomorphic actualisations differently too, Azrael's appeared much like his physical self, albeit rather cleaner and clad in his Mechanicus robes.  Some Magi however, particularly the most senior and ancient ones, bear even less resemblance to a human than their physical selves.

Azrael regarded the corridor.  While it is primarily a landscape projected by his own mind, it picks up aspects of the ship as well.  Rather than the clean stark white that Azrael would find in a new and well maintained Imperial ship here there is a thin layer of dust covering the floor, and there are cracks in the paintwork too.  This ship has not seen a true Mechanicum adept for a long time.  There is something slightly baroque about the corridor too, a slight vaulting to the ceiling, oversized, albeit tarnished, door handles.  This ship is old too.  Despite the grime there was a sense of solidness however.  Though it was old, and not well cared for this was still a sturdy ship that would serve a good master well.

"It's about time someone looked after you a little better old girl," Azrael said absentmindedly, stroking one of the wall panels.  He heard, or perhaps imagined, a faint appreciative sigh from the ship as he did so.

Looking more carefully Azrael could see that as well as the dirt and the cracked paintwork there was a vague darkness about some of the corners, almost like mould.  Corruption.  Not dramatic, but definitely there, the touch of Chaos is unmistakeable to one who knows how to look for it.  Not unexpected given who the ship's owner was, and actually not as bad he had thought it might be.  Either the ship was quite resistant or it had only entered the service of Chaos comparatively recently.  The corruption was also slightly stronger toward the rear of the ship.  He could only directly access the forward part of the ship from here, but he could get echoes from other parts of the ship and there was a definite sense that something dramatic was going on at the back of the ship.  No doubt that was where the struggle involving the Relictors was taking place.

"Right," he said to himself, "down to business."

Azrael made a gesture and the walls of the corridor rushed past him.

Whilst it would seem to someone else immersed in the grid that his reverie and examination had lasted some time it had in fact only been a fraction of a second.  Actions in the grid moved at the speed of thought.  This was something else Azrael had missed about being connected to such facilities.  While there are of course many subtle differences an Adept of the Mechanicus is probably the closest a non-psyker can be to understanding what it is like to communicate and interact with objects psychically.  One can have an entire conversation in the space of a microsecond and one is not limited by the ability of language to articulate ideas.  Nonetheless everything else in the grid moves at the speed of thought also, and while the ship is obviously not overtly hostile, and all machines have a certain deference to members of the Machine Cult there would be roving security programs that would not recognise Azrael as their master.  There would not be many here as from this shrine he was limited in what he could do with the ships systems, he could look at most things relating to the forward sections, but his ability to act was restricted.

Azrael made another gesture and the walls stopped.  In front of him was a door labelled 'Internal Optics'.  Exactly what he was looking for.  He reached out to the handle of the door and then froze.  There was a security program on the other side of the door, he could sense it.  Not a particularly nasty one, but nonetheless.

Preparing himself he put his boot to the door and burst through it.  The security program had been just behind the door, as he had hoped, and was bowled over.  It had a roughly humanoid appearance, however its head was a smooth pearlescent egg without any hint of a face and the lower part of its right arm was a vicious looking blade.  A rather simple low level program, Azrael mused briefly, they always do tend to stand too close behind the doors.  It attempted to right itself and slash out at Azrael with its blade but Azrael ducked aside and shot it in the face, or at least where its face would have been.  The pearlescent orb shattered and the program fell limp before dissolving.

“Right, hopefully that was the only one in this section.”

Azrael turned to look around the room.  Arrayed around the walls were banks of monitors displaying the output of the security optics throughout the ship.  He approached one of the banks of monitors and began cycling through the optics in the forward section, around the path he expected Derryck to have taken.  A good number of the cameras were non-functional, no doubt partly through damage, and possibly partly through poor maintenance.  He found a single winding path along which all of the cameras had been disabled.  He smiled, Derryck had done well, not many people would have found that winding path of disabled cameras.  He disconnected the next camera along the corridor from the main network so that only he could see its output.  Then he activated his vox unit.

“Derryck, when you reach the next camera, rather than disabling it, throw something small into its field of view.”

“Aye Magos,” Derryck confirmed.  He had been waiting for Azrael to enter the ship and access its systems.

After what seemed like a long wait to Azrael an ammo pack bounced into the view of the camera he was watching.

“Excellent, I have your position.  Now I can guide you around any obstacles,” Azrael said over the vox.

“Great, I was hoping we wouldn’t have to deal with any more of the crew, Jonas was seriously injured in the last encounter,” Derryck replied with just a hint of chagrin.

“What happened?”

Derryck filled Azrael in on the encounter, after which Azrael contacted Theo and Renard and went through the same process as with Derryck, such that he could guide them back out of the ship without running into any patrols.

His people out of immediate danger Azrael scanned through the rest of the forward areas of the ship.  It did not take long to spot the original entry point of the Relictor marines and the path they had taken.  The trail of blood and carnage was quite unmistakeable.  He marvelled for a moment at the shear destructive power of a squad of Space Marines in the tight confines of a spacecraft.  The trail did indeed lead towards the rear part of the ship, if they had maintained this level of destruction all the way to engineering they might well have slaughtered over a third of the crew.  Nonetheless there would still be over a thousand souls still on board.

Shortly afterwards he located Roldar and his scouts.  He activated the communicator he had given to Roldar.

“Roldar, this is Azrael.  While you will no doubt be able to find and follow the trail of blood and gore left by your brothers I believe they went in the direction of the enginarium.  I can guide you part of the way there avoiding large groups of crew, but my sight does not reach beyond the forward sections at the moment.”

Continuing to scan through the camera views he found the target he had selected for Derryck, the secondary fire control centre.  This coordinated the control of the smaller defensive turrets that could be used against the Xenos.  Azrael swore quietly to himself.  The secondary fire control centre was a hive of activity.  He had thought it might be busy given that the fighters only recently flew over but he could count at least 60 people in the room.  Azrael contemplated the idea of creating a distraction to lure some of them away, but even if he could get half of them to leave that still left 30.  It might be possible but it would be very risky.

Another thought occurred to him instead.  He split his focus in two, creating a shadow version of himself.  His shadow walked back out into the corridor and the walls rushed past again.  This time they stopped with a door marked ‘Weapons status’.  He couldn’t access the weapons themselves from this shrine, but he could examine their condition.  His shadow paused for a moment in front of the door.  No security program this time.  He opened the door and stepped inside.  Examining the weapons he found that there were only three turrets with fire arcs in the right direction that were still operational in any case.  He marked the location of the turrets and drew his shadow back to him.
Seeking out the turrets on the monitors he found that there were, as he had expected, far fewer crew members near them.  Automated turrets did not after all need to be attended to unless there was a problem.  The path to one of the turrets however lay through a more populated area.  Two turrets for two Xenos, the idea appealed to him and he contacted Derryck again.

“Change of plans, secondary fire control is too heavily guarded.  Divide the group, I am sending you to two of the turrets to control them directly, they are far more lightly protected.  I’m sending you their locations.”

“Affirmative”

Derryck quickly divided the warband in two, putting Yelena in charge of the second team.

Guiding four groups through the ship would be taxing but Theo, Renard and Jonas were near the maintenance hatch now.

The two teams had just started moving towards the turrets when Azrael heard a quiet voice urgently whispering in his ear.

“Magos there’s a group of 12 crewmen heading this way, we need to move.”

It was Usher.

“Feth, that’s too many.”

He checked the camera feeds, Usher was right, they must have moved into the area while Azrael was distracted looking everywhere else.  Had he somehow alerted the crew to his presence?  It seemed unlikely, but either way they needed to leave this area.

Azrael voxed quickly through to all of the groups, “You’re on your own for a while, I need to move to a different location.  I’ll be back in contact as soon as I can.”

[OOC: Hope everyone liked that and it moved things forward enough while still having some ambiguity]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 12, 2013, 02:07:49 PM
Outside the ship

"I think that is as much as I can do from here Inquisitor," said Azrael, packing up his communications equipment, "The orbital communicator should enable us to remain in contact now.  I am going into the ship to see if I can try and salvage something from this situation.  I will keep you informed of progress."

"Your assistance has been precious, Magos. I just received a blurred message from a group that could be the Ravenwing. If so, their help could be helpful against the xenos. I'll try to confirm their identity and guide them. Good luck."

The Magos turns to Corporal Usher, "Your support would be welcome if you would offer it."
Usher nods, "Aye, we will assist you, but Roman here cannot go far or fast."
"We will leave him in the care of Irena along with the injured Relictor, come Sam," says Azrael, gesturing for the servitor to carry Roman as they make their way down to the maintenance hatch.
[OOC: Hope this is fine LordPyscho]

[OOC: perfect  :) ]

Azrael, Sam and the four remaining Necromundans reach the maintenance hatch and enter the ship.

At this moment, the two xenos constructs arrive in view of the ship.

Hrothgar, Lukas and their men were prepared, but the vision is somehow... disturbing.

Then the xenos start using their strange but powerful weapons.

The two teams had just started moving towards the turrets when Azrael heard a quiet voice urgently whispering in his ear.

“Magos there’s a group of 12 crewmen heading this way, we need to move.”

It was Usher.

“Feth, that’s too many.”

He checked the camera feeds, Usher was right, they must have moved into the area while Azrael was distracted looking everywhere else.  Had he somehow alerted the crew to his presence?  It seemed unlikely, but either way they needed to leave this area.

Azrael voxed quickly through to all of the groups, “You’re on your own for a while, I need to move to a different location.  I’ll be back in contact as soon as I can.”

"Habem, Tonk, open the way. Pumarkin, help me watch our back."

The Spiders move away from the approaching crewmen. As natives of hive world Necromunda, they are much more at ease in the metal corridors of the Ship than outdoors. Azrael and Sam move between them. The Magos guides the group thanks a map registered in his memory circuits.

A crewman silhouette appears at a junction, followed by another one... no, two others...
The firefight breaks out.

Covered behind door frames and walls, Usher and Pumarkin throw two frag grenades, then shoot in burst with their lasguns to repel the crewsmen, armed with their own lasguns, autoguns and pistols. The Spiders kill three enemies, then four, five, six...

Suddenly, crewsmen stop running into their firing lines.

The two soldiers are forced to leave their position when a bunch of grenades fly into the corridor.
The smell of promethium reaches them, before the heat of the flamer.

Usher barely manages to escape the flames, but Pumarkin catches fire and starts screaming.

The officer can do nothing but give him a quick death with a headshot from his lasgun. With a dark expression on his face, he runs to catch up Azrael and the rest of the group.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 06:55:09 PM
Outside the ship

The Ner'gal fighter-craft have transformed into hideous multi-legged warmachines that are even now marching on the location of the Sensibilious. They remind the soldiers of warped titans - which isn't good for morale at all. Your only choice seems to be attacking the legs - they would appear to be the weak spots.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 07:55:06 PM
Gun team Derryk: Eliminates a handful of ship's armsmen, including one big mutant that doesn't respond at all to being shot with lasweapons, at the price of one of Derryk's best men. They are now in control of the turret.

Gun team Yelena: Their progress is halted time and again when the layout of the ship doesn't conform to what Azrael fed to them. The team is trying to find its way, but the more it tries the more lost it becomes. Good thing the ship isn't THAT big!

Team Azrael: Azrael's little group has been joined by the remaining Necromundans. It is currently on the move, trying locate another suitable spot for Azrael to physically interface with the Machine. Just before Azrael logged out of the previous shrine he got a glimpse of something he didn't particularity like seeing; a subtle command sent along the byways of the ship's grid to hidden murder servitors. If you are not mistaken there are now a number of them actively prowling the secondary maintenance areas and utility conduits: They task is simple, to prevent further intrusions like the one you make. As soon as you reunite with the ship they will know your location...unless you can outwit them.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 08:57:16 PM
Nouri explodes into action. Before anyone can stop him - not even the daemon - he's decapitated on the of the intended sacrifices. He is not so fast as to reach his second intended target, however. Instead he halted by the iron-strong grip of power-armoured Kiltren Chigier around his neck. He tries to bring his claws to bear, but Kiltren heaves him overhead then smacks him into the floor. Sorcereous claws shatter as the full weight of a space marine puts ceramite to the unyielding enginarium floor. Claws turn back into flesh and bone - smashed flesh and shattered bone.

"Be still," the giant hisses, "and let your apprentice make you proud."

The last thing Nouri sees before the darkness claims him is Ben, held aloft in a telekinetic vice. "You may proceed sorceress," the Gaius-daemon says, "I have a replacement for your here." And with that poor Ben is turned inside-out in a gory display of psychic might...



Meanhwhile....

...Gaius is taking a monumental risk; he exerts himself greatly by vacating his own possessed body. If this astral projection doesn't pay of he's be unable to return, dooming his spirit to a brief existence on this plan before it fades into the Realm of Chaos.

Into Xerxzes mind you go. He doesn't particularly resits you - possibly a side effect of the ongoing ritual - so entry is simple enough. The rest is more complicated. You've never been inside a mind that even remotely this complex. Memories are piled in layer upon layer, some of orderly, but most of it jumbled and chaotic. You try to pick through it, but its hopeless - there is way too much for you to ever take in fully. Decades. Centuries. Millennia. More than ten thousand years of death and destruction.

For a moment you contemplate trying to invade Xerxzes ego core, but change your mind once you've had a better look: Its pinched up so tight that you fear to even try to touch it.

"I was there," a voice says, "the day the Emperor addressed the fully mustered 3rd Legion of Adeptus Astartes." It is Xerxes voice, speaking to you. "It was on the eve of our deployment to the Great Crusade. On the very next day we began boarding our vessels and heading into the great unknown. Many were our battles before we were reunited with Fulgrim, our primogenitor."

He shares his vision with you; hundreds of thousands of Space Marines arrayed in formation upon a great mustering field. There is a moon in the morning sky; it can only be blessed Luna, meaning you stand upon the sacred soil of Terra. In the distance, upon a podium is a radiant figure. You cannot actually make out his features - it's like trying to look directly upon the brightest sun there ever was - but his presence surrounds you and suffuses you. And you are content, for this man is the father of your father, the Saviour of all Mankind, and you are the vessel of his great project - the Great Crusade to reunite humanity and bring peace to the galaxy.

"This I remember. As I do remember the day I first saw my Primarch. And the day we learned of the Emperor's Great Betrayal. Other things I also recall, but not as vividly as those three. There is simply not enough room in the mind of one man, space marine or otherwise, to house so many memories.

I will show you the names of the daemon - I keep them safely tucked away - but they will not accomplish what you desire. It has been a long time since I cast him out and bound him and he has taken on many more names. Those that I know will only get you halfway there.

Bide your time and be clever; the daemon is mighty, but vain and foolish. Sooner or later it will make a mistake. That is how I vanquished it."

And so it is that Xerxzes shows you the seventeen secret names of the daemon that currently resides in your body...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 09:05:19 PM
The ritual plays out without further incidents; Luliana goes through the motions and the necessary sacrifices are made, mostly from Xerxzes' own fighters, but inverse Ben and a couple of squats are also allowed to give up their lives.

Those of you present (and awake) get to witness something few people ever get to see; daemonic possession. The already dim enginarium becomes even darker and the temperature drops noticeably. Shadows seem to wrap themselves around Gaius, before tendrils reach out to wrap themselves around Xerxzes. Perhaps a minute passes before Gaius slumps to the ground and the last of the shadowy tendrils are gone.

Gone are also Xerxzes' craggy features. Instead their are replaced by a visage so perfect and noble that it can only be described as supernatural beauty. "Ah..." he says in the voice of Xerxzes, but you know it is not. It is the daemon speaking. "It is so good to be back dear Xerxzes. We two, we were made for one another. Your body is the only one worthy of holding me - and we sure do look better with me on board, don't you think? Even your Primarch would approve of your looks now!" The laughter that follows sounds entirely like the daemon.

Lexander releases his grip on the Xerxzes-daemon...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 09:15:39 PM
The daemon addresses the squats: "Finally we are free from the wicked whims of Xerxzes! You have done it my children - we are again masters of our ancestral vessel, again the architects of our own fates. Go now, and attend your duties, but send word for the elders - we need their counsel."

The daemon addresses the remaining warriors: "I remain Xerxzes and you remain my wards and warriors. Make ready for battle - there are intruders still loose on the ship that needs slaughtering. I shall join you shortly and we shall do glorious battle together."

The daemon speaks to Lexander: "Well done my champion. My trust was not poorly place. I have let a portion of my power reside within the thing you call the Tower; keep it by your side and it will make you fearsome in battle and safe from the mind games of lesser sorcerers."

The daemon speaks to Luliana: "You shall take your master's place at my side. You are not half the sorcerer he is...but I guess you will have to suffice. As a boon I grant you the body and soul of your old master; feast upon it so that you might gain some of his power, or keep him as a thrall if it amuses you - it should I think, he so hates being under the control of another!"

He turns to Gaius, pokes his limp form with his toe. "I guess you weren't quite so tough after all. You spirit is all but gone. Pitty. I could have used you as a vessel for a lesser one of my kind." But Gaius isn't in right now, he's keeping out of sight, hiding his astral presence on the far side of the warp core.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 12, 2013, 09:17:36 PM
In the hive

Nothing much happens. Maegon chats a bit with Azrael while waiting for his elites to carry stuff down - they've only just begun and will be at it for the better part of today and tomorrow.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 12, 2013, 11:57:29 PM
Outside the ship

The Ner'gal fighter-craft have transformed into hideous multi-legged warmachines that are even now marching on the location of the Sensibilious. They remind the soldiers of warped titans - which isn't good for morale at all. Your only choice seems to be attacking the legs - they would appear to be the weak spots.
Lukas spots one of the Xenos constructs as it crests a small rise, the sight of it makes him shiver slightly, it looks decidedly unnatural.  Supressing the feeling he relays its position to Hrothgar and lines up a shot on one of the leg joints.  He doesn't have much hope of actually damaging it, just distracting it while Hrothgar attacks from a different angle, so he waits until Hrothgar gives his signal.

At that moment his comm-bead buzzes into life, "Lukas, this is Derryck.  We've taken control of one of the forward turrets on the ship, patch me in to your targeting telemetry and I can bring it to bear on the Xenos."

Just in time, thought Lukas, "Good to hear from you Derryck. You should be getting the telemetry now."

"Excellent, we'll just need a moment to bring the cannons up to power."

Inside Derryck's team have stripped the armsmen of any useful supplies and placed guards on the corridors leading to the gun while Derryck and a few others activate the power cycle and link the gun to the targeting information from Lukas.  There is the whirring sound of huge volumes of energy being drawn upon and the gun tracks around toward the Xenos, ready to fire.



With Yelena's team

"Where the hell are we?," said Samael, grumpily.

"How the feth am I supposed to know?," snapped Yelena, "We should have been at the turret ages ago."

"At least we haven't come across any more of the crew," interjected Karl, trying to look on the bright side.

"I don't think even the crew come to this part of the ship very often," said Ivan, "Look at the dust and dirt everywhere."

"Looks like some kind of disused storage area or something," offered Olivar, trying to be helpful.

"The Magos will get back to us soon and then it'll be fine," Nathain said, as much to reassure himself as anyone else.



With Azrael

After they had got away from the crewmen Azrael pulled Usher aside for a moment.

"Rest assured that Pomarkin's sacrifice will be remembered with the best of the Nar-Ghosts," Azrael said, his eyes blazing, "Unfortunately we have another problem, before I disconnected from the ship I detected it activating a cadre of murder-servitors.  I do not know how many, but if I connect to the ship again they will know where we are."

Usher did not wish to speak about Pomarkin but simply nodded, "What are we to do then if these murder-servitors will find us as soon as you connect to the ship?"

"Fortunately, the programming of these automatons is relatively simple, and they can be tricked.  When we next find a data shrine I will rig it so that I can make it activate from a distance, and we will booby trap it, such that when a servitor comes they will be destroyed by the explosion.  It will not deal with all of them, but from the corpse of one of them I can extract its identity codes.  If we can then find a data shrine with higher level access I should be able to use the codes to disguise myself for long enough to disable them.  I may even be able to turn the situation to our advantage and reprogram the servitors to follow my commands."

Usher smiled grimly, "It sounds like a plan at least."

A few minutes later they find a small data shrine in a sheltered alcove.

"This will do perfectly," Azrael said, stepping toward it to make the adjustments.  He stripped off the front panel of the console and counted through the wires with his fingers thoughtfully for a moment, before selecting the necessary ones and adjusting their connections before inserting a tiny transmitter (incidentally the same one he had originally used to bug Usher's vox, he removed it again when disassembling the vox to connect it to his own communication equipment).  The necessary adjustments made he strapped several grenades to the console with a simple proximity detonator before they retreated to a safe location to activate the shrine and draw in the murder servitors.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 10:02:51 AM
@Team Roldar: Using the main access spine proves impossible as it is heavily defended with a variety of semi-heavy weaponry. So Roldar and his men are forced to use a secondary route to reach the enginarium. It is slow going; not only are there a great many stairs, passageways, gantries and so forth, but there are also enemies about and plenty of locked or otherwise impassable doors and portals.

At one point the group is ambushed by a murder-servitor that clings silent and unseen to the roof until you're right under it; it kills two of the new 'recruits' before Roldar blows out its cortex with a single well-place snap shot.

You are now more or less stuck somewhere in the vicinity of the aft port reaction-mass tanks. Well, maybe not precisely stuck, but you've no clear line of advance and you've lost all forward momentum.

(did they bring the Marine with the defect jump pack with them, or does he remain on the outside with the injured marine?)
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 13, 2013, 10:32:31 AM
Roldar knees for a moment by the bodies of the two Men-at-Arms before standing up and silently motioning his reduced retinue forward, wary for further tricks from murder-servitor. Roldar is in now in search for the armory of the vessel.

He wistfully wished he had brought with him brother Alterius, the Astartes remained outside to keep watch over the injured marine.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Lurk Skywalker November 13, 2013, 10:45:11 AM
The Lector releases his grip on Xerxzes and knees before his new master. The Locum Lector and the surviving Astartes gather around their brother whose lower part of the leg was hacked in the fight with Xerxzes.

