Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis hated fighting animals. It was only natural, since he had learned to kill man, not beast, and this was part of why. They didn't possess much in the way of tactics past ambushing or charging. Thus, they could not be made to act in certain manners.

And they got up close. Something that he despised.


Regardless, the assassin felt that it put itself in a position for a better shot, at least...one-handing his rifle, the Voidborn drew and cocked his Stormchild, pointing it at the anomaly that so foolishly decided to attack him...

...and pulled the trigger.



...if nothing else, maybe the noise would make those fucking annoying birds go away and shut up.

[Jak Snide]

The acolytes swarmed the beast, hacking, bashing and shooting at it. Numerous small wounds were inflicted, and the deafening discharge of Crisis' hand cannon punched straight through the thing, but it refused to fall, raking at Crisis in a frenzy as the assassin felt the barb pushing deeper into his flesh. His cloak shielded him from the worst of it, but he could feel himself bleeding from multiple small wounds. Then the thing jerked it's head and flicked him into the air, it's tongue unravelling as he took flight. Momentary panic seized him as one of his weapons lipped out of his hand before his training kicked. He rotated mid-air to land on his feet, shaken but alive.

(Everyone piles in, and while a good deal of damage is done the thing won't die. Crisis, meanwhile, takes 7 damage, though a quick fate point spend bumps that down to 4. He's then flung 4 meters away, though thanks to a passed Acrobatics check he lands without breaking anything. He has, however, dropped one of his guns in the square he was in. You'll get to choose which, Doug. Oh, and Mithras? Check your PMs.)

[Capntastic]

Mik's current philosophy closely mirrored Cryvus's; only instead of coherent light, it was a length of steel wrapped in barbed wire that he would be feeding the beast until it exploded.

(~!ALL OUT ATTACK!~)

[Christian]

Mithras shrieked in terror suddenly and violently, taking an involuntary step back. What was this thing?

He was gripped then with an urge so strong he felt as if the will of the emperor flowed through him. Without another word, he juggled the axe over into his left hand and drew his laspistol from its holster, taking aim not at the creature, but at the birds circling them above.

"In the name of the Emperor, begone!" He screeched, his voice broken with sudden and absolute fear. His eyes were wide open, sweat trickled down his face and his mouth hung agape.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis, on the other hand, took several steps forward after his miraculous mid-air recovery...before dashing closer to the beast again, surprising, after he had nearly been eviscerated by it...

...only to begin pointing his rifle at it, aiming the gun with both hands...

[Move to F16, aim]

[Kelne]

Cryvus, by contrast, took a couple of steps back, proclaiming, "Kill it with fire!" and shooting at the beast once more.

[Jak Snide]

Mikolas slammed his bludgeon into the thing's head as Lamark narrowly missed a leg with a swing of his staff. Cryvus stepped back and shot the beast again, though to no apparent effect. Crisis scurried to his left and took aim, waiting for an opening. Mithras, meanwhile, screamed at the skies and fired, the birds above ceasing their cawing and scattering.

The beast lunged forward, bowling Mikolas over and raked at his face with it's many clawed paws. He tried to shield his face with his arms, but they were knocked aside as a swipe cut a bloody trail across his features. Screaming, Xerxes lashed out with his maul and shoulder-charged the creature, knocking it off of Mikolas.

(Map updated. Mikolas took 4 damage to the face, his helmet and armoured arms preventing him from being truly savaged. He's also prone, though the beast isn't on top of him any more. He should also check his PMs.)

[Christian]

Mithras was not... feeling too well right now, but as the birds scattered he seemed somewhat... content with this result, returning his attention once more to the beast they were fighting.

