Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

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Kelne
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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:24 am

Cryvus nodded, "Yes sir," he said before turning about and taking point on the way back to the stairs. Perhaps he ought to make another check for the intruders. To avoid using his powers out of prudence was one thing, but if he were to do so out of fear, he would not be fulfilling his duties. And fear was a thing which would latch on to one's very soul.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:57 pm

1st Floor - West Wing

Cryvus reached out with his unnatural senses once again, careful to keep his powers in check. Crisis watched him intently, finger resting lightly on the trigger.

Cryvus:
Spoiler:
So many dead. House Strophes had bustled with activity before. You can feel the emptiness, many of the soul lights you'd sensed before snuffed out in a few short minutes. Those left alive are stationary and scattered. None of the life signs you sense seem to be those of invaders; either they have moved into the East Wing, retreated or been slain. A whispering wind caresses your mind as you contemplate their fate, fading abruptly once it fails to find any weaknesses in your mental defences.

When he reached the top of the stairs he found them deserted. Laurent and his two bodyguards were right behind him, swinging weapons around as they searched for hidden enemies. The plasma pistol in the nobleman's hand hummed softly, the soothing noise at odds with the devastating nature of the weapon.

---

Ground Floor - East Wing

Gunner stayed his hand as Mithras advanced. The injured assassin made an attempt to rise and draw a laspistol, but the guardsman was too fast for him. The butt of the ever-reliable lasgun smashed into his stomach, below the armour and knocked the wind out of him.

Mikolas had bolted past by this point, rounding the corner to find his quarry slumped in a corner, side arm at the ready. The man reacted quicker than Mik did, a las-bolt striking the giant dead centre. The breastplate took the discharge of energy, the jolt of force failing to even phase him.

(A few rounds of combat have passed. Mithras subdues the assassin with a leg wound. Mikolas gets shot in the chest for no damage, his carapace breastplate negating all the damage along with his respectable toughness. All appears to be clear at Cryvus' end of House Strophes. Map updated. The red X is the position of Cryvus and those with him, the bright green X is Gunner, the dark green/dark blue pairing Mithras and his prisoner, the orange X Mikolas and the bright blue X the man who just shot him. Bes, you may choose to have Gunner positioned close to Mithras if you like, following after him after refraining from taking a shot.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:17 am

Seeing this man go from a hired gun to a cowering twit so fast was not something Mik wanted to deal with right now. He'd taken a gamble to give them a chance to surrender or die as men. Even with the multitudes of ways this could play out streaming through his mind, he could not allow himself to roll those dice again; this needed to end. He aimed his laspistol direct at the mercenary's face.

"We'll see if the Emp has mercy for someone as weak as you."

And there was nothing left to do but to squeeze the trigger, and see.

[Full auto.]

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Oct 14, 2010 7:53 pm

The sharp crack of lasfire drowning out all other noise for the brief moment it took to blow the injured man away. Mikolas looked at the results of his handiwork and felt he understood how the weapon had earned it's name.

---

It took an hour before the acolytes finally had a chance to analyse their situation. The assassins had been foiled; most were dead, one taken prisoner and, if the accounts of one terrified scullery maid was to be believe, a few had managed to escape, fleeing through a service entrance and off into the spire. Many of the servants of House Strophes hadn't survived the attack, either gunned down in the darkness or butchered as they tried to hide. Most of those who'd been down in the service level had perished; the acolytes swift response to the attack having halted the main force as they came in through the front gate. Gunner had examined the ruined portal and determined that they'd used military-grade breaching charges to blow through it, remembering a time when the other cell he'd been with had done something similar. Other attacks had come through from the Western service tunnels but, according to one of the guards, they'd seemingly turned on and killed each other.