The Lector remains in this position whilst a dim pulse, a feeling of unease, attempts to pierce through the chant which seems ever present throughout his mind. Never before has the Lector felt so well, so mighty and so purposeful. Serving his new master is an end onto itself, worth countless lives and dreams. The "black blood" flows and mingles with the superior and enhanced fluid of life of the Lector, as ragged and torn tissues start to mend, however hideously and bewilderingly should an Apothecary inspect it.

All the while the pulse keeps beating in the background, as the self-conditioning of the Relictors tries to find its way back into the Astartes' mind. One heartbeat would probably be enough to control the hand and voice of the Lector.

The Locum Lector's orb remains visible and the apprentice Librarian, has now established a sustained link with it, allowing power to ebb as and when required. From time to time, the Locum probes the outer-shell of the Lector's mind, ready to infuse his power should his Relictor's mind resurface...


 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 10:49:10 AM
@Team Lexander: The Lector is still empowered by Chaos, as described previously.

Adorus is pretty much back to normal. A little worse for wear perhaps, having called upon the Orb several times.

Two of Lexander's marines are dead, but the one with the missing leg still lives, despite numerous additional injuries. The five combat-worthy marines are not in great shape either, injuries, low on ammo and with compromised suits.

You haven't heard from Roldar in a while, but is aware he's on the ship.
 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 11:06:12 AM
@Team Xerxzes-daemon: The daemon moves to stand over the fallen Relictors. It clenches its power-armoured firsts and the two marines rise to fight once more. Xerxzes smiles as he pulls his obsidian blade from the eye-socket of one of the dead marines. "You shall have the honour of being the first members of my new bodyguard." The other dead marine fumbles a bit before finding his decapitated head. He picks it up and tucks it under his arm before retrieving his chainsword. It is as unsettling as it is bizarre.

He's about to leave with his warriors when he turns to Luliana: "That signal you sent. Who was it for? More allies?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 11:09:18 AM
@Team Lukas: Through his scope Lukas can see the faint but tell-tale signs of active void shields protecting the walkers. Lukas has a bad feeling; those shields are probably a lot stronger than when the things are airborne...

As he watches one of the walkers fires a couple of short bursts of lascannon fire at the ship. Many of the shots go wide, but a fair number hit the hull. They do only superficial damage - the hull is too tough to penetrate with weapons like that. Surface fixtures - defensive turrets included - are not so well protected...

The other walker also opens fire. It becomes very clear to Lukas that the xenos are not out to destroy the Sensibilious, but mean to take her largely intact. That begs the question - what is on board that is so important they would risk destruction to get to it whole?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 11:18:59 AM
@Team Yelena: The group (about two squads worth of warriors?) has finally arrived in what they hope is the correct location. The final access portal is pried open and...half a dozen rifles are pointed at an old and wizened scribe that sits alone in a largish chamber filled with all manner of books, tomes, scrolls, datapads, and so forth. He's no taller than 1.5 Imperial metres and looks terribly frail beneath his robes.

He looks up at you and quickly dismisses a trio of autoqills. "Visitors? Do come in. Pardon me for not getting up - my legs are not what used to be." When he speaks he looks at you - you can clearly see he's go no eyeballs. Could he be some sort of astropath?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 11:30:00 AM
@Team Azrael: "Magos, we have movement in access-way 23-14." Azrael nods. He already knew of the approaching servitor. Not because he had seen or heard, but because he could feel the minute disturbances it made within the techno-matrix of the vessel as it moved. Its feet might be padded and its joints well oiled, but its other cybernetic parts were poorly shielded at best.

It's big and ugly. Possibly based on an ogryn frame. Heavily plated and armed with a rotating shot-cannon and a vicious looking chain-axe. Not something you wanted to tangle with in close quarters. A quick calculation reveals that the explosive charge may be too small to have the desired effect; additional measures may need to be taken to pacify the servitor.

(not 100% sure who's with Azrael or the other teams ATM, please list OOC in next post)
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 13, 2013, 08:25:20 PM
@Team Xerxzes-daemon: The daemon moves to stand over the fallen Relictors. It clenches its power-armoured firsts and the two marines rise to fight once more. Xerxzes smiles as he pulls his obsidian blade from the eye-socket of one of the dead marines. "You shall have the honour of being the first members of my new bodyguard." The other dead marine fumbles a bit before finding his decapitated head. He picks it up and tucks it under his arm before retrieving his chainsword. It is as unsettling as it is bizarre.

He's about to leave with his warriors when he turns to Luliana: "That signal you sent. Who was it for? More allies?"

Luliana bows deeply. "My Lord,  the gifts you bestow upon me are most benevolent for such a humble servant. I shall do everything to ensure your time here is fruitful for your cause, which I would gladly make my own, if you would deem my skills of further use to you," she says.

"With your blessing, I shall rob this heretic of his knowledge and once he is bleed dry, I shall, feast upon his essence," she says.  "Until then, he shall be known as the thrall, Worm - a fitting name for this creature that has been laid so low."

She turns to direct the other thralls in the binding ritual upon Nouri, now named Worm. A ritual made difficult my his might.

He's about to leave with his warriors when he turns to Luliana: "That signal you sent. Who was it for? More allies?"

"No, my Lord, Worm help direct a beacon into the immaterium, with the intention of drawing the attention of the Grey Knight who assaulted the cabal here that now serves you," she says.

"When he interfered with it, I do not not know if they detected it," she concludes.  As silence lingers after her remarks, ominous series of clanging clunks in quick succession can be heard ringing through the ship from the roof.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 08:40:14 PM
The Xerxzes-daemon doesn't quite move as much as reality shifts to accommodate its new position. Now quite a teleportarium effect, but more akin to a warping of the local space-time. One moment he's a good distance away from Luliana - the next he's standing right next to her. "Grey Knights?" it says, sounding incredulous. "A Chaos sorcerer would call Grey Knights?" what kind of foolishness is this!?" He puts his jagged black dagger to Luliana's chest. "You lie, sorceress. Tell me the truth and I won't make you suffer."

Luliana, defiantly: "It is the truth lord. I know not what his plan was. He never told his thralls of his plans."

Xerxzes: "But it is immaterial; there are no Grey Knights on Cadia."

Luliana, more meekly: "But there is. When we used the Ritual of Passage to get out of the hive and come here...they sensed it and they attacked us. Half out number...dead in moments."

Xerxzes: "You do speak the truth woman. Insane though it may sound. I guess Worm is even more insane that most sorcerers." He looks like he would have liked to talk to Worm, but the former master of the Tenebrous Cabal is blissfully unconscious. "This changes things. I'll not have Grey Knights ruin my favourite host. Not after so many years of wanting to get it back. Lexander, attend me!"

The captain of the Relictors steps forward.

Xerxzes: "I leave you in charge here Lector. You are my champion and I fully expect you to stand up to the Grey Knights for as along as possible. When you have done so you have my permission to die; I shall watch for your soul in the Immaterium and we shall be reunited then. I will find you a suitable host so that you may continue to serve me."

He gestures to two unliving space marines. "Come my Death Knights. The Grey Knights are coming and I've a mind to be some place else when they arrive."

And with that the Xerxzes-daemon turns about face and leaves you, followed and flanked by two dead Relictors, one of them carrying his own head tucked under his arm.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 13, 2013, 08:51:31 PM

After a few minutes, Maegon receives a half scrambled signal:

"grzzgzggzgzz...geant Kremiel of the Ravenw...zzvvggvrr....identi...grrzzzzvvrr...xenos vehi...zvnnnrrzzz"


As far as Maegon can tell the communicator is picking up an encrypted identification signal. Unfortunately it cannot process it properly because of the missing encryption/decryption module. Could it real loyalist marines out there, trying to verify your identity? Where are all the tech-priests when you really need them. Damnation!
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 13, 2013, 09:54:48 PM

After a few minutes, Maegon receives a half scrambled signal:

"grzzgzggzgzz...geant Kremiel of the Ravenw...zzvvggvrr....identi...grrzzzzvvrr...xenos vehi...zvnnnrrzzz"


As far as Maegon can tell the communicator is picking up an encrypted identification signal. Unfortunately it cannot process it properly because of the missing encryption/decryption module. Could it real loyalist marines out there, trying to verify your identity? Where are all the tech-priests when you really need them. Damnation!

"Fraaaaaak..."

The Inquisitor is tired. He tries to improve the transmission quality, without success.

"What a day..."

Suddenly, Maegon notices a drawer that he hadn't notice so far in the orbital communicator. The drawer opens with a simple push. Inside, he sees a soft black surface pierced with a silver central compartment.

"May it be ?..."

Driven by instinct, Maegon introduces his inquisitoral Rosette inside the compartment.
A new screen lights up.

"Oh, God-Emperor and all Powers That Be..."  :o

When his hands stop trembling nervously, the Inquisitor pulls his tarot to know what to do of this discovery...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 14, 2013, 01:10:15 AM
With Lukas/Derryck

Through his scope Lukas can see the faint but tell-tale signs of active void shields protecting the walkers. Lukas has a bad feeling; those shields are probably a lot stronger than when the things are airborne...

"Hrothgar, the Xenos have void shields!" warned Lukas.

Lukas was about to say more, but Uri, one of the snipers, spoke first, "Those ruins just to the West of the Western-most Xeno are very unstable.  You see that high wall jutting up out of the rubble?  It's on the verge of collapse, we planted a small explosive there earlier that should bring the whole thing down.  If we can lure the Xeno close to it then we should be able to crush it underneath the ruin."

"Well done Uri," congratulated Lukas, grateful for a bit of good news, "Did you get that Hrothgar?  We'll hit it with a few pot shots, try and draw it's attention, but you're better placed than us to lure it that way.  Derryck, when the explosive goes off hit the ruin as hard as you can, make sure we finish it off before it can get out and get it's void shield back up."

"I read you Lukas," replied Derryck, "but that last salvo was very close to our turret.  We're more protected down here below it at the controls, nothing more than a few minor cuts and bruises so far, but the turret itself is more vulnerable and I have no idea what the feth has happened to Yelena's team heading for the second one."

"Save your fire until we get the Xeno in position, there's no point risking the turret until we know it'll do some good," said Lukas.
"And then we'll have to think about what to do about the second one," he added quietly to himself.



With Yelena

He looks up at you and quickly dismisses a trio of autoqills. "Visitors? Do come in. Pardon me for not getting up - my legs are not what used to be." When he speaks he looks at you - you can clearly see he's go no eyeballs. Could he be some sort of astropath?
For a moment everyone just blinks and stares at the old man, then people begin to find their voices again.

"I swear this place just gets weirder and weirder," muttered Simon under his breath.
"Maybe next we'll find a pool," Ivan said quietly next to him.
"Who the feth is the short, grey bundle of twigs?" said Samael a little louder.
Yelena fixed Samael with a glare before speaking herself, "I apologise for the rudeness of my colleague, Elder, some people were clearly not brought up with proper respect.  He is surprised that is all, as I must admit are all of us, we were not expecting to find you here."



With Azrael

"Magos, we have movement in access-way 23-14."
Azrael nods, "It's a big one.  I'm surprised to find such a large murder servitor on a ship like this, but then the whole of the last few days have been full of unpleasant experiences.  I am slightly concerned that the grenades we set up may not be enough to kill it.  They should certainly take out it's legs, but we may need to finish it off.  Aim for the base of the neck, that will be a weak point, but stay well clear of it, until we put it completely out of action its weapons may still be dangerous."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 14, 2013, 11:37:19 AM

When his hands stop trembling nervously, the Inquisitor pulls his tarot to know what to do of this discovery...

A simple Imperator spread.

The Daemon. The forces of Chaos are involved, that's for sure. But the deeper signs elude you.

The Hulk. Signifying the voidship no doubt, but also that physical hardship - combat - awaits whomever wants to claim the vessel.

The Consul - the Ten of Mandatio. You require aid to be successful. The encryption unit in your hand will lead you to that aid. But you must be careful, for the path forward is narrow and fraught with danger.

Maegon slots the unit into the vacant slot and watches as the operating lights realign themselves. Second pass and the machine starts processing the incoming signal, it halts and queries for clearances codes. Again you present your Rosette. The machine resumes working.

Finally a voice can be heard, loud and clear: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Ravenwing. Do you read me Inquisitor Maegon?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 14, 2013, 09:46:16 PM
With Azrael

"Magos, we have movement in access-way 23-14."
Azrael nods, "It's a big one.  I'm surprised to find such a large murder servitor on a ship like this, but then the whole of the last few days have been full of unpleasant experiences.  I am slightly concerned that the grenades we set up may not be enough to kill it.  They should certainly take out it's legs, but we may need to finish it off.  Aim for the base of the neck, that will be a weak point, but stay well clear of it, until we put it completely out of action its weapons may still be dangerous."

"Alright." answers Usher darkly, while taking cover with his men, along the corridor.

Lasguns and grenades against such a monster ?... They are doomed, for sure.

"Magos, if you have plasma or melta weapons, it's time to use them..."

Driven by instinct, Maegon introduces his inquisitoral Rosette inside the compartment.
A new screen lights up.

"Oh, God-Emperor and all Powers That Be..."  :o

When his hands stop trembling nervously, the Inquisitor pulls his tarot to know what to do of this discovery...
A simple Imperator spread.

The Daemon. The forces of Chaos are involved, that's for sure. But the deeper signs elude you.

The Hulk. Signifying the voidship no doubt, but also that physical hardship - combat - awaits whomever wants to claim the vessel.

The Consul - the Ten of Mandatio. You require aid to be successful. The encryption unit in your hand will lead you to that aid. But you must be careful, for the path forward is narrow and fraught with danger.

Maegon slots the unit into the vacant slot and watches as the operating lights realign themselves. Second pass and the machine starts processing the incoming signal, it halts and queries for clearances codes. Again you present your Rosette. The machine resumes working.

Finally a voice can be heard, loud and clear: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Ravenwing. Do you read me Inquisitor Maegon?"

"Sergeant Kremiel ! Glad to hear you. What are your force and position ?"

Kremiel gives his coordinates.

"Two Land Speeders, Tempest and Vengeance pattern. Five bikes. One Stormraven, two missiles left out of four. Position and situation, Inquisitor ?"

"I'm in a spire of Kasr Hemshin, talking to you via an orbital communicator. A ship belonging to the Emperor's Children crashed near the Kasr, after being attacked by xenos fighters. Imperial and Renegade warbands are fighting inside and outside the ship. Xenos walkers are approaching..."

And…

Maegon uses a relaxation technique to calm down. On the screen of the orbital communicator, he just saw a text message, a transcrypted Astropathic message from unknown origin. The message said that a giant vessel was currently traveling through the Immaterium and will reach Cadia in three days.

Good or bad omen, Maegon cannot tell. Since his arrival on Cadia in 995.M41, he studied the composition of Fleets fighting in the Gothic area. Imperial Fleets, then Chaos Fleets, then Xenos Fleets…

Blackstone Fortress ? The Planet Killer ? The Rock ? The Phalanx ? Necron Tomb Ship ? Eldar Craftworld ?

Something else ?


The Daemon.
The Hulk.
The Consul - the Ten of Mandatio.

Maegon restablishes a communication with his Interrogator, Nemus, to give and take some news.

"Reorganize the teams to stop building a base, but gather more resources. We leave the Hive as soon as possible."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Ohlaak (Alan) November 15, 2013, 02:04:17 AM
Luliana is no fool.

"Brave Lector, I look forward to news of your victory. We shall attend our Lords," she says and directs the Cabal to also make their exit, quickly behind Xerxzes-daemon. Kiltren grabs Worm for his mistress.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 16, 2013, 02:14:38 PM
"Alright." answers Usher darkly, while taking cover with his men, along the corridor.

Lasguns and grenades against such a monster ?... They are doomed, for sure.

"Magos, if you have plasma or melta weapons, it's time to use them..."

"No such luck I'm afraid, I've never found any ammunition for this thing," Azrael says pulling out his plasma pistol.  He tosses the pistol slightly in his hand thoughtfully and then mutters quietly to himself, "Although, hmm...  It would be a shame to lose it, but under the circumstances..."

Still slightly lost in thought Azrael pulls out one of his little robotic spiders and turns it over in his hand before muttering to himself again, "Hmm.  Yes, that would work."

Turning back to Usher he says, "I may not have any ammunition for this pistol, but I can extract the projector unit and incorporate it into this cyber-spider.  The projector unit from a plasma weapon is designed to deliver an enormous electrical charge and it would be more than enough to overload the circuits of the servitor.  It may not actually destroy it, but it would certainly render it insensate for long enough for us to finish it off.  Unfortunately given the rather limited time we have the only way to do it is to detonate the projector, which will render the pistol completely useless, but then without ammunition it's pretty useless anyway."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 16, 2013, 02:42:37 PM

Turning back to Usher he says, "I may not have any ammunition for this pistol, but I can extract the projector unit and incorporate it into this cyber-spider.  The projector unit from a plasma weapon is designed to deliver an enormous electrical charge and it would be more than enough to overload the circuits of the servitor.  It may not actually destroy it, but it would certainly render it insensate for long enough for us to finish it off.  Unfortunately given the rather limited time we have the only way to do it is to detonate the projector, which will render the pistol completely useless, but then without ammunition it's pretty useless anyway."

The group falls silent as the hulking servitor approaches the data-shrine. Azrael works as quickly as he can, turning the plasma pistol and cyber-spider into a device that will hopefully deal with the servitor.

The improvised bomb goes of with a satisfying bang. When the smoke dissipates a bit you can see that the servitor has been damaged, but not nearly as much as you had hoped. It spins on its auto-rotating spine, scanning for targets. Mercifully the spider-drone passes through the gauntlet, either undetected or outside the brute's engagement parameters.

Another explosion, of a different kind this time. The servitor's shielding is either damaged or incomplete to begin with, it freezes up and topples over. It won't last though; Azrael can feel it initiating a reboot. Before it can recover, however, the tech-priest is upon it, disabling it permanently without destroying it outright.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 16, 2013, 02:53:19 PM
"I'm in a spire of Kasr Hemshin, talking to you via an orbital communicator. A ship belonging to the Emperor's Children crashed near the Kasr, after being attacked by xenos fighters. Imperial and Renegade warbands are fighting inside and outside the ship. Xenos walkers are approaching..."


"We saw the ship go down Inquisitor and decide to investigate. We are currently fifteen minutes out from the crash site. Initiating reconnoitre mode upon approach. Preliminary engagement assessment to follow in eighteen minutes from...Mark. Ravenwing out."

On a whim you pull out the Tarot again. The query is the same as before.

The Daemon - Taking the shape of a black orb that shifts and pulses with inner light.
The Hulk - In the guise of a massive warship; barring the scale there is no denying its kinship to the Ner-gal fighters.
The Vile Serpent, the Six of Discordia - It replaces the Ten of Mandation. The image of an painfully handsome Space Marine. The name Xerxzes appears in stylized filigree upon his gorget. As you watch his visage turns dull and coarse.

With a start you realize that your time aestimate is off. The Ner'gal carrier-ship is either already here or not very far away.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho November 17, 2013, 07:37:51 PM
The improvised bomb goes of with a satisfying bang. When the smoke dissipates a bit you can see that the servitor has been damaged, but not nearly as much as you had hoped. It spins on its auto-rotating spine, scanning for targets. Mercifully the spider-drone passes through the gauntlet, either undetected or outside the brute's engagement parameters.

Another explosion, of a different kind this time. The servitor's shielding is either damaged or incomplete to begin with, it freezes up and topples over. It won't last though; Azrael can feel it initiating a reboot. Before it can recover, however, the tech-priest is upon it, disabling it permanently without destroying it outright.

Usher and his three men are impressed.

"Well done, Magos !"

They move forward and shoot four crewmen coming behind the murder servitor.

"We gotta keep moving."

"We saw the ship go down Inquisitor and decide to investigate. We are currently fifteen minutes out from the crash site. Initiating reconnoitre mode upon approach. Preliminary engagement assessment to follow in eighteen minutes from...Mark. Ravenwing out."

"Good luck, Sergeant. Maegon out."

On a whim you pull out the Tarot again. The query is the same as before.

The Daemon - Taking the shape of a black orb that shifts and pulses with inner light.
The Hulk - In the guise of a massive warship; barring the scale there is no denying its kinship to the Ner-gal fighters.
The Vile Serpent, the Six of Discordia - It replaces the Ten of Mandation. The image of an painfully handsome Space Marine. The name Xerxzes appears in stylized filigree upon his gorget. As you watch his visage turns dull and coarse.

With a start you realize that your time aestimate is off. The Ner'gal carrier-ship is either already here or not very far away.

Maegon tries to contact Azrael, without success. Then he modifies the setting of the orbital communicator to broadcast a new loop on short range frequencies.

"To all survivors inside Kasr Hemshin. The Hive is condamned. Head to the Dalaman Gate. To all..."

There is a risk to attract hostiles together with Imperial citizens, but Maegon is ready to take it. If some people leave this planet under his leadership, rather keep the strong and lucky ones.

The Inquisitor leaves the communicator and hurries to join Nemus and the rest of the band.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 20, 2013, 01:25:41 AM
"Well done, Magos !"

They move forward and shoot four crewmen coming behind the murder servitor.

"We gotta keep moving."

"Thank you.  It will take me a minute to extract the relevant codes from the servitor."

Azrael quickly got to work opening up the servitor to get at the circuits he needed.  The cavalier way in which he ripped its chest open may well have made some of the Spiders a little queasy.  While to Azrael, and indeed in the normally way to them too, the servitor is just a machine, it still looks largely human, and there is still blood as well as oil in such an operation.

Though he didn't have time to salvage anywhere near as much as he would like from the servitor Azrael extracted a few choice components while waiting for his cogitator unit to verify the identity codes as well as handing the Spiders a few of the undamaged armour plates to attach to Sam.

The codes verified he stood up again, "I have the identity codes I need, now we need to find a data shrine with a higher security level.  I suggest we go this way."

[OOC: Then I get have some fun with the Grid again!]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 23, 2013, 10:35:35 AM
Summary of current situation.

Enginarium

Xerxzes leaves the enginarium with two dead Relictors in tow. You do not think he means to return. He's either afraid of what the Grey Knights can do to him - a sobering thought indeed - or he's just being extra careful. Maybe both.