"Why won't you die!" His voice was still trembling, but the unmistakable fury of a man pushed too far (something easily done to this poor, nerve-wrecked guardsman) was similarly clear. He aimed his laspistol at the beast and fired, eyes rolling in their sockets.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis' brow twitched in annoyance beneath the gas mask. How could his squadmates have this much difficulty in putting down an ANIMAL? A -COMMON- ANIMAL? This latest sign of incompetence was yet another reason for him to finish this damnable beast off as soon as possible, and get on with the mission so that he can recreate the mental illusion that his squadmates possess some semblance of competence in a battle.

Some trust solely in the Emperor or the Omnissiah. Crisis trusted in his gun, waiting for the right moment to put this damned beast to death, for help would not be granted unless he would first help himself through a situation. Blind faith is synonymous with suicide.


True miracles are worked when man tries something first.

[Finish aiming at the beast, and then fire. Putting a FP on standby in case the shot accidentally hits an ally or the gun jams]

[Capntastic]

Mik roared, climbing to his feet. He snarled, blood sreaming down his face. And then he brought his bat down again, sneering through the pain.

(Stand, Standard attack)

[Jak Snide]

Mikolas rose from the ground, spitting blood from his mouth, and brought his weapon up into the maw of the beast. It staggered, giving chance for Lamark to knock it off balance with a staff blow to a leg, the man bellowing a battle cry. It swayed, momentarily still enough for everyone to get an eyeful of it's true nature. A shot rang out a moment later, punching clean through the six-legged creature and sending it sprawling, much to Crisis' relief. Mithras shot it in the head all the same, just to make sure it would stay dead.

The creature was feline, six legged and covered in dirty brown fur. A barbed tongue hung from it's mouth, blood spattered and motionless. It was covered in wounds, and not just those they had inflicted upon it. Most were old and suppurating lacerations, but most noticeable were it's eyes, or rather a lack of them. The sockets where two orbs should have been were empty and filled with pus.

A brief cawing overhead heralded the departure of the birds, the flock splitting and scattering. The wind died down, the peculiar smell disappearing with it, leaving the acolytes staring at the corpse of something which looked long dead.

[Capntastic]

Using his sleeves to wipe the blood from his face, he grumbled just loud enough to let those around him know how he felt, but not loud enough for any of his particularly crude intonations to get through.

Trying to staunch the wound's flow with a bit of rag he had in his pocket, he worked on making sense of the beast. Circling it, giving it a kick here or there, scowling.

"I figure this thing ain't a proper creature ya'd see creepin' about, eh?"

[Jak Snide]

Lamark shook his head, one hand closed around the aquila pendant he wore on his neck.

"It's a hexalid. A highland predator. Uncommon, but not unusual in itself. But no. This is no "proper creature"."

[Christian]

Mithras was standing some bit away from the creature, trying to calm down his breathing and bring his mind back from the little corner of nervous terror he'd fallen into.

When finally he collected himself even to walk again in a fairly normal gait, he walked up to the creature. It was exactly as he'd seen it, and still ashen-faced he looked up to Lamark.

"I don't think these predators are so fierce that they get up walking even when they've been killed?"

[Jak Snide]

Lamark shook his head without a word, still staring at the body of the beast.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis shook his head, staring at the corpse of what used to be some massive beast, face contorted in anger beneath the gas mask. He knew that this was the same. That there was a parallel between this and what happened on the way there. There was no mistaking it.

The assassin quickly walked over to where his hand cannon was dropped, rechambered a single round, reholstered it, and then reslung both it and his rifle, grimacing in pain as he moved, despite trying to hide it the best he could. He knew this required medical attention once the mission ended...but the immediate situation was more pressing indeed.

Pulling out his writing tools, he scribbled furiously, before showing the note to Lamark, and anyone who wished to read it;

'After rapid comparisons, I have no reason to doubt that this creature is nigh-identical to the anomalies we have seen and eliminated upon the Brazen Sky, aside from the original body. As such, I have no reason to believe that the corpse was...corrupted...in the same manner. As such, I can conclude that this is clearly the work of forces that should not be, or as the briefing called it, "warp phenomena." As such, I can conclude that there are indeed forces, unholy forces, that have taken root somewhere in the area. I hereby recommend a state of heightened vigilance and quickened activity for all from this point on until the mission has been completed.'