Laurent was furious, both for the attack on his home and how the Magistratum seemed to be out of reach. The peacekeepers and their familiar green coats were nowhere to be seen throughout this level of the spire. Julia was in tears, unaccustomed to murderous attacks in the dead of night. Crisis stalked the halls of the manor, searching for any of the assassins who might have remained behind. Masha busied herself helping the others inspect the dead, directing the augmetic device built into her arm at whatever subjected the other acolytes designated. Brother Gear, still locked within his room in an attempt to break the addiction that gripped him, had been oblivious to the whole attack and lost in meditation.

The attackers had come well equipped; flak armour, photo-visors, silenced autoguns of respectable manufacture, comm-beads and, worryingly, demolition charges. Had the men in the service level not killed each other then it was probably that House Strophes would be little more than smouldering rubble by now. The one man they'd captured was locked up and under guard now, awaiting whatever attention the acolytes wished to bestow upon him. Neither her nor his fellow killers had carried any identification on them, nor any other documentation that might have aided in determining who was behind this attack.

(The attack is over and it's now about an hour later. The Magistratum has yet to show up but it looks unlikely that a second attack is on the way. You've had time to investigate the dead; if there's any details I forgot to address in the post then bring them up. I suspect you're eager to talk with your captive, though you do have the time to do so. Cryvus believes that the Magistratum have no right to seize their captive; this was an attack on private property and, as such, the man is all theirs unless he can be implicated in a public crime or House Strophes relinquishes him to the law.

Also, since you've reached a moment of particular significance in the mission, all fate points are restored to full.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Oct 15, 2010 6:20 am

Mithras had not understood the severity of what had passed in the mansion of the Strophes; with the knowledge that servants had been murdered in cold-blood, rage welled inside him as he stalked the corridors of the house, conducting his own personal search before settling on what to do with the man they'd captured.

These men were assassins sent in to kill them, and he could hate them no more than a gnat who bit him. They were not the killers, only the tools. Whoever wanted them dead was the real culprit, and he would burn for what he had ordered these men to do.

Perhaps it was his disguise growing on him, or perhaps he was developing more emotions than his highly efficient skill to survive, hide and get out of trouble, but the deaths of these servants bothered him immensily.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:42 am

Mikolas was content, after a precursory washup with a damp rag, to sit on the steps in front of the blasted open front door, guarding it. Though he didn't take any injuries in the battle, he looked worn ragged. Throaty sighs could be heard as he watched everyone scramble in the aftermath. It was a rough ordeal, in more ways than one. There was nothing to do but to stay vigilant until information was extracted from the prisoner, and a plan- revenge, he hoped- could be formed. Parts of his mind hovered darkly on the knowledge of the recovered explosives, and what sort of damage they could do.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:55 pm

Gunner would have asked Crisis to guard the prisoner, quite sure that if the doomed bastard tried anything foolish, the assassin wouldn't hesitate or fail to dispose of it quickly. After that, he'd gather Cryvus and Masha to himself long enough to ask if one of them preferred to handle the interrogation. If not, he intended to go in there and put the fear of the Emperor into their surviving would-be bomber. He wasn't at all familiar with how it ought to be done, but he had a good idea how to start probably.

(up for grabs to someone more familiar with the setting fluff and suchlike? Otherwise I think Gunner is just going to start hitting the poor bastard with a wrench for a while, punctuated with questions. Doesn't seem very Grim Darky.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:34 pm

Cryvus, after consideration, agreed to handle the interrogation. He intended to start with the rather worrisome revelation that he intended to save the prisoner's soul, by whatever means necessary. He expected repentance and an unburdening of the man's sins, and if he didn't receive these to his satisfaction, they would be extracted by force. This might or might not involve wrenches.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:55 am

The prisoner was proving difficult to crack. Cryvus' efforts were initially met with contempt, the man professing to be perfectly fine with the current state of his soul. Physical force didn't help much, at least not initially, though it did tell Cryvus that he was dealing with a professional outfit. The prisoner had clearly had training in resisting interrogation, only giving up a scant few details after being subjected to a severe beating. Twenty men had come for House Strophes, armed to destroy the mansion with explosives and kill all within. A bodycount by the acolytes totalled 14 slain; 5 men had escaped after the assault floundered in the face of the unnatural madness that had gripped many of the assassins. The prisoner revealed nothing more, bloodied and breathing heavily now.