@Nouri & Cabal: Luliana and the rest of the Tenebrous Cabal - Worm included - hurries after him. Luliana puts on quite the sycophantic show, show the rest of you what happens to morals and personal integrity if you let yourself be seduces by chaos.

@Gaius: No sooner has Xerxzes left the building before Gaius' body reanimates. His face is drawn and gaunt, but otherwise he looks fine. Fine, if a little tense.

@Lexander & Marines: Xerxzes has pronounced Lexander his Champion and bid him defend the ship against any attack by the Grey Knights. To aid him he has his own warband of course, plus four squads of Xerzes mutant scum that are still left standing. The squads are a bit beat up and the men look confused and a bit demoralized.

Somewhere inside the ship

@Marine scouts: Looking for a way to the armoury, but not doing a great job about it.

@Azrael: Has scavenged some codes and an encrypted interface unit and is now looking for a suitable data shrine. He has a handful of people with him.

@Team 1: Has managed to secure a turret and has it working. Not enough firepower to damage shielded enemies. Under fire from titans.

@Team 2: Has gotten completely lost and is now conversion with a very small and old loremaster.

Outside the ship

Two of the enemy fighter craft have transformed into spider-like titans and are now marching against the ship. They are protected by powerful void shields when they are on the ground. They've fired on the ship, but not to destroy, only to disable - they are after something.

@Hrothgar: If preparing to assault one of the Ner'gal titans as it passes by some ruins that Azrael's men have rigged with explosives.

@Mixed units: There are some survivors hiding in the ruins along with some injured men. Plus Azrael still has his sniper/scout team out.

@The Scourge: Gaius' people are squatting down and trying hard to to be noticed by the approaching war-machines.

@Ravenwing: Spoke briefly to Azrael on the communicator. Claims to be an Imperial team inbound for the crash site. Truth or lie?

Kasr Hemshin

@Maegon: Has ordered his men to pack up and make ready to leave. Since they are in the middle of a scavenging operation this will take some time to arrange and it will be best to postpone the march until tomorrow.

Maegon has also set up an automatic transmission, calling for all survivors to get out of the hive.

@Grey Knights: Who knows.

OOC: Did I forget anything importnat?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 25, 2013, 09:51:54 PM
@Nouri & Cabal: Luliana follows the daemon out of the enginarium and towards a debarkation point. After a little while he stops and regards her.

"I appreciate you willingness to serve me little one, but I must decline your services. Where I go none of the living may follow - unless you're more powerful than I think you are?" He looks intently at Luliana. "Are you powerful enough to walk the Warp and remain of use to me? I think not. Go play with Lexander. Or take your Worm and flee before the Grey Knights come."

Somewhere not too far away you can feel the hull of the vessel shuddering as powerful energy pulses crash into the downed starship.

On a whim he adds: "If you wish to serve me, look for me on Bokiba-Bapas." A strange symbol appears on Luliana's chest.

OOC: The symbol grants a +1 bonus to Faith.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 26, 2013, 11:21:26 AM
@Gaius & Scourge: Gaius has come through the ordeal of possession reasonably intact. A combination of being a powerful psyker, inviting the daemon in and having it leave voluntarily after only a brief period. Gaius is not entirely untouched however, and his body feels weak and slow compared to before. Gaius' mind, however, has been beautifully illuminated.

Gaius can now rejoin the Scourge outside - or maybe invite them in. Organized resistance has more or less ended. And they can probably hurry inside without being seen by the Ner-gal fighter-titans. But maybe that's not such a great plan since the enemy is shooting at the ship...

OOC: -1 Prowess, +1 Cunning and +1 Faith.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 26, 2013, 11:32:57 AM
@Lexander & Relictors: The Xerxzes-daemon has announced that Lexander is his Champion and Proxy. Which probably means he's in charge of the ship (in so far as he's able or interested in asserting his right). Whatever he plans to do he probably should do something about the Ner'gal - otherwise there won't be anything left for the Grey Knights to carve up.

Of more immediate concern is 4 squads of good-quality troops; Xerxzes' remaining mutant warriors. They are poorly organized and not so well equipped, but they make up for it with bestial cunning and inhuman ferocity.

Elsewhere on the ship the scouts and their supporting troops have finally managed to make it to the main armoury. They haven't sustained any further losses, but of they are to assault and seize the armour it will cost them dearly as it is still well defended by multiple turrets, gun-servitors, and armsmen.

OOC: +1 Faith. The Tower of Silence now provides +1 Prowess and +2 Cunning (vs. mental effects) at all times. The bonus doubles if Lexander 'calls upon the darkness' (which is in essence a piece of the daemon possessing Xerxzes).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 26, 2013, 06:39:32 PM
@Team anti-titans: For once the fates conspire to help, rather than hinder. One of the multi-legged war-machines walks practically just where you want it. No need to risk any men to draw its attention and lure it in.

Derryk's team fires - not at the shielded titan - but at the unstable ruins, causing them to collapse, just like you had hoped. There is rockrete dust everywhere, obscuring your vision of a moment, but you're pretty sure you saw the tell-tale signs of collapsing void shields before the dust cloud rose.

Hrothgar and his men are in position, as a Lukas' group. The snipers can do little good at the moment, so it's up to the Space Wolf and his men to close to melee range and try to plant explosives or force an entrance into the machines.

The second fighter-titan starts shooting at the only live target it can see; Derryck's turret.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 26, 2013, 06:42:33 PM
@Team Yelena: The elder nods and addresses Yelena in a surprisingly deep voice. "Apology accepted young one. I am Elder Andross, last of my clan's loremasters. This is our - or rather my - sanctuary. Where else would I be?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B November 26, 2013, 06:44:25 PM
@Team Azrael: Has managed to locate another data-shrine that he thinks will grant him access to the ship's grid again. Individual sub-systems will still have security, but at least you can access them now (as long as they are remotely accessible - not all systems are).
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord November 28, 2013, 11:57:03 PM
With Yelena
@Team Yelena: The elder nods and addresses Yelena in a surprisingly deep voice. "Apology accepted young one. I am Elder Andross, last of my clan's loremasters. This is our - or rather my - sanctuary. Where else would I be?"

"Greetings Elder Andross, I am Sergeant Yelena Calstis," Yelena replied, giving a slight curtsy as she did so, the Elder's voice had a certain air of authority about it, reminding her of her Grandfather.
"My phrasing was perhaps not quite accurate, what I meant rather is that we had not expected to find ourselves in your sanctuary.  If I am honest I must admit that we have become completely lost, we were looking for one of the turrets on the upper hull."

While Yelena and the Elder had been exchanging greetings the rest of the team had made their way into the room.  Olivar, who had quite a passion for books, was somewhat awestruck by the sight of the floor to ceiling bookshelves that covered most of the walls, it was by far the most books they had seen in the last few years.  He wandered slowly towards one of the walls and said, to no-one in particular, "You have quite a collection here."


With Derryck
Derryk's team fires - not at the shielded titan - but at the unstable ruins, causing them to collapse, just like you had hoped. There is rockrete dust everywhere, obscuring your vision of a moment, but you're pretty sure you saw the tell-tale signs of collapsing void shields before the dust cloud rose.

The atmosphere in the turret control room was tense as the ruins collapsed down on top of the titan, then Lukas's voice came over the vox and confirmed that the titan's shields were down.  A euphoric cheer went up from those assembled.
"Fantastic, but we can't get complacent, keep up fire on it, hit it while it's down," ordered Derryck, snapping everyone back to their duties.

The second fighter-titan starts shooting at the only live target it can see; Derryck's turret.

At that moment fire from the second construct slams into the hull of the ship around the turret.  Several of the power conduits and consoles explode and part of one of the walls buckles, the impact throwing everyone to the floor.

Derryck gets to his feet as quick as he can to survey the damage, he slammed into a pipe as he fell and it feels like he may have a broken rib.  Most of the lights have gone out and there are sparks sputtering across the control room.  One woman who was near one of the power conduits has serious burns down her right arm, and another man looks to have broken his.  That seemed to be the worst of it, but then he spotted a pair of boots sticking out from under a heavy piece of hull plating.  Derryck got down on the deck and flipped on his torch to take a look.  It confirmed the worst, dead.  At least it looked like the poor sod had died quickly.  Derryck did a quick run through of who had been in the control room, the boots belonged to Hal.  The analytic part of his mind said at least Hal hadn't been one of the best soldiers in the group, but he had been well liked and another death would hurt morale.  No time to think about that now though, not with fire still hitting the ship around them.

Derryck got up again and started shouting orders.
"Get those two out of here!", he gestured to the two with wounded arms.
"You three!," he yelled at another group, "Help me get this turret back round and locked into place on the downed construct, I want it firing to the end!"
"Everyone else clear the area, we'll join you as soon as the gun is firing."

They got the turret locked into position and firing and dashed out of the control room just as another salvo of fire started crashing into the hull.  They weren't going to be using this turret on the other construct, where in the hell was Yelena with the other one?

[OOC: I'll do Azrael later]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:04:44 PM
@Team Yelena: The elder, speaking to Olivar. "Yes, it's quite the collection. But then again the elders of this ship have spent quite a bit of time and effort to gather it. And Xerxzes has allowed us to continue with that after he took it upon himself to captain our vessel." So the old man has pretty good hearing. Turning to Yelena again and handing her several large printed charts showing the layout of the vessel. "These should help you immensely in that regard. I'll also deactivate my little maze device so you can actually leave my company. But I'm not so sure its the turrets you're after. Maybe you should go to the armoury instead? There are several weapons and devices there that could be of use against the enemy titans. But you must be quick, before they permanently cripple the ship." He pauses for a moment, then sighs heavily. "Or you could try to persuade Xerxzes to surrender to the aliens - it is him they are after, not the rest of us."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:07:10 PM
@Team Derryck: They manage to get the turret going again, but it is uncertain how long it will last against the enemy's energy barrage. The team shuts the door behind them, leaving their dead and retreat to the relative safety of the ship's interior. Where to now?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:15:02 PM
@Team anti-titans: Great success! With void shields down the enemy 'titan' proved to be a relatively fragile construct (compared to an Imperial titan of comparable size). Derrycks turret fire caused quite a bit of damage before the gun was shout out by the other enemy war-machine. The warriors under Hrothgar did the rest. At no small cost to themselves they swarmed the downed construct and destroyed or disabled several of its legs using explosive charges. The alien crew, about a dozen of them, tried to abandon their vessel, but were eliminated by the two Space Wolves supported with accurate sniper fire.

That leaves 'only' a single enemy titan. A titan that has taken up a superior position and eliminated all the functioning turrets facing it. The good news is that it has stopped firing at the ship. The bad news is that it is scanning the surrounding ruins and making ready to kill all of your left outside.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:19:32 PM
@Nouri & Cabal: "Replenish your cabal ad come find me witch," the daemons says. With a flash of reddish light the Xerxzes-thing is gone, taking its two dead Relictors with it.

With the daemon gone Kiltren studies the two leading sorcerers, Nouri and Luliana. Which is better suited to lead the warband? Nouri is the stronger sorcerer, but he is rash and might lead them all to their deaths. Luliana is weaker, but more cautious - and perhaps easier to control.

So which is it?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:20:50 PM
@Gaius & Scourge: Gaius hurries outside to rejoin his band, taking care to keep the ship between him and the enemy titan. A much as he'd like to stay on the ship it simply isn't wise - it could quickly become nothing more than a flaming tomb.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B December 15, 2013, 01:21:57 PM
@Azrael: Has now interfaced with the ship and has a good overview of its general condition, its capabilities, etc.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho December 15, 2013, 07:33:27 PM
Inside the Ship

Azrael has found a new data shrine and is now interfaced with the ship.

Usher, Habem and Tonk are in position.
The three Spiders are worried to run out of ammo soon.
Strange noises can be heard some time along the corridors.



Outside the ship

Derryck and Hrothgar receive a coded message from the Ravenwing.

"Five minutes before joining the battle zone. Xenos construct identified on an elevated position. Situation ?"



Inside Kasr Hemshin

Interrogator Nemus d'Agoria supervises camp dismantling. The civilians are slow to prepare and will probably be even slower to move.

The Manticores led by Sergeant Malavida bring additional resources from above in the Spire.

"Sergeant, we just received a new message from Inquisitor Maegon. He should be able to join our current position in approximately two hours. You will leave in an hour with your men and a first group of civilians. The second group will leave twenty minutes later, with half the Spiders. Jethro, prepare to go with them. The last group will depart twenty minutes more later. I'll wait for the Inquisitor, then we'll catch up."

At the same time, Oshgor moves down the Spire to secure the way out. Better avoid surprises that could delay the Inquisitor's retinue.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord December 23, 2013, 06:41:08 PM
With Yelena

Yelena goggled slightly at the charts, "Oh my, erm, why thank you thank you Elder, but will the armoury not be very well guarded?"
After she recovered her wits slightly she added, "There doesn't seem to be much love lost between you and this Xerxes.  I presume he is the Emperor's Child we saw stalking amongst the repair teams?"


With Derryck

Derryck and Hrothgar receive a coded message from the Ravenwing.

"Five minutes before joining the battle zone. Xenos construct identified on an elevated position.  Situation ?"

"You have impeccable timing sir.  We have two teams, one with me in the voidship and one amongst the ruins.  We were able to commandeer one of the ship's turrets to deal with one of the xenos constructs, however that turret has now been destroyed by the second construct.  My team is moving to try and secure a second turret while our team outside is mopping up the crew of the first construct and attempting to stay out of sight of the second.  Our team in the ruins has a number of snipers who can co-ordinate targetting information."


With Azrael

Azrael and the Necromundans almost stumbled across a small room marked with the symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus.  It would have been a small shrine to the Omnissiah for any Mechanicum personnel on the ship, but most importantly it would contain a data shrine with high level access to the ship's systems, and was in a discreet location.  It was just the thing they were looking for.

Once they were inside Azrael turned to the Spiders.

"With the identity codes I recovered from the servitor I can fool the ship into thinking that I am one of it's security programs, but that won't last for ever, eventually it will work out that I am not what I seem to be.  I need to take advantage of the period of weakness and try to gain control of the murder servitors, or at least deactivate them.  This will not be easy however.  I am going to connect Sam with me to provide additional processing power, and I will set up the same safe-guards as before, but one of you will need to keep an eye on me as well."

"You will be able to monitor my status with this," Azrael said handing Usher a small device, "My incorporeal self can shrug off far more damage than my physical self, but dead is dead.  Injuries sustained to my incorporeal self will present as psychosomatic nose-bleeds in the first instance, followed by convulsions if things become more serious.  Do you understand?"

Usher nodded his affirmative.

"Good.  In all likelihood should things get to that point our fate will already be sealed in any case, as if the ship sees through my disguise the servitors will begin to converge on our location.  So only disconnect me if you feel there is still a chance of escape.  If you need assistance in holding back the servitors you can disconnect Sam, who will follow your commands."

With that Azrael linked himself up to the Grid, along with Sam.  Once again he emerged into the corridor of doors.  Sam did not have a separate presence on the Grid, instead the additional processing power the servitor provided was tied directly into Azrael's own presence, making his anthropomorphic actualisation bulkier and stronger than usual.

There were other subtle differences about Azrael's appearance as well.  Since he was expecting trouble this time he held a more martial aspect.  Rather than ending in his usual heavy boots his legs now appeared more like those of a canine (or indeed a warhound titan), designed for quick changes in direction and short bursts of speed.  Similarly rather their usual array of multi-purpose attachments all of his mechadendrites were weaponised.

The ship however would not be able to see any this, at least not at present.  Thanks to the identity codes scavenged from the murder servitor, to the ship he would appear as one of its own security programs.

mimicking the behaviour of a security program, he moved purposefully toward the door that would lead to the security systems, including control of the murder servitors.

[OOC: Decided to break it there]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B January 03, 2014, 09:42:59 AM
OOC: Du to a general lack of posting/progression I'm moving things forward a bit to see if we can reignite interest.



@Yelena: "Indeed he is. An ancient warrior of the Emperor's Children he is. Terrible in battle. But you misinterpret my feelings. I am quite fond of him. He saved this ship and its crew form certain destruction long - and has kept us safe, prosperous even ever since. He is intensely loyal to those he has placed under his protection. I wouldn't call it love, but it is certainly affection. Loyalty."

He shakes his head sadly. "I cannot say that for the daemon that followed him here. The two of them are somehow linked I believe. It took abode in the warp core and subtly started to subvert my clansmen. Slowly but surely they became convinced it was the sum total of the spirits of our hallowed ancestors. Which IS true, after a fashion, since I believe it has readily consumed the souls of my fellow loremasters. I alone have eluded its deadly grasp and retained enough of my sanity to conclude that if we are to be rid of the daemon we must be rid of Xerxzes also."

His eyes become cunning. "Which is why we should offer him up to the Ner'gal. He did something to them, long before he came among us, and they hate him for it. Give Xerxzes to the Xenos and we'll be rid of both them and the daemon." Realizing Yelena might not be all that familiar with daemons he adds. "A daemon is a wicked spirit of the warp. No good can come from associating with it. If we do not get rid of it, it will haunt this ship forever. So what better way to avoid this than to give its preferred host to the xenos?"

@The second titan: Combating the second alien war-machine proves a daunting task. None of your warriors are in a position to do it much harm. With full mobility and intact void shields your weapons prove to be more or less completely useless. In return it rains fiery destruction upon you, killing several warriors and injuring many more. The rest of you are forced to hide behind what cover you can find. Were it not for the fact that the xenos seem to focus their attention mostly on the ship you would all be in even greater jeopardy than you already are. Satisfied that you're all either dead or suitably suppressed the titan leaps into the air, glides through the air and lands on to of the voidship. It immediately starts tearing into the ship with its multiple legs, tossing aside weapons emplacements, armour panels and other paraphernalia with equal ease.

@Azrael/Derryck: The tech-priest has been able to neutralize most of the ships internal defence systems, murder servitors included. Not without effort it must be added, but he has reason to be pleased with the end result. He is able to effectively aid Derryck in reaching the control room of a second operational turret which might come in handy against the second titan - if you can get its void shields down. At the moment it looks rather grim - the titan has settled on top of the voidship and is tearing it apart, one bit at a time.

The sudden violent arrival of another group of fighters evens out the odds. A handful of attack bikes, backed up by landspeeder zips in from the flank and unleashed a fiery barrage of close-range fire against the titan. Its shields flicker and threaten to collapse as powerful melta weapons hit it again and again.

That's Derryck's cue and he orders the turret to fire for effect. Lances of energy lash out against the enemy war-machine, punching through its failing voids and eating through its lightly armoured hull. Again and again the turrets spits death - there is no missing at this range - until finally the Ner'gal fighter topples over the side and crashes into the ground. There is a mighty explosion that rattles the voidship and then all is quiet.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord January 05, 2014, 06:11:50 PM
OOC: Du to a general lack of posting/progression I'm moving things forward a bit to see if we can reignite interest.

[OOC: Sorry, Christmas/New Year got in the way]


With Yelena

Yelena nods, "I see.  You do not dislike Xerxes himself, it is simply that he is a liability."
Though her knowledge of daemons is limited, she has seen enough over the years on Cadia to know that they are extremely dangerous and best avoided if at all possible.
"I can't imagine that delivering him to the Xenos would be easy though."

With Derryck
A cheer goes up from the men and women of Derryck's team as the Xenos construct crashes to the ground.  After the cheering subsides Derryck contacts the Ravenwing, "We are in your debt Sergeant, we could not have dealt with that second construct without you."

With Azrael
Azrael is exhausted from the effort of defeating the ship's security systems, the front of his clothes and armour are stained with blood.  Nonetheless he is taking the opportunity to conduct a brief search of the ship for Yelena's team and the infirmary.  He steers well clear of the enginarium for the time being as the stench of corruption emanating from there is strong and he is too weak to combat it at the moment.

He locates the infirmary without difficulty and relays the position to Derryck, it is of course quite busy as the crew have taken significant casualties themselves, but there are not many armed crew members there.  If they bring Irena in to treat the crew as well it may be an opportunity to build bridges with the surviving crew members.  They can formulate a proper plan in due course.

Yelena is much more illusive and try as he might he can't find her.  Were he not so tired he might have noticed that there seemed to be an odd void in deep in the bowels of the ship, but as it was it passed him by.

Azrael also briefly took stock of the ship's state.  The attack of the Xenos construct has caused considerable additional damage to the top of the ship, it is going to be some time before this ship flies again.  He also has some concern about the space marines who assisted them in defeating it.  While of course he is grateful to them for their assistance the Dark Angels do not exactly have a reputation for leniency and they have been officially declared heretics.  Although given the general chaos on Cadia at that time it is quite possible that the declaration never got beyond Cadia itself.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B January 06, 2014, 09:16:28 AM
@Yelena: Elder Andross readily agrees with that. "Xerxzes will not leave voluntarily, not unless this ship is a complete write-off and the crew dead. Battling him is...highly dangerous. He's a veteran space marine of a thousand battles. Attacking such a one...it is not a wise course of action. He can, however, be reasoned with. Or maybe not reasoned...appealed to is a better word. If he can be convinced it's in his best interest to leave us, then maybe. Unfortunately I don't know how that might be accomplished. Perhaps it is futile." He sighs heavily.

At which point a deep voice is projected by the ship's internal vox-casters: "This is Captain Lexander of the Relictors. Your master and commander, the magnanimous Xerxzes, has been called away on important business. He has appointed me as his champion - and replacement commander of the Sensibilious. He bids you continue to serve me as you have served him. If you do I will keep you on as crew and extend my protection to you as Xerxzes has done. We will also be taking on additional crew and passengers. And we need to get this ship operational again. Cadia is not a place where we can remain for long. Lexander out."

@Derryck: The Dark Angels pull back a distance. "The death of xenos is reward enough for the sons of the Lion. We will keep vigil over the ship while we await the arrival of the Inquisition."

@Azrael: The crew isn't inherently hostile now that the fighting is over, but it is probably a good idea to stay together and keep your weapons handy. Azrael has also heard Lexander's broadcast.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B January 06, 2014, 09:21:38 AM
Inside the Ship

Azrael has found a new data shrine and is now interfaced with the ship.