If he would speak, Crisis would have been cursing under his breath about how much pain his injuries from that damnable creature are causing him. As it stands, however, he merely unslung his rifle once again and recocked it, waiting for the others to move out...

[Jak Snide]

Xerxes read Crisis' note and spat on the ground.

"You reckon there's a witch in these here hills, boy?"

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis shook his head, reslung his rifle, and took out his kit, continuing to write: 'Not necessarily a witch, though that is one possibility. All I can identify is that there are unholy powers at work; not the source thereof.'

It was frustrating working with such little to deduce anything by. And jumping to conclusions would prove to a less than satisfactory end. He kept the pad out, just in case people tried to ask him more questions about his initial statement assessing the situation.

[Kelne]

"There are no accidents," Cryvus said, glaring after the retreating crows, "We are watched, expected and stalked by worse than mere witches."

[Christian]

Mithras looked between his comrades and then at the crows. He hated those creatures...

"Witch or no witch..." he took up his rifle and slung it over his shoulder. "this, if anything, is proof that we're getting close to the source of all of this..." he wiped his brow, "or, at least, something important to it."

[Jak Snide]

Lamark broke his silence as Mithras stowed his weapon.

"Perhaps we'll find something up here, then. And if it's expecting us, well, that won't spare it the misery it's due." he said gruffly.

(Lamark will continue lead the acolytes into the hills, searching for any additional signs and clues. Unless, of course, someone else has another idea. I'll move things along tomorrow in either case.)

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis re-stowed his writing gear, and once again took his rifle out. If ANYTHING, he did not want to be caught at close range like that again, feeling he wouldn't be able to stand another attack like the last...

[Jak Snide]

The group moved on, Lamark in the lead as before, though many now carried weapons in their hands, their eyes scanning the terrain for more than anomalies now. It was a few hours before they noted anything awry, though it was not what they had expected. Mithras noticed it first, glancing around to take stock of condition of his allies. Mikolas was striding along firmly, Crisis keeping a few meters between them now and deftly navigating the rocky terrain as Xerxes struggled along. Cryvus was-

Where was Cryvus?

The other's noted the guardsman's shock and the old man's absence moments afterwards. It was Mikolas who spotted him first, the gaunt figure standing a few hundred meters behind them and off their path, staring at his feet. A lone bird circled overhead.

Cryvus:

Spoiler:

The sound of beating wings above you brings you around. You're not entirely sure what happened. The last thing you remember is following the others, but now you find yourself staring at a familiar symbol, burnt into the ground. Another pictograph of a bird grasping a skull in it's talons, the same one he'd seen atop the outcrop before they'd reached Stern Hope. This time you notice cracks in the skull, as if the bird's talons were slowly crushing it. The wind picks up suddenly, carrying a sickly sweet smell as it batters your body and knocks you to the ground.

They all saw Cryvus topple, punched off his feet by some invisible force.

[Christian]

Throne-damned birds! Carrion-feasting doom-prophets! He unholstered his laspistol and fired a shot towards the bird whilst moving towards the fallen old man.

"Cryvus!" he yelled, eyes darting around to see whether there was a sniper hiding somewhere, looking for reflections, unnaturally colored areas, anything.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis crouched down to avoid a similar fate--or to avoid being knocked as far, and quickly looked around, rifle in hand, for anything that may be a threat--through the scope if need be.

'...and will that damned Guardsman stop doing that shit? He'll give away our position! The last thing needed is to be found so readily by any potential enemies...', Crisis thought...

[Capntastic]

Mik was somewhat alarmed at the sudden attack. Bounding towards his fallen comrade, he clutched his laspistol in his fist and made to help him up.