(Cryvus, untrained in Interrogation, has extracted some basic information with crude methods. If the acolytes wish to learn any more then they'll need to continue the interrogation. Further physical torture may work, though that would risk the prisoner's death and leave him permanently crippled. Other methods may prove more successful.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:44 pm

Mithras had little patience for this man. His blood was still boiling as he watched impatiently while Cryvus managed to drag the barest of details from the prisoner.

Then it was his turn.

There was a chair in the room, and Mithras slammed it as hard as he could against the wall, sending splinters and bits flying everywhere, the only thing in his hand the leg of the chair. He gathered up some of the splinters methodically and quietly before he walked up to the bleeding man.

"You will tell us who ordered this hit." his voice was cold as ice as he put the things down on a nearby table before forcefully grabbing the man's right hand and strapping it to the same table tightly. "You will tell us everything you know, because as of today you are no longer an imperial citizen. This is no-man's land, and you're a prisoner of war." he took one of the splinters, looked it over and then placed it at the tip of the man's index finger, right between the nail and the skin, "you are a prisoner of war and you killed innocent civilians. I hope the Emperor has mercy on your soul, because you won't get any from me."

With that he took the leg of the chair and slammed the splinter in between the area he'd put it in with a frown on his face, his left eye twitching only slightly. "I will keep doing this until you tell me what I want to know."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:50 pm

Mithras' methods didn't differ much from Cryvus', but the ex-guardsman went about it with a ferocity that his fellow acolyte didn't possess. The man resisted at first, spitting broken teeth and laughing about those he'd killed. By the half hour mark he was having trouble speaking and the mood within the room had changed. Sprawled out on the floor and trying to crawl away with his functioning leg the man had begun to talk. He was called Jard Yulim, ex-military, formerly of the Scintillan Heavy Infantry. Irrelevant details flowed from a babbling mouth until Mithras reminded him what they were talking about. Next came talk of a mercenary company, Pressure Point. Legitimate organisation, bears no responsibility for the orders of a client, sworn to secrecy regarding their employers. It took a few more minutes before the details the acolytes were interested in to emerge. Theodosia was the name of the man who'd ordered this. He'd wanted House Strophes wiped out. They hadn't asked why. The mercenary was mostly incoherent by the time he started describing the man, but what details emerged matched someone they'd encountered before. The heavily augmented man, the one who'd killed Orday in the Hustle and confronted Cryvus within The Alabaster Court.

Mithras walked out of the room a minute later, leaving a bloody and broken corpse behind him.

(Mithras spends a fate point to reroll his interrogation check and obtains results.)

---

A few other details emerged before the day cycle began. Crisis' examination of the gear the mercenaries had used concluded that they were not amateurs; their kit was expensive and all manufacturing marks had been carefully removed. A fuller examination of the bodies had turned up a few tattoos, some of which designated servitude in a few different regiments of the Imperial Guard. The most alarming revelation came when the Magistratum finally came to investigate the attack. Laurent was livid, not only at the lateness of their response but the paltry number of men that had been sent. The most senior officer was excessively apologetic but informed them that House Strophes was not the only victim. The Alabaster Court had been struck as well and the Joyous Choir with it.

(It's now morning. Acolytes may have grabbed some paltry amount of sleep and shared information they've learned so far. Laurent is currently talking with/yelling at the Magistratum who are at House Strophes to investigate the attack, the remaining servants staying out of the way while trying to pick up the pieces.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu Nov 04, 2010 4:26 am

Mik got what rest he could, uneasy as it was. He'd abandoned the pretense of Dulov, or even trying to remain an image of ferocious friendliness. After greeting his associates the next morning, he could only say one thing:

"Who's gonna get paid back for this?"