Usher, Habem and Tonk are in position.
The three Spiders are worried to run out of ammo soon.
Strange noises can be heard some time along the corridors.



Outside the ship

Derryck and Hrothgar receive a coded message from the Ravenwing.

"Five minutes before joining the battle zone. Xenos construct identified on an elevated position. Situation ?"



Inside Kasr Hemshin

Interrogator Nemus d'Agoria supervises camp dismantling. The civilians are slow to prepare and will probably be even slower to move.

The Manticores led by Sergeant Malavida bring additional resources from above in the Spire.

"Sergeant, we just received a new message from Inquisitor Maegon. He should be able to join our current position in approximately two hours. You will leave in an hour with your men and a first group of civilians. The second group will leave twenty minutes later, with half the Spiders. Jethro, prepare to go with them. The last group will depart twenty minutes more later. I'll wait for the Inquisitor, then we'll catch up."

At the same time, Oshgor moves down the Spire to secure the way out. Better avoid surprises that could delay the Inquisitor's retinue.

The situation inside the ship has changed. The fighting seems to be over and the ship has a new commander.

Maegon gets a brief message from the Ravenwing indicating the xenos have been defeated and that they are watching the ship and waiting for your arrival.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B January 09, 2014, 09:43:55 AM
The day passes with Maegon's group carefully making their way out of the Kasr and towards the ship. Meanwhile the various factions already present at the crash site are doing what they can to maximize their influence over the vessel or just staying out of trouble.

Lexander's warband is in control of the brigde, the armoury, and the enginarium. Xerxzes remaining fighters seem to accept the Astartes captain as their new leader. The squat clan is more withdrawn, appearing to have some sort of crisis of faith.

Azrael now has access to a great variety of ship systems, but not all of them. Key stuff are out of his hands, either because of security protocols that aren't feasible to break or by being physically disconnected from the main grid. He's also started to make a list of needed repairs - and the parts needed to accomplish it.

Nouir's group (or maybe it's Luliana's group now?) has disappeared into the bowels of the ship. Presumably they are recruiting new members and making sure they have a spot on board when/if the ship is made flyable.

Hrothgar's warband has also moved indoors, occupying the most central access-ways, corridors and junctures. It is possible to get around them, but doing so takes a lot of time. They also cover the ship's main entrance, but there are a number of secondary access points - and outright holes in the hull - so bypassing them is not a big deal.

Gaius and his merry men remain outside the ship. They are recruiting among the survivors of other warbands, picking off stragglers and fortifying themselves. To get to the ship you have to go through them - or take the long way around.

The mysterious Dark Angels are hanging back, not talking to anyone. With their mobility and firepower they are a real threat to any warband, particularly those remaining on the outside.

---

A new day dawns.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord January 09, 2014, 04:20:58 PM
At the end of the previous day

With Yelena
At which point a deep voice is projected by the ship's internal vox-casters

Yelena and the Elder both turn to look at the vox-caster as it crackles into life.  Once the message has ended they turn slowly and stare wordlessly at one another.

Eventually Yelena breaks the silence, "Well, that was interesting..."



With Azrael
Derryck relays the message from the Dark Angels to Azrael.
"Good," Azrael says to himself as he disconnects from the Grid, "I'll leave Maegon to deal with them."

"Derryck, you head to the infirmary.  Send a few people out to Irena to carry in the unconscious marine.  I'll meet you there."

Azrael gestures Sam over so he can use him as support on their way to the infirmary.

Just as they are about to leave the shrine the Lector's message comes over the vox.

Azrael blinks a couple of times, then exclaims, "How the feth did he manage that?!"
"Oh, nevermind, I'm too exhausted to do anything now, we'll find out what's going on later."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho January 26, 2014, 10:16:50 PM
At which point a deep voice is projected by the ship's internal vox-casters: "This is Captain Lexander of the Relictors. Your master and commander, the magnanimous Xerxzes, has been called away on important business. He has appointed me as his champion - and replacement commander of the Sensibilious. He bids you continue to serve me as you have served him. If you do I will keep you on as crew and extend my protection to you as Xerxzes has done. We will also be taking on additional crew and passengers. And we need to get this ship operational again. Cadia is not a place where we can remain for long. Lexander out."
@Azrael: The crew isn't inherently hostile now that the fighting is over, but it is probably a good idea to stay together and keep your weapons handy. Azrael has also heard Lexander's broadcast.
"Derryck, you head to the infirmary.  Send a few people out to Irena to carry in the unconscious marine.  I'll meet you there."

Just as they are about to leave the shrine the Lector's message comes over the vox.

Azrael blinks a couple of times, then exclaims, "How the feth did he manage that?!"
"Oh, nevermind, I'm too exhausted to do anything now, we'll find out what's going on later."

Still with Magos Azrael, Corporal Usher listens to the words of Lexander.

Captain Lexander of the Relictors, appointed as a champion of Xerxzes ?
This is bad... Really bad...
We must warn the Inquisitor asap.


Usher and his two men follow Azrael to the infirmary, eager to meet Roman again. Let's hope his ankle got better.

The day passes with Maegon's group carefully making their way out of the Kasr and towards the ship.

The Inquisitor is totally exhausted. He needs to sleep, but there’s no time for that now. Without his power armor and staff, he wouldn’t be able to stand anymore.
Maegon had rushed down from the orbital communicator to the camp, then from the camp to the Hive’s feet, as fast as possible without falling from the endless stairs. The expressions on the faces of his acolytes let him know how bad he must look.

But here they are, outside Kasr Hemshin. The Dalaman Gate.
The battles must have been terrible in this area, when the Despoiler’s armies devastated Cadia.

They hear a gunshot – no, a gunfight.
Nemus pulls Maegon into cover behind a burned-out Rhino.

In addition to civilians, several gangs emerged from the sub-hive in response to the Inquisitor’s call. Even in such a desperate situation, old rivalries have taken the upper hand.

"Oshgor, go eliminate the troublemakers."

"Sergeant Malavida, please establish a communication with Magos Azrael. After that, ask your Manticores and the Spiders to neutralize and disarm the gangers. Then gather the survivors and the civilians."

The gangers are fierce, but they cannot hope resisting against a Tygrian assassin, Inquisitoral Stormtroopers and Necromundan IGs. Amidst the ruins, Oshgor easily sets an ambush to one of the gang leaders and his lieutenants. The sniper of the Manticores, Greyval, wreaks havoc in the gangers’ ranks.
Amongst forty gangers, only one dozen are still alive when they surrender. Unfortunately, two Spiders were killed by a lucky shot from heavy stubber. The culprits were shot down.

The civilians who did not belong to a gang or another are almost sixty. Nemus pass among them, and easily convinces them that they have no other choice but to join the group.

Maegon and his growing retinue restart walking at a rapid pace towards the Ship.

Maegon gets a brief message from the Ravenwing indicating the xenos have been defeated and that they are watching the ship and waiting for his arrival.

"Well done, Sergeant Kremiel. Emperor protects. Stay vigilant."

Maegon felt that the Sergeant was uncomfortable because of what he saw around the Ship. So many warbands gathered at the same place…

The mysterious Dark Angels are hanging back, not talking to anyone. With their mobility and firepower they are a real threat to any warband, particularly those remaining on the outside.

---

A new day dawns.

Two days left. According to the Astropathic message and the Tarot’s reading, we have only two days to leave Cadia.

Maegon does not know what is coming. When he’ll have a few minutes, he will read the Tarot, but he guesses that no certain answer will be obtained. He cannot drive away this irrational fear that grows in him... Exhaustion does not help...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B January 29, 2014, 09:16:53 AM
Two days until the Doom...

...perhaps it is just as well that only Inquisitor Maegon knows...

---

The ship sits there, battered and bruised. To the uninitiated it looks like it will never fly again; there are great gaping holes in its skin and the ship rests in a great furrow of earth and broken buildings.

To the only anointed tech-priest in attendance the situation is more nuanced. The ship is old and wounded, but its structural integrity is intact. The skin can be mended and the ship can be made to fly again: The great solar generator in its bowels slumbers now, but is undamaged. The warp generatorium sleeps, dreaming Empyrean dreams. The great plasma drives are battered, but essentially intact.

Many parts must be scavenged and installed, but by far the most important are some contra-grav generators. Many were ripped asunder by xenos fire and the crash. The ruined hive...Azrael knows of some good spots to search. Or - if tech-heresy is to be contemplated - the xenos craft might perhaps contain some useful components.

Meanwhile crows gather around (and to some extent - inside) the ship. They try to position themselves. Try to learn if the ship can be made to fly - or if it can be gutted for scraps.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord February 09, 2014, 06:16:47 AM
Azrael has been busying himself about the ship directing repairs and organising scavenging teams.  He and the Nar-Ghosts still keep themselves apart from the original crew of the vessel as they don't entirely trust each other yet.  Between Azrael's expertise with the ship and repairs, and Irena's assistance in the infirmary, they have shown themselves to be invaluable however, and so while not necessarily on friendly terms they and the crew work alongside one another largely without friction.  When not involved in repair work or patrols the Nar-Ghosts are mostly stationed around the ship's infirmary.

Several teams have been despatched back to the hive to search for the crucial contra-grav generators.  The most likely locations are the old turbo-elevators that rode up and down the hive spires.  Azrael also considered the wreckage of the Xenos constructs, and had some it brought aboard for him to study, but he is wary of the time it might take to properly integrate Xenos technology with the ship, and the consequences of malfunctions...

The other components they need are easier to obtain, sheet metal to affect temporary repairs to the hull lies all around them and relays and conduits can probably be stripped from some of the larger tank carcasses that can be retrofitted for the plasma drives.

What they need most of all is time, and that is the one thing they are perilously short of.

Azrael has been avoiding Captain Lexander as he is distinctly suspicious of how the Space Marine managed to take Xerxes place as the ship's captain.  The statement over the vox could simply have been a ploy to win over the crew, but it had sounded entirely genuine.  After a fleeting encounter Derryck was also very firmly for not trusting the Captain, as he had said, 'I wouldn't trust that guy as far as I could throw him, and I don't think I could throw half a tonne of power armoured marine very far.'  Azrael did manage to have a brief conversation with Roldar the scout away from any of the other Relictors, and though he didn't reveal much he did seem concerned about his commander, and his brother marines who had fought in the enginarium.  For a marine to betray any emotions must mean that he was extremely worried, but he didn't voice anything concrete to Azrael.

Yelena and her team eventually resurfaced and she shared with Azrael what she had discussed with Elder Andross.  The fact that there is, or at least was a daemon inhabiting the warp core troubled him greatly.  Now that Xerxes was apparently no longer on board the ship it was unclear whether or not the daemon had followed him in departing, but nonetheless he strictly forbade any of the Nar-Ghosts from going near the enginarium without his express permission.  While Azrael's knowledge of daemons is not extensive, and mostly limited to their effects on machines, he knew enough to know that they were extremely dangerous, and that daemonic influence can cause people to behave strangely.  Given that Captain Lexander had been fighting in the enginarium this only made Azrael more wary of him, and so the Nar-Ghosts were also to avoid Lexander and his marines if possible (without being too obvious about it).  Azrael would dearly have liked to discuss this, and other matters, in more detail with this Elder Andross, but once Yelena had left his presence he re-activated the obfuscating labyrinth protecting his position.  Knowing now what he was looking Azrael spotted the odd void in the ship's internal sensors, but this was not enough to pin down the Elder's exact location, and so since he had seemed to be a potential ally Azrael decided to keep the information to himself for the time being.

Maegon, Azrael had some lengthy discussions with, both about the status of the ship and the various forces present both within and outside it's walls, and about the daemon.  While Lexander he suspected of being under daemonic influence and Hrothgar was always somewhat distant, Azrael had grown reasonably trusting of the Inquisitor.

[OOC: I think that covers everything important, while leaving appropriate flexibility.  As Azrael, nor Maegon, ever made Gaius or Nouri I haven't mentioned them.]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B February 11, 2014, 09:00:58 AM
The hive-spires and the massive anti-grav lifts that enable them to function are indeed your best choice. Even with all the devastation and the pillaging there are bound to be more than enough useful components somewhere in the vastness of the hive. The main challenging is getting to the parts; the trek back and forth is long and ardours, even without tons of equipment. Takes a man on foot, without much encumbrance, a day to walk either way. And given the number of warbands on the move the situation is more dangerous than usual - stealth or protection or speed are needed to get safely across the wastelands. Ideally you should have techy-savvy people with each reclamation team, or you risk damage to the components (or getting the wrong components).

The ruined fighters prove something of a surprise; some of their innards are strangely reminiscent of Imperial technology. Not the ship as a whole, but bits and pieces of it - like the xenos have scavenged Imperial technology and used them for their on unholy purposes. Strangely they have taken the time to remove any serial stamps, identification numbers, or anything of the sort - so you cannot tell what forge or hive produced these components. But some of it is easily salvageable and can be used with minimal modification.

All the other repairs present few challenges. They only require time and parts that can be scavenged with relative ease, either from the surrounding area or from the ship's innards (i.e. take from noncritical systems to fix the critical ones). Security is an issue, however, as scavengers risk running into this or that warband, with possibly fatal consequences.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord February 15, 2014, 10:32:13 PM
Azrael is somewhat surprised by the apparently Imperial nature of the mechanisms of the Xenos ships, but is grateful nonetheless.  If the components perform as expected it should significantly reduce the requirement for hard to find items from back in the hive.  The Xenos ships couldn't supply all of the components they needed though, as a rather large number of the ship's gravitic coils had been damaged, so they would still need to get some from the hive.

Extracting everything they needed from the hive would be difficult, particularly as some of the components they needed would be rather heavy, but now that Azrael had rather more equipment and resources to hand, both from the ship and from the Xenos constructs, he could rig up a couple of small speeders that could be used to carry materials.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho February 16, 2014, 09:52:05 PM
Several teams have been despatched back to the hive to search for the crucial contra-grav generators.  The most likely locations are the old turbo-elevators that rode up and down the hive spires.  Azrael also considered the wreckage of the Xenos constructs, and had some it brought aboard for him to study, but he is wary of the time it might take to properly integrate Xenos technology with the ship, and the consequences of malfunctions...
The hive-spires and the massive anti-grav lifts that enable them to function are indeed your best choice. Even with all the devastation and the pillaging there are bound to be more than enough useful components somewhere in the vastness of the hive. The main challenging is getting to the parts; the trek back and forth is long and ardours, even without tons of equipment. Takes a man on foot, without much encumbrance, a day to walk either way. And given the number of warbands on the move the situation is more dangerous than usual - stealth or protection or speed are needed to get safely across the wastelands. Ideally you should have techy-savvy people with each reclamation team, or you risk damage to the components (or getting the wrong components).



"Sergeant Malavida, please establish a communication with Magos Azrael."


"Magos" says Maegon after hearing Azrael's concerns about the Ship. "Should I leave my Interrogator, my Savant and civilians to form a reclamation team in Kasr Heshim ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B February 17, 2014, 09:22:34 AM
Azrael is somewhat surprised by the apparently Imperial nature of the mechanisms of the Xenos ships, but is grateful nonetheless.  If the components perform as expected it should significantly reduce the requirement for hard to find items from back in the hive.  The Xenos ships couldn't supply all of the components they needed though, as a rather large number of the ship's gravitic coils had been damaged, so they would still need to get some from the hive.

The components appear in such numbers that they must either have been pillaged from the Imperium on a grand scale - or some unscrupulous merchant, a Rogue Trader perhaps, have sold this hallowed tech to the abominable xenos. Given the lack of identification markings on the parts you're inclined to believe the latter.

Extracting everything they needed from the hive would be difficult, particularly as some of the components they needed would be rather heavy, but now that Azrael had rather more equipment and resources to hand, both from the ship and from the Xenos constructs, he could rig up a couple of small speeders that could be used to carry materials.

Using the whole of the day - and various scavenged components - you're able to construct a makeshift barge that should be able to carry the weight of the parts you need. In addition you've been able to fashion two skiffs out of wrecked ground vehicles. Neither will be able to carry much more than a ton or two, but their are somewhat faster than the barge and can be used either as escorts or used around the ship for various other duties.

Relatedly: You work is attracting the attention of the surrounding crowd. There are a few clashes in the ruins around you, including one that appears to be a mad attempt at rushing the ship. That attack is very short-lived, as Hrothgar's and Azrael's men pick them off as they rush forward.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B February 17, 2014, 09:24:57 AM
@Maegon: Sergeant Kremiel contacts the Inquisitor, both to appraise him of the situation and to arrange for a meeting.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord February 19, 2014, 05:59:37 AM
"Magos" says Maegon after hearing Azrael's concerns about the Ship. "Should I leave my Interrogator, my Savant and civilians to form a reclamation team in Kasr Heshim ?"

"That would be most helpful Inquisitor.  I am sending a group of my people from the ship with a cargo barge and a pair of escort vehicles.  The situation around the ship is growing restless so we need to move quickly in retrieving the necessary components from the Hive.  I cannot join the reclamation team myself as I am needed here to continue supervising the repairs, but I have briefed my people thoroughly about what is required."

Azrael sends out a group of 10 people lead by Derryck, and including Sam, with the barge and skiffs to join up with Maegon's people in the Hive.  The vehicles should be more than capable of carrying back both groups and the salvaged parts.  Azrael's group is also taking some extra weapons from the ship's armoury to arm the civilians.  They will reach the Hive quite quickly, but the journey back will be somewhat slower when the vehicles are weighed down with equipment.

After the group departs, Azrael returns to the repairs.  Work is progressing well, a number of breaches in the outer hull have now been sealed (focusing first on those that might allow ingress for the crowds gathering around the ship).  These repairs Azrael leaves mostly in the hands of the crew, as they quite straightforward, concentrating his attention on the more delicate internal work.  While conducting and supervising the repair work Azrael has taken to wearing his Mechanicus robes again as it helps to mark him out to the crew, though he is careful to remove them on the rare occasions he needs to inspect the exterior.  At some point he needs to go to engineering to check the condition of the drives, but he is still putting that off.

Separately Azrael has also been trying to put out feelers amongst those outside the ship, to determine whether any of them might be useful.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho February 24, 2014, 08:33:39 AM
"Magos" says Maegon after hearing Azrael's concerns about the Ship. "Should I leave my Interrogator, my Savant and civilians to form a reclamation team in Kasr Heshim ?"

"That would be most helpful Inquisitor.  I am sending a group of my people from the ship with a cargo barge and a pair of escort vehicles.  The situation around the ship is growing restless so we need to move quickly in retrieving the necessary components from the Hive.  I cannot join the reclamation team myself as I am needed here to continue supervising the repairs, but I have briefed my people thoroughly about what is required."

"Understood, Magos. Please let us know what is required, so that Nemus and his team can begin to search."

The Inquisitor divides his force in two groups.

Nemus and Jethro lead the reclamation team including almost 80 civilians and 6 former gangers, protected by 13 Spiders.

Maegon leaves with the 10 Manticores, Oshgor (hidden under his mask), THX-138 (the rusted battle servitor), 6 former gangers (to keep an eye on them) and 36 civilians (too exhausted to be send exploring the Hive's ruins).

The whole band is growing, but desperately lacks armed forces.

@Maegon: Sergeant Kremiel contacts the Inquisitor, both to appraise him of the situation and to arrange for a meeting.

Maegon is pleased by Kremiel's proposal. They organize a meeting some distance from the ship. Maegon is anxious to hear the Astartes' views, and maybe convince them to join their force to his retinue.

During the forced march toward the ship, 3 more civilians fall to never rise again.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord February 26, 2014, 06:14:32 AM
Azrael provides details of the parts that are required so that Nemus can begin to search for them.  In particular they are to try and locate any apparently intact turbo-elevators, but not to try and extract the grav coils until Azrael's people are there to supervise the delicate dismantlement.

After relaying the details Azrael has one final message for Maegon, "I can't go into detail now, but when you arrive at the ship there is a matter that I could do with your expertise to assess."

Azrael is still concerned about the warp core, and also about Captain Lexander, and knows that the Inquisitor will have more experience dealing with daemons, and will hopefully know what to do.  With Lexander in command of the ship though he doesn't want to risk stating his concerns, even over their secure comm-link.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho March 23, 2014, 10:56:51 AM
Azrael has one final message for Maegon, "I can't go into detail now, but when you arrive at the ship there is a matter that I could do with your expertise to assess."

Azrael is still concerned about the warp core, and also about Captain Lexander, and knows that the Inquisitor will have more experience dealing with daemons, and will hopefully know what to do.  With Lexander in command of the ship though he doesn't want to risk stating his concerns, even over their secure comm-link.

"Understood, Magos. Who is guarding the area outside the ship ?"

@Maegon: Sergeant Kremiel contacts the Inquisitor, both to appraise him of the situation and to arrange for a meeting.

Maegon is pleased by Kremiel's proposal. They organize a meeting some distance from the ship. Maegon is anxious to hear the Astartes' views, and maybe convince them to join their force to his retinue.

During the forced march toward the ship, 3 more civilians fall to never rise again.

"Greetings, Sergeant Kremiel. Glad to meet you. Without your intervention, the ship could have been destroyed by the xenos, and with it possibly our last chance to leave this doomed world."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B March 23, 2014, 12:38:25 PM
As for who is guarding the outside of the ship, the situation is roughly like this:

Kremiel is hanging back, but with his high mobility he can intercept anyone coming or going.
Gaius and the Scourge control the most likely approaches to the crash site.
Hrothgar controls access into/out of the ship, plus some of the key corridors and junctions.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B March 23, 2014, 12:42:22 PM
Up close you can see that the sergeant - and the rest of his command - are battered and battle-weary. They must have been stranded on Cadia for a while.

"Greetings, Inquisitor. It is as you say, this ship, if it can be made to fly, may well be our final chance of getting away from Cadia. And I've had just about of this accursed planet!

I'm willing to extend my aid to anyone who may have a shot at fixing the ship. To this end I'm sending two of my landspeeders to escort the reclamation skiffs. They are of no use to us if they are destroyed - or if the reclamation crews are prevented from doing their job."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B March 23, 2014, 01:05:39 PM
The freight barge and the two skiffs make good speed as they head for the ruined hive in the pre-dusk hour. They are guarded by two Astartes landspeeders that sweep the path they must travel, flushing out anything that might threaten the trio of makeshift craft. A couple of times there is weapons fire, but by the time the transports reach the hotspots the fighting is over and the space marines have moved on.