[Jak Snide]

Mithras' shot flashed through the air, a foot wide of the bird. It was enough to send the animal flapping away, cawing noisily as it did. The guardsman and Mikolas dashed over to Cryvus as Crisis crouched and scanned the area for threats. The wiry man didn't spot anything - either their assailant was very well concealed or was not something a man could see. Xerxes unslung his shotgun and crouched low, Lamark doing the same after he was alerted by the las-shot.

The two runners reached Cryvus as he began to gasp, rolling onto his side and catching his breath. The extent of his injuries appeared to be a bad winding, the air having been punched from his lungs when he hit the ground. Then they both saw what he had a moment earlier, burnt onto the rock their comrade had been standing over.

The symbol was familiar. Another pictograph of a bird grasping a skull in it's talons, the same one they had seen atop the outcrop before they'd reached Stern Hope. They both noticed a new detail; cracks in the skull, as if the bird's talons were slowly crushing it.

[Kelne]

Cryvus hauled himself up, wild-eyed.

"The chains torn asunder,
"The daemon unbound,
"A world full of playthings,
"The light gather round."

Not a reassuring pronouncement, really.

[Jak Snide]

Crisis and those with him saw the old man haul himself to his feet a few moments after the others reached him, leaning on his staff for support as he said something to them.

Mithras, Mikolas:

Spoiler:

The wind lashes out at you, the sudden change in it's strength threatening to punch you off your feet and forcing your to widen your stance. A sickly sweet smell comes with it. You hear a faint cawing come from above you, though it's hard to hear over the rushing air which howls around you as it grows even stronger.

Cryvus:

Spoiler:

The wind picks up again, though you are prepared for it this time, oh yes. You plant your staff into the ground as the wind thrashes around you, the sweet smell it carries familiar to you now, as it the cawing that resumes overhead. This time, however, it does not dissipate. Instead ist grows stronger, howling and forcing you to dig your feet into the ground beneath you.

Crisis:

Spoiler:

You see the Mikolas, Mithras and Cryvus struggle as the wind assaults them. You can hear it from where you stand, howling and lashing at your allies while leaving you, Xerxes and Lamark untouched.

[Capntastic]

Mik crouched low and pointed his laspistol in the air, prepared to blast at any of those damned birds he saw!

[Christian]

Mithras cursed loudly as the wind blew against his face, forcing him to squint as he did much the same as Mikolas. His gut told him those flying carrion-eating cretins had something to do with this, and throne would damn him sooner than he'd let any one of them hurt him or his squad.

His laspistol aiming at the sky, he was ready to shot anything with wings and a beak.

[Jak Snide]

Both of the armoured men could hear the cawing overhead. They swung their guns upwards and shot, almost in unison, but their foe was small and fleet of wing, and the wind lashed at their arms. Two las-bolts flew past the bird as it cawed again, circling overhead as others of it's kind joined it's frenzied dance. The winds grew stronger, forcing Cryvus and Mithras to drop to their knees to prevent themselves from being blown over.

Crisis fought hard to keep himself focused as Xerxes' shotgun roared, though no birds tumbled from the sky. Lamark was bellowing something in High Gotchic and brandishing the aquila pendant that hung around his neck.

[Capntastic]

"Time to put some holes in that birdy, eh!" Mik bellowed, pocketing his laspistol and unslinging his shotgun.

As soon as he felt he had a good opportunity, he'd be filling the air with as much shot as he could. Hopefully the crow, as well.

[Kelne]

Cryvus was muttering to himself, words spilling forth in the lulls between gusts. There was something at work here, something terrible, and it would throw as many birds and beasts at them as it took to kill them.

And then it would take their eyes.

There had to be something they could do to disrupt its control. Its focus. The birds would be a good start, but the others had that in hand. Cryvus was looking for something else.