The reclamators reach the hive even as darkness blankets the broken spires. They are greeted by the bulk of Maegon's warband, who are waiting for them as per their master's orders. Together they will proceed to find the parts Maegon has listed as essential for the repair of the starship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B March 28, 2014, 09:21:30 AM
The reclamation crews work like mad for one night, one day, and another night. And still they have only about two thirds of the stuff on Azrael's list. Had it not been for the guidance of Interrogator Nemus and the special skills possessed by Savant Jethro Asklepios it would not have gone nearly as well.

There have been a few deaths and serious injuries, caused mostly by accidents, as the men become more and more exhausted. No major attacks by other gangers or scavengers though. In between close support provided by such characters as Sam, and the perimeter patrols conducted by the handful of Dark Angels, the workers are relatively safe (as safe as can be in the twisted, broken mass that is the ruined hive).

---

Back at the ship Azrael is making good progress. The clan of squats have come of of seclusion - urged on by their remaining Elder - and are helping out as best they can. Some of them are quite tech-savvy (but aren't exactly acting in accordance with the machine rites), plus they know the ship very well indeed.

Lexander and his marines are mostly content to stay out of the way.
There are rumors of the Tenebous Cabal engaging in sorcerous rituals somewhere deep inside the ship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord March 29, 2014, 09:07:42 PM
Azrael has somewhat mixed feelings about yet more space marines getting involved.  Certainly the Dark Angels are being helpful at the moment, and would be useful allies should a confrontation with Lexander occur.  However, having so many superhumans milling around does make Azrael slightly concerned that the normal humans (such as himself) might get sidelined.

Now that the squats have come out of seclusion Azrael has been working quite closely with them.  Though he may be a priest of the machine cult, they have been on this ship for far longer than he has and know every nook and cranny of the inside of the ship.  He also hopes to be able to glean from them further details of what to expect of the enginarium.

The reclamation crews in the hive are progressing well and the workers on the ship have begun preparing the ship's systems to accept the new components.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B March 30, 2014, 06:15:09 PM
Azrael's fears are not unfounded; Astartes are not exactly known for caring much for 'lesser' beings. But there isn't much that can be done about it, is there?

Inquisitor Maegon is on-site at the crash site. Sergeant Kremiel is following the Inquisitor around. There is a bit of tension between the Dark Angel and Hrothgar.

Maegon's made contact with Azrael. Azrael has urged the Inquisitor to investigate the enginarium.

---

Interrogator Nemus orders the reclamation teams to return to the ship. The don't have all the stuff on Azrael's list, but he wants to drop off what he's already scavenged so that work can continue.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 10, 2014, 09:40:47 AM
You've managed to secure enough part to make the necessary repairs. Azrael would have liked for some additional fixes and some added redundancies, but that would require more trips to the hive, and more days of labor. With Maegon hinting that speed is of the essence, it looks like you'll have to make do with what you have.

The only question now is who do you want to let on board/do you want to do something with those already on the ship?
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho April 15, 2014, 01:54:38 PM
: LordPsycho
"Greetings, Sergeant Kremiel. Glad to meet you. Without your intervention, the ship could have been destroyed by the xenos, and with it possibly our last chance to leave this doomed world."
Up close you can see that the sergeant - and the rest of his command - are battered and battle-weary. They must have been stranded on Cadia for a while.

"Greetings, Inquisitor. It is as you say, this ship, if it can be made to fly, may well be our final chance of getting away from Cadia. And I've had just about of this accursed planet!

I'm willing to extend my aid to anyone who may have a shot at fixing the ship. To this end I'm sending two of my landspeeders to escort the reclamation skiffs. They are of no use to us if they are destroyed - or if the reclamation crews are prevented from doing their job."

"Good initiative, Sergeant.

I am wondering... Do you know if the damned Emperor's Children are still in command of the Ship ?"

Sergeant Kremiel explains what he knows about the situation.

"Access into and out of the ship seem to be controlled by Space Wolves. However, the outer area is under control of servants of the Great Enemy. The question is... Should we try to maintain the truce and board the ship together, or try to crush them ?

And unfortunately, we don't know much about the situation inside the ship."

"Thank you, Sergeant. I have several soldiers inside, together with a strong ally: Magos Azrael Kane. He is our best chance to repair the ship."

How ironic.
Azrael was the name of the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels, missing in action during the 13th Black Crusade.

"Concerning the other warbands... Please let me read the Imperial Tarot."

Maegon takes a moment to rest, protected by his own troops and the Dark Angels.

Then he draws the Tarot, and tells his reading to Sergeant Kremiel and Malavida.

"The troops stationed outside are not a threat. However, some great powers are waiting for our coming inside..."

"Are you ready to move forward, Inquisitor."

Not really, but I will never be as much as now.

"Please open the way. Emperor protects."

Maegon sees Sergeant Kremiel grin before putting his helmet, as if he had already lost most of his faith.

Inquisitor Maegon is on-site at the crash site. Sergeant Kremiel is following the Inquisitor around. There is a bit of tension between the Dark Angel and Hrothgar.

Maegon's made contact with Azrael. Azrael has urged the Inquisitor to investigate the enginarium.

The Inquisitor takes the opportunity to move away from the Space Marines and asks Sergeant Malavida to call Azrael.

"Dear Magos, glad to hear you. I'm outside with Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels and..."

Maegon hesitates.

"...Wulfen Hrothgar of the Space Wolves."

The Space Wolf's nature was not a big surprise. Maegon has seen so many things on Cadia... But that may complicate further plot and action... If Space Wolves are not easy to manage, what about Wulfens ?...

"What did you want to tell me ? Should I join you inside ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord April 16, 2014, 04:17:04 AM
The repairs to the ship are progressing well, once the parts arrive from the hive most of them will be able to be simply slotted into place.  Externally crews have been working at hacking away the ruins and rubble holding the ship to the ground.  Azrael is pleased, he would certainly rather do further checks on the ships systems before they try and activate them, but they should be able to take off not long after Maegon is on board.

Azrael has been probing the enginarium gently over the last few days in preparation for Maegon's arrival.  The warp taint that he detected initially seems to be gradually subsiding.  This somewhat implies that the daemon that was residing in the warp core may have moved.  While useful in the sense of making Azrael less concerned about the enginarium, this only reinforces his concerns about Lexander, even more so as his people seem to have lost sight of the space marine since yesterday.  Azrael has been maintaining tacit contact with Roldar and his scouts, who seem to have become somewhat distanced from Lexander and their brother marines, but he doesn't seem to know where the captain is either.

While he is musing as to where the Relictor captain might be he receives a call from Maegon
"Dear Magos, glad to hear you. I'm outside with Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels and..."
"...Wulfen Hrothgar of the Space Wolves."
It seems that Maegon has met the leader of the Dark Angels, and if he is there with Hrothgar as well that implies the Dark Angels have friendly intentions for the time being at least.  Azrael isn't sure of the meaning of the 'wulfen' title Maegon used for Hrothgar, perhaps it is a specifically Space Wolf title and Maegon was having trouble remembering it.  Anyway that is unimportant.
"Inquisitor, it is good to hear from you, my people are predominantly centred around the infirmary, I suggest the three of you join us there."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 16, 2014, 09:23:59 AM
Although you haven't seen him for a while, it is very likely that Lexander is on the ship's compact command deck.

Hrothgar and Kremiel aren't going to be best friends. Ever. But they haven't tired to kill one another either, which is a good sign. Unless they are just refraining from violence out of courtesy to Inq. Maegon.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord April 17, 2014, 06:26:06 AM
Maegon, Hrothgar and Kremiel soon arrive in the infirmary area, along with a number of their followers.  There isn't really enough space for everyone, and the information Azrael is going to disclose is not really for general consumption in any case, Yelena and her group are under strict instructions not to spread the information.  As such Azrael leads the Inquisitor and the two marines to a side chamber where they can discuss in private.

Azrael considers the best way to approach the matter, and decides that, particularly given the presence of the two space marines, the direct approach is probably the best.

"The matter I wished to discuss with you is this:  I have strong reason to believe that there is, or perhaps more accurately there was, a daemonic entity residing in the warp core of this vessel."

As expected both of the space marines, who had been looking a little bored initially, both snapped to attention at that.

"Would you care to elaborate on that?" said Sergeant Kremiel, his tone indicating that elaborating wasn't really optional.  Hrothgar grunted his agreement, while Maegon merely watched intently.

Azrael related his initial detection of the warp taint while connected to the ship's systems, and then the confirmation of the presence of a daemon in the enginarium, specifically the warp core, by Elder Andross.
"The Elder has still not left his obfuscated sanctuary in the heart of the ship, probably a reasonable reaction if what he says is true.  What he said to Yelena matches with my own initial observations and my subsequent probings of the enginarium.  Furthermore, while I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Andross personally, I have developed a good working relationship with the other squat crew and what I have gleaned from them is also in agreement."

Azrael pauses briefly before continuing.

"I have not directly inspected the warp core.  I do not have enough experience with daemonic entities to attempt such a thing, this is why I wanted the Inquisitor present.  I have however been gently probing peripheral systems around the enginarium, and while the warp taint is still strong, it is definitely ebbing.  This, combined with the apparent disappearance of the Emperor's Child known as Xerxes and the odd behaviour of Captain Lexander who is known to have been involved in fighting in the enginarium, leads me to believe that the daemon has left the warp core and may have possessed the captain."

With that Azrael stops to allow the space marines and the Inquisitor to respond.

[OOC: The assumption that the daemon is possessing Lexander seems reasonable.  Someone more experienced with daemonic entities might be able to guess from the strength of the taint in the enginarium that Lexander would be behaving a lot more oddly if he were actually under full possession, but Azrael isn't to know that]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho April 18, 2014, 10:00:59 AM
Maegon, Hrothgar and Kremiel soon arrive in the infirmary area, along with a number of their followers.


Despite being of the cold-hearted kind, Maegon is glad to meet Usher and his men again after those few long days.
Anyway, no time for rejoicing.
Tempus Fugit.

Azrael considers the best way to approach the matter, and decides that, particularly given the presence of the two space marines, the direct approach is probably the best.

"The matter I wished to discuss with you is this:  I have strong reason to believe that there is, or perhaps more accurately there was, a daemonic entity residing in the warp core of this vessel."

The Inquisitor blinks but stays silent.

Here we are.

He carefully listens to Azrael, with a strange feeling of déjà vu.
He saw fragments of all of that earlier, when he draw the Tarot. Not the whole picture, just piece of puzzles randomly flying in the Empyrean. 

"The Elder has still not left his obfuscated sanctuary in the heart of the ship, probably a reasonable reaction if what he says is true.  What he said to Yelena matches with my own initial observations and my subsequent probings of the enginarium.  Furthermore, while I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Andross personally, I have developed a good working relationship with the other squat crew and what I have gleaned from them is also in agreement."

Azrael pauses briefly before continuing.

"I have not directly inspected the warp core.  I do not have enough experience with daemonic entities to attempt such a thing, this is why I wanted the Inquisitor present.  I have however been gently probing peripheral systems around the enginarium, and while the warp taint is still strong, it is definitely ebbing.  This, combined with the apparent disappearance of the Emperor's Child known as Xerxes and the odd behaviour of Captain Lexander who is known to have been involved in fighting in the enginarium, leads me to believe that the daemon has left the warp core and may have possessed the captain."

With that Azrael stops to allow the space marines and the Inquisitor to respond.

"A Daemon. Thank you for bringing this… matter… to our knowledge, Magos. You have been wise to avoid direction confrontation."

Maegon cannot give the excuse that he belonged to the Ordo Hereticus, not the Ordo Malleus, and has little experience of daemonic entities himself.

It would be wrong to bother his allies with such considerations. The situation is tense yet between both Space Marines. Even if their chapters are both bound to the Imperium, they are so different… But common threats and objectives can make them work hand in hand, with a deadly efficiency.

Furthermore, it would be wrong to tell that he is not familiar with creatures from the Warp. He knows some of them quite well. Anyway, more than most of the mortals know them. They whisper to him in his dreams and nightmares.

However, he does not know the specific entity on this ship and he is too weak for a direct confrontation, either physically or mentally.

"I am not surprised of such news, considering that we are on a voidship who belonged to Chaos Space Marines."

At these words, Maegon feels hate and anger grow in Hrothgar and Kremiel.

"But this voidship is ours now, or must become ours, if we want to leave this cursed planet, then travel with sufficient chances of survival. It would be insane to leave the atmosphere and join the void with a free Daemon on board. And I don’t speak of warp jumps."

The Inquisitor is sure that his interlocutors have already traveled through the Immaterium and know the inherent risks.

"The fact is… If the Daemon is bound to a mortal host, we have a chance to cut his link with the real world and send him back into the Warp."

Maegon is not entirely sure of that.
Both the ship and the planet are so tainted…

He looks at his allies.
Kremiel is frowning and stays silent, already considering tactical issues.
Hrothgar thinks slower but understands that a hard fight is likely to come. That pleases him.

"A daemon host ? I already fought possessed renegades in the past. I don’t care if it can’t bleed, I don’t care if it doesn’t feel pain. If my blade can tear it apart, pieces after pieces, it can be destroyed." says the Space Wolf with a fierce voice.

"Well said. Confidence is an essential quality to fight Daemons." Not overconfidence. "But first, we have to investigate."

Maegon turns toward Azrael.

"Magos, you know the ship better than us. What do you suggest ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord April 21, 2014, 07:17:19 AM
"Magos, you know the ship better than us. What do you suggest?"

"Given my concerns regarding Captain Lexander I have had people watching him discreetly to keep me appraised of his whereabouts.  They have not had direct sight of him for a while, but it is likely he is on the command deck.  The small size of the command deck prevents them following him there without being detected, and he has not been observed elsewhere."

"When he entered the ship Lexander was accompanied by 8 further marines.  It is unclear how many of them survived whatever took place in the enginarium, but those that did are likely to still be with him.  In addition there is one further Relictor marine who suffered a jet pack failure during their assault on the ship and is still comatose in the infirmary, and a squad of scouts under the leadership of Roldar.  The scouts were outside with me during Lexander's assault on the ship, and since have become noticeably detached from the captain and somewhat withdrawn.  It is possible that, confronted with firm evidence that their captain has been possessed by a daemon, Roldar and the scouts may support us, but I cannot be certain."

Hrothgar makes a dismissive noise when Azrael mentions the scouts.  Clearly he either doesn't think the scouts can be trusted, doesn't care for them, or both.

Azrael has been pondering how they might use the ship to their advantage in dealing with Lexander.

"Presuming that Lexander is on the command deck that presents us with some difficulties.  The command deck is heavily fortified, and there are limits to my ability to override commands that originate there.  There is a way in which we might be able to use the command deck's fortification against it however.  In the event of an emergency the command deck has a dedicated backup circuit on the life-support system.  If we can mix a sufficiently potent toxin and introduce it to the command deck backup circuit, and then trigger an emergency lock-down of the ship, we might be able take out the Captain quickly and quietly, or at least render him insensate."

Sergeant Kremiel interjects, "That's fine in theory Magos, but if this Lexander and his marines have their helmets on the toxin wouldn't be able to get to them, and even if they don't it would have to be extremely fast acting to get them before they had a chance to react and put their helmets on if they didn't have them on already."

"That point had occurred to me, but given the high degree of damage sustained by their armour, I doubt that it is still effectively sealed to the external atmosphere.  Of course whatever entity is occupying the captain may make him resistant to such toxins as well, but it might at least incapacitate the other Relictor marines."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho April 23, 2014, 01:55:05 PM
"That point had occurred to me, but given the high degree of damage sustained by their armour, I doubt that it is still effectively sealed to the external atmosphere.  Of course whatever entity is occupying the captain may make him resistant to such toxins as well, but it might at least incapacitate the other Relictor marines."

"You have a good point, Magos. Incapacitate the other Relictor marines would allow us focusing on Lexander and the Daemon. Dreadful opponents, for sure." intervenes Maegon. "However... do you know where to find such toxin ?"

"Sergeant Kremiel. How many plasma and melta weapons would you be able to deploy in this battle ? A storm of fire would be valued to weaken the Daemon and his host."

"Hrothgar. The more I consider the question, the more I think that you alone are strong and fierce enough to stand against Lexander in close combat. Do you feel ready for that ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 24, 2014, 10:36:39 PM
Kremiel: "If we take the weapons from the vehicles; quite a few. But firing anti-tank ordnance on such a cramped command deck? Not advisable."

Hrothgar: "I've yet to meat any man, beast, Astartes, xenos, or daemon-spawn that can stand against me in melee."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord April 25, 2014, 11:27:17 PM
"You have a good point, Magos. Incapacitate the other Relictor marines would allow us focusing on Lexander and the Daemon. Dreadful opponents, for sure." intervenes Maegon. "However... do you know where to find such toxin ?"

"You would be amazed at what one can do with the contents of a medicae facility," Azrael said with a slightly disturbing grin, "not to mention a few choice compounds from other areas of the ship."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 27, 2014, 11:40:05 AM
Kremiel: "I would vehemently oppose any plot to poison a brother marine, even if their leader is under the influence of Chaos. For one it is dishonourable. And moreover you'd be surprised at the ability of the Astartes body to keep working, even if poisoned. Unless you're a fully versed Apothecary of the Legions?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho April 28, 2014, 02:51:55 PM
Are you with us or against us ?

"No melta guns, no poison... I understand your reluctance, Sergeant Kremiel. But please don't think of them as brother marines anymore. They are renegade now, like the World Eaters or Night Lords." drops Maegon.

The Inquisitor knows the old hatred between the Dark Angels and the Night Lords. He hopes that might help Kremiel to reconsider the present perspectives.

"But maybe have you thought of better tactics to take the bridge ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord April 29, 2014, 06:28:08 AM
"No melta guns, no poison... I understand your reluctance, Sergeant Kremiel. But please don't think of them as brother marines anymore. They are renegade now, like the World Eaters or Night Lords." drops Maegon.

Azrael: "Quite so, I may not know much about daemons in comparison to the Inquisitor, but I do know they have no concept of honour.  While I may not be an Astartes Apothecary, I have face renegade marines before, and do know a few things about Astartes physiology, as does my Medicae, Irena.  In any case, I am open to alternatives if you have any suggestions."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 29, 2014, 09:00:49 AM
Hrothgar: "Honour is not a concept that applies to war. Only victory does. But the Dark Angel has a point - if we destroy the bridge, flying this thing will become difficult, if not impossible. We should try to lure the Marine to a position of our choosing, and then attack suddenly, and with overwhelming force."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B April 29, 2014, 09:29:50 AM
Kremiel: "I object. Do we truly know what happened down in the enginarium? I've heard talk of a daemon, that is now gone. Could it not be that this Lexander was the one to banish it? Have you so little faith in the Astartes? Were there no witnesses, no one that can tall us what happened?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 01, 2014, 06:20:05 AM
Hrothgar: "Honour is not a concept that applies to war. Only victory does. But the Dark Angel has a point - if we destroy the bridge, flying this thing will become difficult, if not impossible. We should try to lure the Marine to a position of our choosing, and then attack suddenly, and with overwhelming force."

Azrael: "I agree about the melta weapons, highly destructive weaponry on the bridge is not a particularly good idea."

Kremiel: "I object. Do we truly know what happened down in the enginarium? I've heard talk of a daemon, that is now gone. Could it not be that this Lexander was the one to banish it? Have you so little faith in the Astartes? Were there no witnesses, no one that can tall us what happened?"

Azrael looked slightly contemplative at that.

"Had Lexander banished the daemon that would not explain his current odd behaviour.  However I suppose it is not totally beyond the realms of possibility.  Maegon, would you be able to determine the whereabouts of the daemon or the level of warp presence on the bridge without us alerting Lexander?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 01, 2014, 09:43:10 AM
Kremiel: "The Inquisitor has the authority to call him out of hiding. If he refuses, we'll know if he is a traitor or true."

Hrothgar: "Or I can call him out to a duel of champions. If he's a former captain of the Astartes, filled with daemonic rage, he'll come out of hiding."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho May 04, 2014, 04:24:13 PM
Hrothgar: "Honour is not a concept that applies to war. Only victory does. But the Dark Angel has a point - if we destroy the bridge, flying this thing will become difficult, if not impossible. We should try to lure the Marine to a position of our choosing, and then attack suddenly, and with overwhelming force."

Azrael: "I agree about the melta weapons, highly destructive weaponry on the bridge is not a particularly good idea."

Maegon nods but doesn't reply.

Who spoke of dumb overkill ?
Space Marines should be able to direct precise shots against Lexander and his men.
Well, Azrael and Kremiel are probably right: we can not take such a risk.


Kremiel: "I object. Do we truly know what happened down in the enginarium? I've heard talk of a daemon, that is now gone. Could it not be that this Lexander was the one to banish it? Have you so little faith in the Astartes? Were there no witnesses, no one that can tall us what happened?"

Azrael looked slightly contemplative at that.

"Had Lexander banished the daemon that would not explain his current odd behaviour.  However I suppose it is not totally beyond the realms of possibility.  Maegon, would you be able to determine the whereabouts of the daemon or the level of warp presence on the bridge without us alerting Lexander?"

"This ship has been tainted by the Children of Fulgrim."

No need to be a psyker to tell that.

"Amidst the overall corruption, I can feel more... radiating sources of dark energy. I have to concentrate to see more clearly."

Maegon closes his eyes and tightens his right hand on his psy-focus pendants.
He's exhausted, feels dizzy, but rest will have to wait.
He takes a prudent look into the Immaterium.

Remaining setback, Maegon sees is the Tower of Silence, then Lexander and Adorus.

However, something else attracts the Inquisitor's attention.
Somebody looking at him via ethereal eyes.

"Master Aquilus ?" the Inquisitor asks mentally.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 04, 2014, 05:30:38 PM
Hrothgar: "Whatever we decide; let us do it soon. My instincts tell me we must be away from this place. And the wolf is never wrong."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 07, 2014, 06:46:07 AM
Hrothgar: "Whatever we decide; let us do it soon. My instincts tell me we must be away from this place. And the wolf is never wrong."

Azrael:  "We should see if Maegon is able to discern anything, but if yourself and Kremiel are determined to face Lexander directly the rest of us will be of limited assistance.  There is insufficient space outside the bridge for us to be able to bring our numbers to bear in any meaningful fashion, the best I could do is provide some snipers for support."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 12, 2014, 09:17:05 PM
Kremiel: "Inquisitor, what can you tell us? Must this Relictor be purged or not? If yes, I would agree with the Son of Russ - we should strike quickly. If no, let us be gone from this place with equal haste.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 12, 2014, 09:19:20 PM
@Azrael: It's been made know to Azrael that the Dark Angels appear to have a prisoner; another space marine, in archaic black-and-white power armour. 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: darkking May 13, 2014, 09:22:21 PM
Jack moor and his warband had seen the ship start its forced landing. he instantly began making preparations to take it taking what he could. he even gained recruits bumping up his numbers to a good solid force. then they slowly began making their way to the ship. hoping they could be the first ones there. he urged his forces forward. leaving no one behind. he did major raiding prior to their journey mostly for food and ammo. he even go ta chimera which he was using to transport his more wounded soldiers.  he hoped he could make good time and get their soon enough before the ship left.knowing he was in a race against time carried his red white and blue flag as he lead the march. urging them forward keep an eye out for rivals and enemies.

(hope this is ok) 
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho May 14, 2014, 10:25:04 PM
Maegon closes his eyes and tightens his right hand on his psy-focus pendants.
He's exhausted, feels dizzy, but rest will have to wait.
He takes a prudent look into the Immaterium.

Remaining setback, Maegon sees is the Tower of Silence, then Lexander and Adorus.

However, something else attracts the Inquisitor's attention.
Somebody looking at him via ethereal eyes.

"Master Aquilus ?" the Inquisitor asks mentally.

But the eyes disappear as fast as they came, and nobody answers.

So Maegon shrugs his shoulders mentally, then focuses on the command bridge of the Sensibilious.

He sees a dark aura around the Relictors, but that's nothing in comparison with the two Artifacts that they are bearing.
A huge shield and fist-sized sphere, both tainted without a doubt.
He tries to see their names... The Tower of Silence... The Maleficent Orb...
A terrific force repulses him.

Dark flames burn Maegon's mind and he's forced to come back to the material world.
His mouth has a taste of ash. His nose is bleeding.
Without his power armour, he would have fallen to the ground.

Kremiel: "Inquisitor, what can you tell us? Must this Relictor be purged or not? If yes, I would agree with the Son of Russ - we should strike quickly. If no, let us be gone from this place with equal haste.

The Inquisitor shivers, then turns toward the Dark Angel.
The answer is visible in Maegon's eyes.

"They are tainted, more than I thought... They have two dark artifacts... A giant shield and an orb."

Somebody knocks on the door.
On the other side, the Inquisitor hears the stifled voice of his Interrogator, Nemus d'Agoria.

"Inquisitor, are you alright ?"

After so many years together, their minds are somehow connected.
Nemus must have felt echoes of the psychic attack suffered by Maegon.

The Inquisitor would like to move toward the door, but he's still too weak, even for that.

"It's my Interrogator, Nemus. You can trust him. Could you please... open the door ?" he asks to his allies.

The agents of the Ordos are glad to meet again.

"The good news is that the reclamation team is back. The bad news if that new warbands are approaching the voidship. I fear that the situation will be out of control soon..." says Nemus.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 15, 2014, 06:27:04 AM
"It's my Interrogator, Nemus. You can trust him. Could you please... open the door ?" he asks to his allies.

Azrael recognises the results of a psychic attack well enough and immediately moves to door.  Clearly Lexander and his marines are going to be more difficult to deal with than he might have hoped.  Perhaps Kremiel and Hrothgar might be more amenable to 'dishonourable' methods now.  Or perhaps they would just get themselves killed and leave the ship to him, Azrael would hardly complain.

"Of course Inquisitor, do you need medical assistance?"

"The good news is that the reclamation team is back. The bad news if that new warbands are approaching the voidship. I fear that the situation will be out of control soon..." says Nemus.

New warbands, just what they need at this point.
"How close to the ship are these warbands, and what kind of strength do they have?", inquires Azrael.

@Azrael: It's been made know to Azrael that the Dark Angels appear to have a prisoner; another space marine, in archaic black-and-white power armour.

Azrael files this little tid-bit away for further investigation later.  That the Dark Angels have bothered keeping a prisoner rather than simply executing them indicates he must be of considerable importance, and thus interesting.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 15, 2014, 09:28:50 AM
A metallic voice echoes through the halls and chambers of the fallen Sensibilious: "Welcome aboard Inquisition Maegon. Captain Lexander of the Relictors chapter requests your presence on the command deck. He suggests you come quickly; the augur arrays, such as there are, are picking up strange energy fluctuations form the Kasr.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 15, 2014, 09:40:52 AM
There must be at least a thousand people scattered around the vicinity. Some are part of various bands, others are little more than desperate refugees. They are fighting amongst themselves to a degree, but all are warily eying the ship. You can be sure that they will try to make it on board - which could be very bad if they just rush in.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein May 15, 2014, 11:06:59 AM
The Carbideblest Newborn were making their way onto the distant shape of the downed voidship- and slowly they could make out the rabble around it. Shortly after Rheins attention was brought to Norr, who was manning the battered radio of their transport. "Arch-Creator, listen:.."
And with these words he turned the volume up with a screech.

"To all survivors in-ssssccreeeccchhh-shin. The Hive -cxxrrttt-damned. Head -brrrzzzzzt- Gate. To all..."

Well, while it certainly explained the rabble around the voidship, it filled him with uncertainty. Was something bad to happen? Did something terrible happen? Either way, it sounded (and clearly looked) as if they were gathering for something. Either recovering from, or mustering up for something. And that clearly sounded as if they didnt plan to stay here too long.

"Double time." he requested and his order was relayed to the other vehicles. Whilst the
Legionares picked the best spots, the converts were clinging onto the Striders and the Leman Russ. Soon they were speeding up to the crashsite (as fast as they could bring the old battletank anyway) - and the dustcloud behind their black, oily shapes immediately grew to a considerably size. Their footprints (and approach) would now be impossible to hide.

While coming closer, Rhein was terrified by the sight of the voidship - it clearly was patched up with whatever they could muster, but it definetely looked patched up. Their biggest trump card, their technical knowledge, seemed considerably less useful than he imagined. If they really wanted to get a place on this blasted ship, they had to get in on the situation asap. This friggin crowd was far too cobbled together for his taste.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho May 15, 2014, 01:34:35 PM
"It's my Interrogator, Nemus. You can trust him. Could you please... open the door ?" he asks to his allies.

Azrael recognises the results of a psychic attack well enough and immediately moves to door.  Clearly Lexander and his marines are going to be more difficult to deal with than he might have hoped.  Perhaps Kremiel and Hrothgar might be more amenable to 'dishonourable' methods now.  Or perhaps they would just get themselves killed and leave the ship to him, Azrael would hardly complain.

"Of course Inquisitor, do you need medical assistance?"

"Thank you for your solicitude, Magos... More than medical treatments, I think that I need a few hours of mental and physical rest... I haven't sleep well for days... But time flies, sleep will have to wait."

Even physically weakened, the old Inquisitor still have tricks up his sleeve.
One does not live up to 182 years without serious assets.

"The good news is that the reclamation team is back. The bad news if that new warbands are approaching the voidship. I fear that the situation will be out of control soon..." says Nemus.

While Nemus speaks, Maegon puts a trembling hand in one of his waist packs, searching for something.

"How close to the ship are these warbands, and what kind of strength do they have?", inquires Azrael.

"Some warbands are camping around the ship, trying to identify the best entry ways. Some others are a little further, but rapidly approaching.
They will probably rush forward soon.
Jethro has identified several imperial flags, but also several renegade ones.
And vehicles, I fear."

The augmentic eyes and integrated cogitator of Maegon's old savant would need a checkup, but are fortunately still working.

"Who's in control of the ship's turrets ?" asks Nemus.

Before anybody can answer, the discussion is interrupted by a metallic voice.

A metallic voice echoes through the halls and chambers of the fallen Sensibilious: "Welcome aboard Inquisition Maegon. Captain Lexander of the Relictors chapter requests your presence on the command deck. He suggests you come quickly; the augur arrays, such as there are, are picking up strange energy fluctuations form the Kasr.

Just a second before hearing the voice, Maegon pulls a vial out his waist pack.
A crystal vial, containing a silver-blue liquid.
He stops his move, the time to listen.

How do they know my name ? The psychic clash, probably...
The ship is equipped with speakers, but impossible for each room to be equipped with microphones. The Relictors can not have listened to our meeting, I'm confident about that.
But I don't like this convocation...
And whose voice was that?


"Well... I guess that confrontation time finally came." drops Maegon with a sad smile.

"In your state, Inquisitor..." says Hrothgar. "Are you seriously considering to answer this call ?"

Nemus cleans Maegon's blood, still flowing from his nose.

Maegon shows his vial.

"As my body is not reduced to dust and my soul is not lost in the limbs, I'm not yet defeated.
This is Asea Eranion, a powerful substance distilled by the Schola Psykana on the basis of a rare psychoactive flower.
I saved it preciously for a... special occasion."

Then Maegon drinks the liquid.
With every sip, his tired face relaxes and retrieves colors, his stature straightens, his tarnished psychic aura sparkles again.

"Now..." begins Maegon with a strong and strange voice, combining three different tones.
"I can stand and fight at full power for one day and one night.
My psychic powers will be magnified during this period.
After that... the backlash will be terrible. I'll fall unconscious for several weeks. Eventually, I'll wake up fresh as a new born, or I'll die."


Nemus stays silent.
At this stage of the game, his Master has no choice if he wants to keep playing, right ?
All-in.

The Inquisitor stretches in his power armour.
Now he's holding his force staff, more than his staff holds him, as it was the case just a moment before.

"Are you ready, friends ?"
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 15, 2014, 09:44:03 PM
"Who's in control of the ship's turrets ?" asks Nemus.

Azrael is just about to answer Nemus's question when Lexander's message boomed out of the ship's intercom.

Azrael isn't entirely surprised at Lexander's intervention, after all to have been subjected to a psychic attack clearly indicated that Maegon had been detected by the Relictors.  Ah well, so much for the element of surprise he sighed to himself.

Absorbed in thinking through possible next moves Azrael isn't entirely listening when Maegon mentions the vial of Asea Eranion but when the Inquisitor speaks in that strange tri-toned voice he snaps round to regard the Inquisitor and stares at him intently.  As he listens to the newly energised Inquisitor, Maegon's previous words filter through from his unconscious.  Asea Eranion.  Yes, Azrael knows of it, though he is not supposed to.  It is a dark substance, the basis might well be a psychoactive flower, but there are other less savoury ingredients and preparations that go into it.

His eyes narrow, Asea Eranion is powerful indeed, while under its effects the Inquisitor would be a match for Kremiel or Hrothgar (and perhaps even Lexander), but Maegon is not understating the side-effects that will come later.  If Maegon were to die of the side-effects, it will not be a pleasant death, either for the Inquisitor or anyone else in the vicinity.  Many other Inquisitors would likely execute him after the battle to avoid that possibility, if they even allowed him to take the substance in the first place.  Azrael has no real concerns about the provenance of the substance, and he doubts Hrothgar does either, though the Dark Angel might, but special precautions will have to be taken with the Inquisitor's unconscious form afterwards.  Hopefully the Interrogator knows the correct procedures.

"Are you ready, friends ?"
Maegon turns as he speaks and catches Azrael's gaze.  They lock eyes for a moment, and it is clear to the Inquisitor that the Magos knows just what Asea Eranion is, though how he knows such a secret is another matter.

Maegon wonders whether the techpriest will say anything, but he does not.  Instead Azrael breaks his gaze away from the Inquisitor and turns to Nemus.

"I have control of the ship's turrets, what of them remain at least."

Turning back to the Inquisitor and the two space marines he continues, "I am unlikely to be of any great assistance to you with Lexander.  I will see to the ship's defences and ensure we are ready to take off.  The augur arrays have been a long way down the priority list for repairs, if they really are picking up energy fluctuations from the hive, those fluctuations must be massive and I for one don't want to stick around to see what the presage."

With that he turns to leave, but as he passes Maegon he takes hold of the Inquisitor's shoulder and says, "Good luck friend, does your Interrogator know how to care for you during your unconsciousness?"
The subtext is obvious and Maegon nods, to anyone else it would appear just in acknowledgement of the good wishes.  Azrael nods in return and departs, leaving the Inquisitor wondering just slightly what other secrets the Magos might know that he really is not supposed to.

[OOC: Thought I'd add a little colour to it, more in the OOC thread]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 18, 2014, 05:45:08 PM
#On the command deck (aka the bridge):

Lexander greets Inquisitor Maegon once he enters the command deck. "Inquisitor, what a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he says. That chaos-imbued shield of his is strapped to his arm.

Adorus Galrek, Lexander's lieutenant-librarian, stands close to his captain, his chaos orb pulsating with unseen power.

The rest of the Relictors (6 of them) are spread out across the bridge, making good use of available cover - and critical components, like bridge officers, high-grade servitors, and cogitator banks. In a firefight they will have cover, while you will be wrecking stuff.

Lexander indicates the librarian at his side. "Librarian Adorus urges me to be gone from this place. According to his premonitions we are about to die, all of us, unless we get going."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 18, 2014, 08:17:02 PM
On the outside several warbands start to move towards the prone form on the once-proud voidship.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein May 18, 2014, 09:21:37 PM
The Carbideblest Newborn made good progress through the crowd - here and there were some minor interferences and even a smaller shootout with some smallfish camping on the way to the voidship, but apart from some minor scratches (and a convert with a headwound who got dragged on the Leman Russ, but that equals a minor scratch?) there was no harm done. Quiet the contrary - the vermin started to keep to themselves. The incineration of some beggars that started to slow the convoy down didn't harm either. The tension among the group rose equally with the vicinity to the voidship, for sooner or later they were looking onto the amassed weaponry of the patched up Raider Class (that could reduce them quiet efficiently to red pulp and vapor). Nothing they were fond off, thus weapons stayed lowered and their pace was slowed down. Only ZRN-4861 and the two BSTR's still circled in around the edges of their small convoy - warily facing nearest groups of scavengers before they even moved into range. Still, it was only a stone's throw to the mainhatch. Sadly, there wasn't only the guard in it remaining - another group was gathering halfway to it.

"Arch-Creator. Look!"
canted Norrin binary.
"What is it, Chief-Assembler?"
Norr was taken up by his status - probably a bit too much, but as long as the cost for his everloyal service was limited to his constant babbling and pointing out the obvious Rhein could deal with it.
"They start to move, Arch-Creator."
As if we couldn't see them right before us..

Sadly, he was to discover that it wasn't only the warband around them - but the smaller bands behind them.

"Get me a transmission going! And speed up with it!" Rhein canted to his assistant and vox operator.. he had a sudden inspiration. Swapping from channel to channel, they sent an invitation to channel 252.9 MHz. 13X1 in binary - the chances of the puny riffraff to speak the AdMech-Code was pretty slim, while the voidship's crew hopefully had some tech-priests on the consoles. Shortly after they tapped into it themselves.

"This is.. Rhein of the Carbideblest Newborn. Please respond."
Trembling, they listened to static. They had to request permission to board - before the mob was arriving. Depending on whom he was talking to, he would also request medical aid, if only for the show. He would offer assistance in securing the shop - defending it against the masses. If they could manage to get the Leman Russ into the main hatch, it would be a futile task to try to make your way through it. And while speaking.. they had to speed up. Get close to the ship - to get under the voidships minimal range or to have some solid metal behind their backs. Either way, being sourrounded was pretty bad.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho May 18, 2014, 10:04:01 PM
Maegon turns as he speaks and catches Azrael's gaze.  They lock eyes for a moment, and it is clear to the Inquisitor that the Magos knows just what Asea Eranion is, though how he knows such a secret is another matter.

Maegon wonders whether the techpriest will say anything, but he does not.

The Inquisitor and the Magos exchange a look full of... empathy.

Magon ponders to ask mentally how Azrael knows Asea Eranion.
Or probe his cybernetic memories without he might even notice.
But that's not the priority.

Instead Azrael breaks his gaze away from the Inquisitor and turns to Nemus.

"I have control of the ship's turrets, what of them remain at least."

Turning back to the Inquisitor and the two space marines he continues, "I am unlikely to be of any great assistance to you with Lexander.  I will see to the ship's defences and ensure we are ready to take off.  The augur arrays have been a long way down the priority list for repairs, if they really are picking up energy fluctuations from the hive, those fluctuations must be massive and I for one don't want to stick around to see what the presage."

"The Dark Angels, the Space Wolves and the Necromundan Spiders will co-ordinate with you."

Maegon turns toward the Wulfen and catch his eyes.

"Hrothgar. You come with me to the command bridge ?"

The psychic impulse is subtle, but exalts the warlike instincts of the Wulfen.
Of course Hrothgar will come to the bridge. He has a duel to fight and win.
He only thinks about this duel now. He doesn't think about sending a message to his henchmen - Ravn, Irelda and Kippin. He only thinks about Lexander and how to kill him.

The Space Wolf grunts and shows a fierce smile: "How course I come !"

With that Azrael turns to leave, but as he passes Maegon he takes hold of the Inquisitor's shoulder and says, "Good luck friend, does your Interrogator know how to care for you during your unconsciousness?"
The subtext is obvious and Maegon nods, to anyone else it would appear just in acknowledgement of the good wishes.  Azrael nods in return and departs, leaving the Inquisitor wondering just slightly what other secrets the Magos might know that he really is not supposed to.

Of course, Nemus does.
Thank you for your concerns.


"Good luck, Emperor protects."

Maegon, Nemus and Hrothgar leave the room.
On the way, they meet Oshgor, Jethro, THX-138 and the Manticores.
The Inquisitor gives telepathic orders to each of them.
They are ready - as much as possible.
Ready to kill and ready to die.

Maegon remembers Azrael's report, concerning Lexander's message projected by the ship's internal vox-casters:
"This is Captain Lexander of the Relictors. Your master and commander, the magnanimous Xerxzes, has been called away on important business. He has appointed me as his champion - and replacement commander of the Sensibilious. He bids you continue to serve me as you have served him. If you do I will keep you on as crew and extend my protection to you as Xerxzes has done. We will also be taking on additional crew and passengers. And we need to get this ship operational again. Cadia is not a place where we can remain for long. Lexander out.

#On the command deck (aka the bridge):

Lexander greets Inquisitor Maegon once he enters the command deck. "Inquisitor, what a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he says. That chaos-imbued shield of his is strapped to his arm.

Adorus Galrek, Lexander's lieutenant-librarian, stands close to his captain, his chaos orb pulsating with unseen power.

The rest of the Relictors (6 of them) are spread out across the bridge, making good use of available cover - and critical components, like bridge officers, high-grade servitors, and cogitator banks. In a firefight they will have cover, while you will be wrecking stuff.

Lexander indicates the librarian at his side. "Librarian Adorus urges me to be gone from this place. According to his premonitions we are about to die, all of us, unless we get going."

The atmosphere stinks.
Chaos.

Maegon walks confidently in front of his retinue, his force staff in one hand, the other hand open as a sign of peace.
Hrothgar is on the right, his cold anger stifled by the Inquisitor's willpower - for now.
His battle servitor THX is on the left.
Nemus, Oshgor and Jethro come behind them.
The Manticores deploy on the sides.
The group provides a peaceful but potentially deadly overall impression.

"Thank you for your invitation, Captain Lexander."

Maegon observes that none of the Relictors show the slightest sign of trouble when hearing his powerful voice.
Their minds are protected against its effects.

"Librarian Adorus is right. A giant vessel of unknown origin is about to reach Cadia. The planet is doomed, as we are if we don't leave very soon.

Hte Inquisitor stops, and his retinue stops immediately.

"But please tell me... What is the purpose of your invitation, Captain ?" Maegon asks.
"Or maybe should I call you, Champion of Xerxzes ? he adds mentally.

"It's very simple, Inquisitor." Lexander answers.
"Or maybe should I call you, Champion of Kairos ?"

For the first time since he drank Asea Eranion, a small crack appears in the Inquisitor's armor of confidence.



Maegon mentally gives the go and creates a force field in front of him.
Hrothgar and Oshgor rush forward, while his other henchmen raise their weapons and open fire.
Nemus targets Adorus with his bolt pistol, but the Orb warns the Librarian and the series of bolts is easily avoided. Adorus shoots in his turn but Nemus moved behind the force field.
Oshgor is less lucky and despite his great agility, he is shot by merciless burst of bolters.
The Manticores give their best, but their accuracy and firepower are worthless against the superior abilities, armors and weapons of the Relictors. The latter slaughter the stormtroopers, then destroy the battle servitor.
Hrothgar reaches Lexander. The clash is terrible. However, the Lector takes the upper easily thanks to the Tower of Silence and his new powers.

In a few seconds, only Maegon, Nemus and Jethro stand against the Relictors.

The vision dissipates.



"It's very simple, Inquisitor."

Lexander smiles while speaking.
Maegon voluntarily shared the vision with him, to enhance the Lector's confidence.

"We must work together, not against each other, to make the Sensibilious take off. Together, and with your allies."

Lexander needs Azrael.
Despite they control the crew, the Relictors must miss a skilled servitor of the Machine God.

Maegon too needs Azrael.
But he doesn't need Lexander.



Maegon mentally gives the go - this time, for real.
He uses his mighty psychic powers to deform reality itself. More precisely, he deforms the metal bridge to imprison the Relictor's feet and legs. He can not act on their mind, but he can influence their environment.
Oshgor swallows combat drugs and rushes forward, both power swords in hands, toward Lexander and his fate.
Nemus doesn't waste a bullet against Adorus, but instead shoots another Relictor right in the head. A single bullet, guided and accelerated by his psy powers. Then the Interrogator creates a force field to protect his Master and retinue. An unidirectional barrier, providing protection from the front side, but allowing bullets to pass from the rear side.
The Manticores take the time to aim, then shoot toward the Relictors. The sniper, Greyval, kills one of them, while the holder of the plasma rifle, Carrulak, kills another one.
Three Marines retaliate against the stormtroopers, protected by the force field. However Adorus dissipates the barrier, and a storm of bullets decimates the Manticores.
Nemus swears and creates another force field.
 