[Jak Snide]

Mikolas filled the sky with buckshot, the recoil only hammering him down and enhancing his footing. One bird disappeared in a puff of blood and feathers and the power of the wind held steady for a moment, though Mithras still found himself knocked to the ground. The guardsman was pushed back despite his efforts to find a handhold, and he was now dangerously close to a steep slope leading down towards a sudden drop. Cryvus clutched at his staff, his eyes widening and his gaze being drawn downwards.

The litanies being bellowed by Lamark continued as Xerxes shredded another bird with a lucky shot. Crisis took aim, trying to single out one of the half-dozen avian creatures left and set his sights on it.

(Crisis should check his PMs)

[Kelne]

Setting himself as best he could, Cryvus gritted his teeth and swung his staff down upon the rock before him, and the corrupted symbol upon it, as hard as he could.

[Christian]

Mithras cursed loudly as the wind pulled at him, dropping his weapon as he twisted to find anything to grab onto. Panic gripped at him as he realized the fall would most likely kill him...

"Help!" He shouted as he unstrapped his backpack whilst sliding, ready to toss it towards either a rock, tree, comrade in aid or, if worst comes to worse, away to make his weight lighter and perhaps ensuring his survival.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis maintained his aim. These animals...no, they couldn't be doing this on their own. They're -animals-. Mere animals. And that laughter...

...no, he couldn't let that distract him. While evocative of his memories, it's not from then. Not from -then- at all...

Tracking one of the many birds, he waited for the right moment...scoped in, leading...compensating for what seemed to be the current bursts of wind...


...and he pulled the trigger.

[Jak Snide]

Mithras scrabbled and clung to a nearby rock, sheer desperation giving him the strength he needed to avoid being blown over the edge. He watched Mikolas topple over, a gust within the gale punching the man off his feet. Cryvus clung to his staff as another load of Xerxes' buckshot flew past the birds overhead, the wind find it's strength again and flinging itself against the old man.

Two birds exploded overhead with barely a sound and, as their bloodied feathers began to fall, the wind died for a moment. Cryvus swung his staff down at the symbol.

Cryvus:

Spoiler:

There is no sharp impact as your weapon connects with the rock. The stone yields slightly, soft like flesh yet turgid with power. He feels something turn the full force of it's will against him and, for the barest of an instant, he locks horns with a power that chills him to his very soul. The symbol beneath him blinks in shock and then bursts like an eye on the receiving end of a sharp jab.

Molten rock spurted upwards from beneath Cryvus, the old man propelling himself to one side with his staff, the right side of his face scorched red by the dramatic change in air temperature. Dead birds toppled from the sky, their lives suddenly stripped from their bodies and the last traces of the wind evaporated. Cryvus, Mikolas and Mithras lay sprawled out on the ground around a small, freshly formed crater in the rock, the magma that almost incinerated one of them having cooled and solidified alarmingly fast.

Xerxes lowered his shotgun as Lamark eased off his bellowing, the former muttered "What the hell just happened?" to Crisis.

[Christian]

Emperor be praised! His thoughts went out in a quick, but intense prayer as he turned himself over and clung onto the land, as if it would turn and toss him off at any moment, a man's desperate struggle against the irrevocable laws of gravity...

He tried to shout something to Mikolas, but his voice was drowned in the wind, beads of still lingering sweat stinging in his eyes as he watched his comrades... He blinked furiously, trying to rid his eyes of the salty fluids seeping into them as his mind scoured page after page after page of the Infantryman's uplifting primer, every page memorized by the letter, the misaligned type and the damages to the paper... but nothing, nothing told him how to handle this situation.

He closed his eyes in another silent prayer, and as he opened them once more.

Molten rock. Magma! The very earth itself had erupted, spurting its deadly blood as something had happened. His friends, were they dead?

He rolled around and got to his feet, eyeing the battlefield suspiciously whilst kicking away the body of a dead fowl.

"By the throne of Terra..." he whispered, watching the destruction wrought in the wake of the eruption, "We are not wanted here."