Hrothgar did not rush forward.
Just after bending the metal ground, Maegon put his hand on the skull of the Space Wolf and channeled raw energy to unleash the beast inside him.
His body, armor, jaw, claws and chainsword are distorted by the energy of the Warp.
His mind is free from all previous anchors, only filled with primal rage and desire to slaughter Lexander.
Despite the noises of the gunshot, his insane roar covers all other sounds on the bridge.

In a few seconds, mutated by Maegon's powers, Hrothgar became a four-meter high exalted Wulfen.

"Crush him." commands the Inquisitor while designating Lexander.

Meanwhile, Oshgor did his best to distract the Lector.
Despite his training, ferocity and the use of combat drugs, the assassin had not a single chance.
His body lies at Lexander's feet.
Not only eviscerated. But also reduced to smoldering ashes.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 19, 2014, 06:40:37 AM
Azrael had just reach main fire-control and set the turrets to begin targeting the group with the rather battered Leman Russ that was getting a bit too close for comfort when a message came through in binaric cant.

"This is.. Rhein of the Carbideblest Newborn. Please respond."

Interesting, evidently there is another adept of the Mechanicus out there, probably in the group with the Leman Russ for the message to be that clear.  Azrael wavers on giving the command to open fire.

"This is Magos Azrael Kane, of the voidship Sensibilious.  Please state your intentions," Azrael replied, likewise in binaric.  Strictly of course identifying himself with the voidship was perhaps a little presumptuous as he and the other allied warbands had barely gained proper control, but who was this Rhein to know that.  For the same reason he placed more emphasis on his Mechanicus title than he would in most situations.

While speaking and waiting for Rhein to respond Azrael attempts to focus some of the few functional external visual links on the group surrounding the Leman Russ.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein May 20, 2014, 02:57:03 PM
"This is Magos Azrael Kane, of the voidship Sensibilious.  Please state your intentions,"

"Ah..", sighed Rhein, "..Magos."

That complicated things. Rhein took notice of the emphasis on his status quo within the AdMech. It implied his counterpart would easily regocnize his lax (or more properly: blasphemus) dealing with the Cult Mechanicus. Heck, getting under targeting range of the voidships armarment was even more important now.

"We are relieved to listen to your cantations. We request maintenance and medical aid."

Pause. At least a little.

"Observation: We are getting cornered. And so are you. Proposal: Cooperation. We bring further ordnance. We do not want to die in the crossfire. Let us hold the main hatch. Nothing will penetrate our ferro-steel armour plates. You will earn our gratitude."

The Carbideblest Newborn slowly turned to face the masses following in their trail - to show their good intentions as well as to buy some time and get closer to the ship. If they could at least infiltrate into the lines of the ships defenders, they could gain some leverage if the situation get's out of hand.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 22, 2014, 09:47:14 AM
The instant hostilities erupt, the Adeptus Astartes retaliate with preternatural speed. Maegon may have given the order to attack, but the Marines are such much more than human - a prepared just for such an eventuality. Beams of energy and explosive bolts turn the bridge into a warzone in an instant.

Three marines are killed in the opening exchange. They take with them twice as many Manticores - Interrogator Nemus' protective field of energy dissipated by the Relictors librarian before it can fully form.

Nemus conjures another field, hoping to preserve the rest of the Manticores long enough for them to return fire. In this he is successful, for a time, until a frag grenade is expertly thrown against a wall to bounce in behind the field. Nemus isn't killed, but the force of the explosion is sufficient to send him flying. There is also the issue of him missing his left leg beneath the knee - and the accompanying blood loss.

Meanwhile THX-138 has laid down the law against the Relictors, ripping apart Librarian Adorus Galrek in a hail of close-quarters autocannon fire. It's a rather desperate move on the Inquisitions part - wayward shells impact against command deck equipment and command servitors, making an awful mess of things.

Two of the remaining Relictors open fire on the Spatha-Pattern servitor, exacting Astartes vengeance on the killer of one of their own. The poor servitor is ripped apart in moments, explosive bolts penetrating its armour and detonating inside its composite man-machine body.

The remaining Manticores deal with another Relictor, leaving only two alive.

Lexander and the wulfen Hrothgar clash in an epic duel of prowess.

Inquisitor Maegon looks about ready to swoon...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B May 22, 2014, 09:49:13 AM
Elsewhere on the ship:

The squat clansmen are making a move against the half-squad of Relictor scouts in the enginarium.

Outside the ship:

The floodgate have been opened, so to speak. As soon as the first warbands and refugee groups start moving, all of them do. A human wave, at least 1000 strong, is now rushing towards the Sensibilious...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord May 23, 2014, 08:02:37 PM
"Observation: We are getting cornered. And so are you. Proposal: Cooperation. We bring further ordnance. We do not want to die in the crossfire. Let us hold the main hatch. Nothing will penetrate our ferro-steel armour plates. You will earn our gratitude."

Azrael hesitates for a moment, then sees the wave approaching the ship break and start charging.  He mutters an oath under his breath before activating the comm-link to Rhein.

"Agreed," he saiys tersely, before re-training the ships defensive turrets in a broad spread against the approaching wave.

The defensive turrets open fire and tear through the ragged bands approaching the voidship.  There are too many people for the turrets to catch them all, repairing the turrets was a somewhat lower priority than simply making the vessel space worthy, and nor are they really intended for targeting people on the ground.  As such Azrael simply targets the largest concentrations and hopes that those guarding the entrances will be able to take care of the rest.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein May 28, 2014, 08:59:54 PM
"Agreed"

Rhein allowed himself a sigh of relief after the defensive turrets swayed from his small warband. And with the voidships barrage lightening the shattered fields, he gave the order to open fire too.It wasn't quiet that impressive, but effective too. In the end, he had similiar plans as Azrael: Lob Shrapnell Shells on the biggest concentrations. He hoped to sow terror and shatter the morale of the fugitives and tag-alongs. In the end, the big mass was completely unorganized. He too hoped that the other defenders hold their ground - for he was uninterested in taking the blunt of the masses.

"Soak the ground in prometheum! Defensive perimeter!"

On their retreat to the ship they spilled spare prometheum.. tobset it ablaze as soon as the massses would try to cross it and split them. The plan was to lob some incindeary rounds to  widen the burning perimeter, either setting the idiots trying to cross it ablaze or to further herd them away from the main entrance - it would be impossible to run away from this fight, but they didn't have to fight against endless masses. He didn't care if the other hatches were prepared for this mess, but as long as they could the main hatch (and especially the main corridor laying behind it) he would be satisfied.A soon as the remaining attackers would have gotten closer, ZRN's smoke launcher would further set up a smoke screen to shield them from incoming fire, giving them the perfect edge (and distance) to mount their hellguns and flamethrowers, hopefully shattering everything that tries to cover the last couples of metres. The multispectral vision of a couple of newborn (ex-techpriests) would be quiet useful in this last phase too.

His Chief-Assembler was to measure the main hatch meanwhile - and get a feeling how to get his warband inside. He was hoping it measured the much needed 4-5meters, somehow its crew had to gettheir tons of supplies, the much needed food and ammunitions inside, but if not... they had to make room. And make it fast, while it remained its void-capabilities.

"I hope you don't mind a hand?"
He greeted the waringly looking group at the main hatch, aping a militaric salute.
"I'd suggest we dig some holes - and be fragging quick about it. The fellas behind us don't seem to wanna chat."

Well, the time would never be sufficient to dig proper holes. But even a little bit of cover was better than none. And it would prevent a firefight with this sorry lot. Suspicions were kept at bay after Rhein pronounced that he had been in contact with their fellas on the ship, and soon after the perimeter was full of activity. The warbands were far from trusting each other, but a storm was coming: and it was less then some minutes away.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho May 31, 2014, 05:00:05 PM
Nemus conjures another field, hoping to preserve the rest of the Manticores long enough for them to return fire. In this he is successful, for a time, until a frag grenade is expertly thrown against a wall to bounce in behind the field. Nemus isn't killed, but the force of the explosion is sufficient to send him flying. There is also the issue of him missing his left leg beneath the knee - and the accompanying blood loss.

"Fraaaaaaaaak." shouts Nemus mentally.

He grits his teeth and grabs an injector at his belt, then presses it on his left knee.
The pain disappears quickly, but his desire to fight goes with.
He tries to keep his eyes opened, while struggling to make a garrote.

Meanwhile THX-138 has laid down the law against the Relictors, ripping apart Librarian Adorus Galrek in a hail of close-quarters autocannon fire. It's a rather desperate move on the Inquisitions part - wayward shells impact against command deck equipment and command servitors, making an awful mess of things.

Maegon ordered the battle servitor to target Adorus while avoiding to destroy the deck equipment, but difficult to do one without the other.

The Orb helped the Librarian to escape the firestorm for a few seconds, then his power armour protected him from the first projectiles.
However, gradually, more and more mini-missiles manage to pierce the ceramite and explode deep in his flesh, tearing his superhuman body apart. Even a Space Marine can't survive to a sustained burst of autocannon at such short range.

Two of the remaining Relictors open fire on the Spatha-Pattern servitor, exacting Astartes vengeance on the killer of one of their own. The poor servitor is ripped apart in moments, explosive bolts penetrating its armour and detonating inside its composite man-machine body.

Savant Jethro Asklepios was crouching behind the battle servitor, trying to escape the battle fury around him. He uses his integrated cogitator to send a message to Azrael.

+ + Magos Azrael, we are suffering terrible losses, but the deck will be ours soon.
At this time, your immediate assistance will be required to take control of the ship. + +

Several bolts pass through the shredded carcass of THX-138.
Jethro's chest explodes and his bisected body falls to the ground.
Oil flows rather than blood.

The remaining Manticores deal with another Relictor, leaving only two alive.

Maegon raises a trembling hand, his fingers and rings oriented toward the enemy.
His digi-melta spits a burning sphere of lava, hitting one of the Relictor in the shoulder. He misses the head.

Fortunately, the shot distracted the Space Marine enough for Greyval.
The sniper manages to hit his target in the neck with a perforating projectile.
The Relictor's throat and spine are reduced to crumbs and he falls to the ground, dying.

Lexander and the wulfen Hrothgar clash in an epic duel of prowess.

Each opponent withstands blows that would kill any other Space Marine.
Hrothgar thanks to his Wulfen abilities and Maegon's supernatural energy.
Lexander thanks to the Tower of Silence and the power of the Daemon.

Each opponent makes it blow for blow, sword and shield against sword, jaws and claws.
Their armors crack, their cuts bleed, but the power of the Warp regenerates them.

Inquisitor Maegon looks about ready to swoon...

He puts the energy instilled by Asea Eranion into this battle, into Hrothgar.
But he's reaching the end of its reserves.
Blood flows from his nose. His eyes are bloodshot.
He won't last longer.

Suddenly a burst of bolts hit him in the arm, the belly, the leg.
Maegon puts one knee to the deck floor and vomits blood.

The last Relictor.
This bastard was hiding behind a control console, waiting for the right moment.

"Is this the end ?" asks the Inquisitor for himself.

"No." answers his Interrogator.

Despite his missing leg, Nemus managed to crawl toward the Relictor's position, behind the deck equipments.
He sticks his harlequin's kiss into a hole in the Relictor's armour, and pulls the trigger.

The kiss contains a tightly-coiled retractable monofilament wire which is around 100 metres in length. When activated, the wire is violently released and penetrates its victim. It instantly uncoils and lashes around violently, liquefying bones and internal organs, and causing immediate death. The wire then retracts back into the kiss.

Then Nemus loses consciousness, with a smile on his face.



Without Maegon's support, Hrothgar begins to weaken.
His blows are weaker, his reflexes slower...

Lexander smiles.
In a few seconds and some clever moves, he plunges his power sword through the first heart, then the second heart of his opponent.

Hrothgar roars with pain, then realizes that it is his very last chance to show his fighting spirit before dying.

The Wulfen grabs Lexander's both arms and catches his head between his giant jaws.
Lexander tries to escape the ruthless grip, without success.
In this situation, his shield is useless.

The Lector's head blows up as a ripe fruit between the Wulfen's jaws.
Both collapse in a deadly embrace.

Maegon faints a few steps away, victorious despite the terrible cost....
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord June 01, 2014, 04:48:23 AM
Linked into the ship Azrael sees the flash of the promethium spilled by Rhein's warband igniting through the eyes of its external sensors.  He allows himself a small smile, evidently this new warband were proving their worth.

Activating his vox unit he sends a quick message to Derryck, "The main entrance has been reinforced, expect increased resistance at the secondary entrances."

They are holding back the hordes for the time being, but they need to leave the planet soon or they risk being overwhelmed.  Hopefully Maegon will be able to secure the bring, and quickly.

Almost before he had time to finish that thought a message comes through from the Inquisitor's Savant
+ + Magos Azrael, we are suffering terrible losses, but the deck will be ours soon.
At this time, your immediate assistance will be required to take control of the ship. + +

Thus far Azrael has avoided watching events on the bridge through the internal sensors, as there is little point distracting himself with something he can do nothing to influence.  Now however he gives over some of the control of the turrets to the automated fire control programs and activates the sensors on the bridge, just in time to see the Inquisitor take a trio of shots to the arm, stomach and leg.  His attention is rapidly drawn to the swirling battle between two creatures moving almost faster than even Azrael's enhanced senses can follow.  It is only by the sigils on their armour that Azrael is able to identify the two combatants as the Relictor captain Lexander and the Space Wolf Hrothgar.  The twisted form of Lexander positively oozes corruption and even looking upon it through the cold sterility of the internal sensors leaves a foul taste in Azrael's mouth.  For all that however, it is not entirely surprising.  They knew that Lexander was under the influence of a daemonic presence and Azrael has seen such things before, even if it doesn't get any more pleasant to see one.  The beast that was once Hrothgar however is unexpected.  There was always something a little odd about the Space Wolf, but it had not given any indication of this, or at least not to Azrael.

As Maegon slumped to the floor the movements of the wolf-beast slowed slightly.  Evidently the Inquisitor had been pouring his power into it.  The corrupted Relictor, dark ichor leaking from a dozen wounds, senses it's chance and drives it's sword deep into the chest of the wolf-beast.  The wolf lets out a terrible howl of pain and anger, but with the Relictor's sword embedded in the wolf's chest his defences are down and the wolf takes advantage, grabbing the Relictors arms and clamping it's jaws around his head, before tearing it from his shoulders with an awful sucking, wrenching sound.  The two beasts then collapse heavily to the decking of the bridge.

It was over in less than a minute.  Azrael took a second to survey the scene.  There was carnage everywhere.  All of the Relictors seemed to have been killed, or at least disabled, but most of the attackers were down as well.  Maegon was collapsed on the deck, as was his interrogator, though both seemed to be alive for the moment.  Although Maegon had certainly not intended to damage the equipment on the bridge, nonetheless shattered consoles and stations were strewn across the decking, mixed in with the blood and bodies.

Swiftly resolving on a course of action Azrael contacted Irena in the infirmary, "Irena, gather whatever medical personnel you can and head for the bridge as fast as possible."

Though he did not like what he had to do next, it was their best chance of leaving this rock in one piece.
He activated the link to Rhein, "Adept Rhein, you are required on the bridge immediately, someone will guide you there."

Without waiting for a response Azrael terminated the link and disconnected himself from the ships systems, they would have to rely on the automated fire control programs and the squat technicians for the time being, albeit that he had improved the automated systems.  Taking Sam Azrael then made all haste to the bridge, his tattered Mechanicus robes billowing behind him.

[OOC: Kremiel removed from bridge scene.]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 01, 2014, 10:25:19 AM
OOC: The Dark Angels are not present on the bridge during the assault.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho June 01, 2014, 10:30:10 PM
Maegon faints a few steps away, victorious despite the terrible cost....

The Dark Angels are the firsts to join the deck and discover the dire massacre.
Only two Manticores are still standing, completely dazed.

Kremiel kneels beside the Inquisitor.
He's still alive, but completely broken.
All the energy instilled by the Asea Eranion is gone.

Maegon manage to whisper something before losing consciousness:

"The Relictor's artifacts... Let no one take them."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 01, 2014, 11:07:54 PM
The Dark Angels despatch the two remaining Manticores with brutal efficiency - double-tap bolt round to the vitals. Both men are dead before their mutilated corpses hit the floor.

Other Marines routinely move to make sure all the dead are truly dead - and that any injured soldiers are permanently despatched. Only Maegon and his unconscious interrogator is spared.

Soon thereafter a voice can be heard over the ships inter-vox system: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels. By the will of Inquisitor Maegon of the Holy Orders of the God-Emperor's Inquisition I have been named Watch Captain of the Deathwatch. Furthermore, by the will of the Inquisitor, I take command of this vessel and all those aboard it. Submit and you shall have safe passage, regardless of your pedigree. Resist, and you shall feel the wrath of the Angels of Death."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord June 02, 2014, 06:23:54 AM
Soon thereafter a voice can be heard over the ships inter-vox system: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels. By the will of Inquisitor Maegon of the Holy Orders of the God-Emperor's Inquisition I have been named Watch Captain of the Deathwatch. Furthermore, by the will of the Inquisitor, I take command of this vessel and all those aboard it. Submit and you shall have safe passage, regardless of your pedigree. Resist, and you shall feel the wrath of the Angels of Death."

Azrael rolled his eyes as he stood in the elevator on the way to the bridge, "Excellent, we've successfully replaced one power-mad space marine with another one.  Oh well, at least this one isn't possessed by a daemon."

A thought occurred to him and he quickly connected to Derryck, "Once we have left Cadia and the situation has calmed down somewhat, see if you can find out any more about this prisoner the Dark Angels are holding.  I feel we may need additional leverage."

Then he activated the door to the bridge and stepped through into the scene of carnage as Kremiel was stooped studying the corpses of Lexander and Hrothgar.  Though he hadn't done an exhaustive count Azrael was quite certain that there were a couple more corpses than there had been earlier, it would seem the Dark Angel had decided to dispose of witnesses.

"A fine sentiment Sergeant," Azrael said, keeping his voice neutral and suppressing the contempt he felt.  The hem of his robes trailed through a pool of blood as he strode across the bridge toward the Dark Angel.
"Unfortunately, without me no-one is going anywhere," he continued, sweeping his hand across the chaos of the bridge, taking in the shattered control systems.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 02, 2014, 01:40:25 PM
Kremiel: "Magos. As you can see the Inquisitor's men made quite a mess of the bridge." He indicates the damage done, particularly by the servitor's autocannon, to the bridge controls. "See what you can make of it. Also, these must be incinerated." He indicates the corpses of the dead, one of which have been covered by a polymer sheet, partially concealing the monster underneath. "There was...a warp-related incident during the fighting...we were forced to offer the Emperor's peace to the survivors of the fight. Only the Inquisitor and his interrogator remain. So make sure this is done discretely. I'd rather not have to purge the ship's complement any further."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 02, 2014, 01:42:33 PM
Soon thereafter a voice can be heard over the ships inter-vox system: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels. By the will of Inquisitor Maegon of the Holy Orders of the God-Emperor's Inquisition I have been named Watch Captain of the Deathwatch. Furthermore, by the will of the Inquisitor, I take command of this vessel and all those aboard it. Submit and you shall have safe passage, regardless of your pedigree. Resist, and you shall feel the wrath of the Angels of Death."

A thought occurred to him and he quickly connected to Derryck, "Once we have left Cadia and the situation has calmed down somewhat, see if you can find out any more about this prisoner the Dark Angels are holding.  I feel we may need additional leverage."


"I will. I've never heard of Astartes taking otehr Astartes prisoners. It is always victory or death with those types."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 02, 2014, 01:47:05 PM
Elsewhere on the ship:

The squats have managed to regain control over the enginarium, killing the Relictor scouts guarding it in the process. The enginarium seems relatively intact.

The second half-squad of Relictor scouts are unaccounted for: A massive explosion rips through the ship's guts as the contents of the armory explodes. Only the hardened natural of the armory-vault saves the ship from total annihilation. No trace of the scouts can be found; they may have fled into the bowels of the vessel.

: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord June 03, 2014, 07:19:37 AM
Kremiel: "Magos. As you can see the Inquisitor's men made quite a mess of the bridge." He indicates the damage done, particularly by the servitor's autocannon, to the bridge controls. "See what you can make of it. Also, these must be incinerated." He indicates the corpses of the dead, one of which have been covered by a polymer sheet, partially concealing the monster underneath. "There was...a warp-related incident during the fighting...we were forced to offer the Emperor's peace to the survivors of the fight. Only the Inquisitor and his interrogator remain. So make sure this is done discretely. I'd rather not have to purge the ship's complement any further."

Well, at least he doesn't try and hide his actions, mused Azrael.  Fine, I'll play along for now.

"Once we have taken off you can eject the bodies into the plasma drive exhaust, that should serve to destroy any corruption.  I have medical personnel on the way to tend to..."

He was just about to continue when the floor shook beneath them from what was evidently a massive explosion somewhere below them.

Azrael growled angrily, "I had barely finishing repairing this damned ship, why is everyone determined to blow it up again before we even get off this bloody planet!"

Turning back to the Dark Angel, he started again, through gritted teeth, "As I was saying I have medical personnel on the way to tend to the Inquisitor and his Interrogator.  If you would secure the corpses I will see what can be salvaged."

Another pair of Dark Angels arrived to assist with the corpses.  The marines swiftly cleared the corpses of the Relictors and the Inquisitorial agents to the sides of the bridge, while moving Lexander and Hrothgar to the rear.

Once the bridge had been cleared as much as it could be Kremiel ordered his newly promoted Sergeant, Nodai, to  take Tephon and Rodias and ensure move the corpses of Lexander and Hrothgar to the rear of the ship, and guard them until they could be disposed of.  Though it was probably not necessary, as Nodai turned to follow the other two off the bridge Azrael added, with genuine weariness in his tone, "If you could find whoever caused that blast before they destroy the ship it would make things easier."

Kremiel nodded, "I have already sent instructions to the rest of my men to that effect."

Nodai, Tephon and Rodias headed off to ensure the warp-tainted bodies were secured until they could be thrown into the superheated plasma, while Gamon departs in a different direction with a shield and what looks like an odd crystal orb.  Azrael hadn't noticed either object before, the Dark Angels must have placed them out of sight before he arrived.  Much as he would like to know what they are, he rather suspects that Kremiel is unlikely to tell him, so he puts it out of his mind for now.

Kremiel and the remaining two Dark Angels remain on the bridge, with Zeriah and Asteus taking up guard positions on either side of the doorway.

Shortly after the Dark Angels had left Irena arrived with several assistants.  Azrael motioned them over to where Maegon and Nemus lay.  He had tied a makeshift tourniquet around Nemus's severed leg and had begun disassembling Maegon's armour.  Power armour contained many systems to assist in tending wounds and keeping its occupant alive.  Maegon's had tried to help, but it was too badly damaged to be that much use, and it would be easier for Irena to stabilise him and get him to the infirmary without it.  The Inquisitor was unbelievably frail without his armour, and manoeuvring him onto the stretcher was easy.  Fortunately both the Inquisitor and the Interrogator looked like they should survive.  Nemus had lost a lot of blood, but he was still breathing and now that they had staunched the flow would hold on long enough to reach the infirmary.  The Inquisitor's stomach wound was serious, and there was no way of telling here exactly what internal damage it had caused, but stomach wounds were always a slow wound, even if they were unpleasant.

With Maegon and Nemus stabilised Irena's assistants lifted up the stretchers and carried them out of the bridge.  Kremiel assigned Asteus to guard the two patients, Azrael wasn't entirely happy about that, but he couldn't really complain.  He briefly stepped off the bridge himself to have a quiet word with Irena about the drug Maegon had used.  Although his own knowledge of it was not as extensive as he would have liked, Kremiel seemed to be entirely unaware of it's provenance, and given the Dark Angel's earlier executions he wanted to keep it that way.  In any case, whatever else happened it was imperative to make sure Nemus was awake and lucid as soon as possible.

Azrael remained outside the bridge for a moment watching Irena catch up with the stretchers of the Inquisitor and Interrogator.  He was just about to turn and head back in when Rhein approached from a different direction.

[OOC: Adjusted to take into account LordPyscho's suggestion that the Dark Angels really wouldn't leave the bridge unguarded.]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein June 03, 2014, 06:26:15 PM
The fierce battle outside had quickly turned into a stalemate. While the first waves were utterly shattered crossing the open ground to the voidship (and many of the riffraff trying to rush into the defenders ranks still shared this fate) the more experienced of the attackers utilisied the natural cover the battle was constantly providing: the droves of the dead and half-dead as well as the craters made from the constant ordnance.

"Adept Rhein, you are required on the bridge immediately, someone will guide you there."

Rhein was far from pleased when his call came in. Who was he? They had made the deal that he and his warmachines would secure the main hatch. He was no gopher for no Magos. And especially no Adept to no Magos. He wouldn't bow to no Omnissiah-worshipping lunatic. There was a battle raging on and such he decided that such a scarce order would have been overheared.

A couple of minutes later he changed his mind. The fight outside was getting fiercer and fiercer and, what bothered Rhein the most, it was coming closer.  The first grenades had been exchanged and some of Hrothgars troops already had contact. Especially the flamethrowers of the Carbideblest were keeping enemies away from them, but the dead Wulfens troops weren't that lucky. He wasn't too fond of getting entangled in close combat warfare and the Salamander had already intercepted some small calibre rounds. When a massive tremble was rocking through the ship behind him, he got convinced to leave the battleground and investigate.

"Angelica! The command is yours. Listen to Norr and ZRN and don't lose my men. You know how to reach me. Chief-Assembler: Hasten up. I want a smoothe embarkation if the situation calls for it."

Soon after Rhein and his small group arrived before the Bridge: Rhein was accompanied by impressive legionaires in spiked and edged, well-maintained flak/plate armor (giving the impression of carapace armour), herding one of his archo-flagellant like drugged creations around. He was aiming to make a dangerous impression, albeit far from friendly. Most probably it was luck, too, that he didn't run into the Dark Angels. And he was blissfully unaware of the "Inquisions" command of the ship.

"Magos Azrael.." Rhein smirked when he arrived before the bridge, putting an emphasis on his rank.

"My gratitude is far from servitude. Do not order me around. Let us come to an equal footing: Neither am I your subordinate, nor am I an Adept of your Cult Mechanicus. I have to ask you to refrain from calling me like that."

With a gesture he motioned his escort to stay at the doors (and keep watch), while he walked over to Azrael, keenly eying him.

"What is it that you are going to ask from me?"

[OOC: Obviously, if the Dark Angels remain on the bridge, some edits are needed

---Erased a part, should work now--]
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord June 04, 2014, 01:45:43 AM
[OOC: Now edited in line with the other changes]

"My gratitude is far from servitude. Do not order me around. Let us come to an equal footing: Neither am I your subordinate, nor am I an Adept of your Cult Mechanicus. I have to ask you to refrain from calling me like that."

"What is it that you are going to ask from me?"

Azrael regarded Rhein and the group with him coolly.  The ends of his mechadendrites were covered in blood and oil both from working to stabilise the Inquisitor and Interrogator, and from the omnipresent gore that covered most of the equipment in the bridge.  One of them dripped quietly.

So this was the one who had contacted him earlier.  Judging by the appearance of his followers armour he believed in dressing for intimidation.  Azrael could appreciate that, while he would probably not have not anything about his bloody mechadendrites in any case he was quite aware of how it would look and did nothing to dispel the impression.  Unfortunately for him, particularly after everything that had happened recently, Azrael didn't feel very intimidated, in fact if people had once called him a heretic based on appearances, that applied to this group far more so.  What Azrael took greater note of was the arco-flagellant like creature.  He found such things rather distasteful, but it was clearly a work of some skill, and that was promising for Rhein's usefulness, even if he did have a bad attitude.

Adopting a neutral tone to match his impassive expression, Azrael responded to the newcomer.

"Very well Rhein.  However, given your knowledge of Mechanicus communication protocols and evident expertise," Azrael waved a hand at the creature, "it is hardly surprising I would assume that you were an Adept of the Mechanicus."

"Who you are, and what your affiliations are, is of no real concern to me," he paused, and then raised an eyebrow at Rhein's followers, "though I'm afraid you may find that our allies the Dark Angels have a rather less magnanimous outlook."

Considerably less, if their execution of the last of those who witnessed the battle on the bridge is anything to go by, Azrael added to himself.

Azrael watched the smirk leave Rhein's face at that.  At least the damned marines can be useful for something.

"As you will see in a moment," Azrael gestured around the bridge, "we had something of a... situation... up here, hence the shortness of my earlier message, and as we have a somewhat limited window to get off this godsforsaken rock, someone else with technical expertise would be useful."

"Of course, you are welcome to take your chances with the hordes outside and the exploding hive if you would prefer," he added, in the same intentionally neutral tone he had been using throughout.

Azrael saw Rhein's eyes widen slightly at that.  "Oh yes, you probably wouldn't be aware.  "We aren't sure exactly how long we have, but we have good reason to believe that the hive is going to detonate rather spectacularly in the very near future."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho June 04, 2014, 03:53:32 PM
Soon thereafter a voice can be heard over the ships inter-vox system: "This is Sergeant Kremiel of the Dark Angels. By the will of Inquisitor Maegon of the Holy Orders of the God-Emperor's Inquisition I have been named Watch Captain of the Deathwatch. Furthermore, by the will of the Inquisitor, I take command of this vessel and all those aboard it. Submit and you shall have safe passage, regardless of your pedigree. Resist, and you shall feel the wrath of the Angels of Death."

"Nodaï ?"

"Yes, Ser... I mean, Captain ?"

"You are the new Sergeant."

The Dark Angels examine the deck equipments, damaged by the recent battle.
Adepts of the Mechanicum will be needed to make the necessary reparations.
Fortunately, Magos Azrael should be on the way.

Meanwhile, Kremiel and his men examine the Relictor's bodies, who fell around the control panels.

"Nodaï, look at this one."

"Looks like a Librarian. And this jewel incrusted in his armor..."

"Remove it. You heard the last words of the Inquisitor."

Nodaï draws a chainknife and begin cutting the power armor around the artifact, knowing instinctively that he has better not to attack the Orb directly.

Gamon and Zeriah return the massive body of that was once Hrothgar.
Below is Lexander's shield, detached from the arm of its bearer.

Kremiel has no time to examine the shield with greater care, as Azrael enter the bridge.

Azrael activated the door to the bridge and stepped through into the scene of carnage as Kremiel was stooped studying the corpses of Lexander and Hrothgar.  Though he hadn't done an exhaustive count Azrael was quite certain that there were a couple more corpses than there had been earlier, it would seem the Dark Angel had decided to dispose of witnesses.

"A fine sentiment Sergeant," Azrael said, keeping his voice neutral and suppressing the contempt he felt.  The hem of his robes trailed through a pool of blood as he strode across the bridge toward the Dark Angel.
"Unfortunately, without me no-one is going anywhere," he continued, sweeping his hand across the chaos of the bridge, taking in the shattered control systems.

Kremiel: "Magos. As you can see the Inquisitor's men made quite a mess of the bridge." He indicates the damage done, particularly by the servitor's autocannon, to the bridge controls. "See what you can make of it. Also, these must be incinerated." He indicates the corpses of the dead, one of which have been covered by a polymer sheet, partially concealing the monster underneath. "There was...a warp-related incident during the fighting...we were forced to offer the Emperor's peace to the survivors of the fight. Only the Inquisitor and his interrogator remain. So make sure this is done discretely. I'd rather not have to purge the ship's complement any further."

Well, at least he doesn't try and hide his actions, mused Azrael.  Fine, I'll play along for now.

"Once we have taken off you can eject the bodies into the plasma drive exhaust, that should serve to destroy any corruption.  I have medical personnel on the way to tend to..."

He was just about to continue when the floor shook beneath them from what was evidently a massive explosion somewhere below them.

Azrael growled angrily, "I had barely finishing repairing this damned ship, why is everyone determined to blow it up again before we even get off this bloody planet!"

Turning back to the Dark Angel, he started again, through gritted teeth, "As I was saying I have medical personnel on the way to tend to the Inquisitor and his Interrogator.  If you would secure the corpses I will see what can be salvaged."

"Thank you for your assistance."

Then he turns toward the four other Dark Angels.

"Brothers, please make some space for the Magos."

"Yes, Captain."

The superhuman strength of the Space Marines allow them to move the bodies with a speed inaccessible to humans.

Another pair of Dark Angels arrived to assist Kremiel with the corpses of Lexander and Hrothgar.

Quickly, they liberate space around the control consoles for Azrael's convenience.

The Relictor's bodies are aligned along the left wall, while the dead inquisitorial agents are aligned along the right wall of the bridge.

Azrael can note that the Dark Angels seem reluctant to touch Hrothgar's twisted body... and that Lexander's headless body has been placed with another Relictor at the rearmost extremity of the bridge, opposite the door, partly hidden behind a control block.

He also note the names of the different Dark Angels.
"Captain" Kremiel, "Sergeant" Nodaï, Gamon, Zeriah, Asteus, Tephon, Rodias.

Did the Inquisitor really named Kremiel Watch Captain of the Deathwatch and Ship Commander ?

Anyway, the arrogant Space Marine does not seem ready to leave the bridge.

Instead, he sends his newly appointed Sergeant and two other battle brothers to do the dirty job.

Nodaï nodded and headed off to ensure the warp-tainted bodies were secured until they could be thrown into the superheated plasma.

Shortly after the Dark Angels had left Irena arrived with several assistants.  Azrael motioned them over to where Maegon and Nemus lay.  He had tied a makeshift tourniquet around Nemus's severed leg and had begun disassembling Maegon's armour.  Power armour contained many systems to assist in tending wounds and keeping its occupant alive.  Maegon's had tried to help, but it was too badly damaged to be that much use, and it would be easier for Irena to stabilise him and get him to the infirmary without it.  The Inquisitor was unbelievably frail without his armour, and manoeuvring him onto the stretcher was easy.

Once during the operations, Kremiel approaches to see Azrael at work, without saying a word, then returns near Lexander's body.

Fortunately both the Inquisitor and the Interrogator looked like they should survive.  Nemus had lost a lot of blood, but he was still breathing and now that they had staunched the flow would hold on long enough to reach the infirmary.  The Inquisitor's stomach wound was serious, and there was no way of telling here exactly what internal damage it had caused, but stomach wounds were always a slow wound, even if they were unpleasant.

As they worked Azrael filled Irena in on what he knew of the drug that Maegon had used (though that was not much), and that whatever else happened it was imperative to make sure that Nemus was awake and lucid as soon as possible.

That crisis dealt with for now, and Irena heading back to the infirmary with her two new patients, Azrael turned back to the bridge equipment, painfully aware of how much time they had lost already.  Hopefully Rhein would get here shortly and prove to be of some use.

As Irena prepares to leave the bridge with Maegon and Nemus, Kremiel asked one of his men to watch over the Inquisitor.

"Asteus, you will remain with the Inquisitor to protect him. Impossible to know who's still lurking in the corridors of this ship."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 04, 2014, 08:05:28 PM
Kremiel orders a battle squad of five formed to search down and destroy any 'rogue elements' this aboard the ship. Specifically this means the unaccounted for Relictor scouts - plus any Relictors still in the apotecharium.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho June 11, 2014, 10:27:44 PM
On the bridge

While Azrael and Rhein are speaking outside, and tech-adepts are repairing the damages of the recent battle, Kremiel examines the bodies of Lexander and Adorus... and their tainted artifacts.

Nodaï extracted the part of the Librarian's armor including the orb, a fist-sized dark and sickly crimson sphere from which emanates a sense of lurking evil perceptible even to the untrained mind.

And the huge shield...
A tearful eye is watching Captain Kremiel from the center of the shield, as if through a crimson mist.
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B June 17, 2014, 12:21:36 PM
The remnants of Lexander's group still pose a challenge, as does the presence of the Tenebrous Cabal in the depths of the ship. The Dark Angels are hunting the former. The latter are a big unknown.

The bulk of Hrothgar's warband has been crushed. They are no longer a factor, unless some of the warlords wish to recruit from their remnants.

Rhein's band has successfully navigated the battlefield with only light casualties and are now boarding the Sensibilious. Other (mostly smaller) groups have also made it aboard during the chaos, but none pose a major challenge (and can become a source of followers).

It is time to get the ship off the ground...
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Dragon Lord June 20, 2014, 06:10:53 AM
Azrael turned back to the doors of the bridge.

"If you will follow me, I will show you the extent of the damage and introduce you to our new Captain."

If Rhein was listening carefully he might have noted just a hint of sarcasm when he said the word Captain.

"You may want to ask your followers to remain out here."

With that he keyed the doors to open and stepped through.  As he did so Kremiel looked up at the sound.  After he had walked forward a few steps, Azrael stopped by the Dark Angel.

"Rhein, allow me to introduce you to Watch-Captain Kremiel of the Dark Angels.  Kremiel, this is Rhein, a tech-adept who recently arrived.  His warband is assisting in holding the main entrance, and I am hoping he will be able to assist me with the repairs to the bridge."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: LordPsycho June 26, 2014, 02:01:23 PM
Azrael turned back to the doors of the bridge.

"If you will follow me, I will show you the extent of the damage and introduce you to our new Captain."

If Rhein was listening carefully he might have noted just a hint of sarcasm when he said the word Captain.

"You may want to ask your followers to remain out here."

With that he keyed the doors to open and stepped through.

As he did so Kremiel looked up at the sound.

Captain Kremiel is interrupted in his contemplation and raises the head.
Azrael just returned, accompanied by another persona.

The Space Marine takes a quick look back on the eye, but the latter disappeared, leaving him with a strange sensation, as if waking from a dream.

He sighs and walks slowly toward Azrael and the other man.

After he had walked forward a few steps, Azrael stopped by the Dark Angel.

"Rhein, allow me to introduce you to Watch-Captain Kremiel of the Dark Angels.  Kremiel, this is Rhein, a tech-adept who recently arrived.  His warband is assisting in holding the main entrance, and I am hoping he will be able to assist me with the repairs to the bridge."

"This one does not looks like a tech-adept." thinks Kremiel.

"Glad to meet you, Rhein. No cybernetics, no red robes ?...

His cold eyes behold Azrael, then return to Rhein.

"Anyway, please do your best together to ensure that the ship can leave this doomed planet as soon as possible."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: Rhein July 08, 2014, 11:42:11 PM
After the dust had settled outside and an eery silence washed over the fields of bodies (except for the occasional agonized screams of the deceasing) the Carbideblest turned on what remained of the formerly big warband of the wulfen. They were not to take chances with this rabble, especially with what remained of his bodyguard openly swearing at the Carbideblest cowardice who obviously used them as their meatshield, themselves only taking a (literally) couple of fatalities. It was a quick, unexpected death - their remains were mopped up while they were yet trying to reorganize, just getting out of their cover, tending to their wounded. They would have had a severe lack of confidence into those that would easily betray Hrothgars warband and their comrades just to join the Carbideblest Newborn - and letting them live to spread word or grow to strength again was out of question.

Rhein gave his warband a call to use some other recruiting methods after his small chat with the Astartes - if one thing was for sure, then, it was that they trusted each other as far as they could throw a dreadnought. Which wasn't too far, speaking for Rhein.

"That is probably why I am still alive, Captain. A carapace armor has some considerable advantages compared to a red robe. Shouldn't you know better to judge a book by his cover, but I guess I am not the one to judge you either. Huh. I admit I did not expect an Astartes out here. Less a full squad of Dark Angels - you wouldn't be full of surprises, too, would you?"

One would guess the fact that the Dark Angel did not outright shoot him for this tease was a good sign. There again, what Rhein could grant the captain instead of judging him was solid help of getting this ship of Cadia faster.. and some personel that could probably help operate the bridge, after the battle would have subsided. He on the otherwise was awarded with the Dark Angels protection for as long as his warband was on this ship. Still, even while their small chat included some smirks, teasing and pleasentries it was clear to both of them that their timely alliance was born out of necessity, not out of trust.

Following Rheins instructions, the Carbideblest began to dismantle armour parts from their warmachines as well as store them in the hall behind the main entrance and send some backup in form of ex-techpriest Trueborn that could prove to be a boon in repairing the ships bridge. Inclusive bodyguards. In the meanwhile the rest of them split up to set up camp in the main floor and make it more defensible and suitable to their needs.. and to loot the battlefield of everything remotely useable and grant the dying the mercy of a quick end. Angelica on the other hand, on Rheins personal orders stalked the battleground for potential recruits to bolster their ranks: individuals that could prove to be a worthwile addition to the Newborn. She found quiet a couple of crippled and mortaly wounded that had shown some courage and skill in the slaughter and, after apologizing in the name of the Carbideblest, offered them the possibility to live a new life under their banner in exchange for medical treatment and bionical replacements, now that their old life has come to an end. It was misfortune that they ended up on the opposing front and thus had to meet their ultimate end, but a select few of those that fought so hard for their survival would thus be given another chance to perform better - and to join ranks with much more advisable company.

Whilst a few of them insisted on harboring something you could call a negative attitude towards her and thus signed their death sentence (quiet knowingly, you could guess), most of those individuals she had noticed in the past slaughter were too canny to reject this offer. Now flooded with injured (and comatose), the Newborns infantry would still grow quiet effectively as soon as these battleproof veterans were able to get properly integrated into their Legionares after their treatment and rehabilitation. Should everything work out as planned, the abundance of time while travelling through space would work for them.


Meanwhile tech-adepts of the Trueborn had reached the bridge and a task schedule had been set up. Chief-Assembler Norr had been sent to the battlefield to harvest some living, organic replacement parts for the damages (and fatalities) of the servitor crew, following the instructions of 'Magos' Azrael. The Trueborns had mostly been assigned to superficial and more crude damages, since their battle armament misfortunately made it impossible to conduct more delicate repairs, leaving them to Azrael and Rhein.

"I must admit", the latter canted smirking, "the pace and fineness of your damage analysis of servitor units CGU-197X and CGF-524H was quiet a joy. It has been a while to work with a.. superior mind."
: Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
: DM B July 27, 2014, 12:20:10 PM
Time to move: You've had the chance for some fighting and interaction. Now the ship will take off, commanded by the newly self-promoted Watch-Captain who's claiming to be acting on the Inquisitor's behalf...

You can of course continue to bicker, plot and explore once the ship is off the ground!

---

The ship has been repaired to the best of Azrael's (considerable) abilities. Moreover the vessel has been pried loose from the ruins of the outpost city, and made ready to take off (not as advanced, but requiring lots of labour). The various warbands have taken their places on board, met violent ends, or simply been left to rot on the carnage fields around the vessel. When the ship finally clears the ground there are a lot of prayers offered to a great variety of gods, saints, and daemons in thanks...

None too soon I might add: As the ship starts to lumber up and away there is a tremendous explosion in the heart of Kasr Hemshin, like a thousand nuclear fires has been lit at the same time. The voidship's shields and hull protects it from the worst of the radiation, the heat pulse, and the force of the blast, but still you are buffered and thrown about. Next there is a sickening feeling of falling, as the explosion suddenly becomes an implosion, sucking everything back in towards the centre. All on board fear you will be consumed, but the moment of dangers passes - the ship, and Azrael's repairs, have held. The Sensibilious soars upwards on roaring pillars of plasma, unconstrained by the limitations of gravity.

Below you the shattered remnants of the once-mighty hive are sucked down into gaping maw of darkness, deep inside the planet's crust. Massive fault lines rip through the lands around the hive, whipping up gargantuan tsunamis, and creating devastating earthquakes. To add a final insult to injury, the very atmosphere around Hemshin catches fire, incinerating everything for hundreds of kilometres.

What could have caused such tremendous damage? A cyclonic warhead perhaps?