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:26 pm

What little sleep Gunner had gotten was fitful, filled with fever dreams of shadowy figures and indistinct orders and the corpses of men and women. They weren't getting this job done fast or well enough, and the civilians kept paying for it. He blinked blearily as Mik spoke, and answered to the group as a whole.

"We're going to find Theodesia, and extract more information. Then we're going to deliver him up to the Emperor's Judgement, and move on to whatever comes next as swiftly as we can. First we need to find out who he is. Sister Masha, is that name familiar to you? If not, the Strophes may be familiar with him, but I hesitate to ask unless we need to. This is all complicated enough already."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:40 am

"The description matches our bionically enhanced asassin," Cryvus said heavily, "I daresay tonight's events are his way of covering his tracks. I'd imagine those with any connection to him are safely dead, leaving him and his masters to withdraw. Whether the psykers were withdrawn with him or are dead is something we will need to determine."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Nov 05, 2010 11:41 am

Masha shook her head in response to Gunner. "I know of no such man. Had we access to Administratum records I might be able to tell you more. That would require time, however, something which I believe we lack." She looked to Cryvus, her gaze lingering upon him. While the psyker's mistake had worked to their favour it had reminded the Sororitas of what he was. "He's right in his assessment of the situation. The question is where he has withdrawn to. I do not believe that the Alabaster Court was the full extent of the cult's holdings on this world. They have been producing this substance in large quantities and, so far, we have seen no evidence that the facilities required to do so were present in the Court."

After a moment's consideration she added "It may also be possible that he has withdrawn into orbit, though I do not believe the Choir counted any voidships among their assets."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat Nov 06, 2010 4:20 pm

"Facilities, yes. That is something we've..." Mithras cleared his throat slightly, "something we haven't considered yet. If they don't have access to void-faring ships, either they produce the substance here on this planet, or they have it shipped in. It might be smuggled, but even that leave traces."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Nov 10, 2010 5:39 pm

"We've got the explosives we snagged from their killteam, that's all I'm gonna put out there, plannin' wise."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:56 pm

"Ambulon seems the place to start," Cryvus said, "Given the conversation Crisis and Mikolas overheard, Theodosia intended to go there soon."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:42 am

Masha glanced at Cryvus again. "Then that is where we should head. The Joyous Choir has a small holding there according to the documents Brother Gear recovered. It may very well have already been destroyed but if we can reach it quickly we might be able to discover where this Theodosia and his masters are. By what means we shall proceed is something that must be decided on. I do not think that the name of Strophes will do anything but alert these heretics to our presence. Should we wish to proceed discreetly we will need to devise new false identities, though such an approach may require more time than we possess. A more direct method may be viable. We could petition our master to rescind her order for us to remain incognito and strike with the full authority of the Inquisition. I believe that she is still in orbit so it should not be difficult to contact her. Assuming that she permits us to do so it is still not guaranteed that such an approach would be successful; the mere mention of the Inquisition could send those we seek even further into hiding. It may also prompt them to take drastic measures, though that may work to our benefit."

She turned to Gunner and, sparing a moment to acknowledge Cryvus as his equal, said "As senior acolytes it is your duty to decide on what course of action to take."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:46 pm

Gunner took a moment to consider what their best course should be. He had some emotional attachment to the idea of hunting down the men who did this to House Strophes personally, of course, but he had to set that aside for the moment. Right now he had to try to make the best decision, not the most fulfilling decision. They'd gone for subtle this whole time, and so far it had worked well. They had something to go on, and they could potentially go further. Or they could take a big risk, and maybe end this all before the sun went down. Further, the more time they spent hunting now, the more time their enemies had to quietly slip away. He and Cryvus stepped aside for a moment, to confer. They didn't deliberate for more than three minutes.

"We contact the Inquisitor."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:31 am

Mithras nodded to Gunner and Cryvus, that seemed the most reasonable course of action. They should confer with her and find what she considered the proper course, but Mithras had had his immediate desire for vengeance sated with the man they had questioned. A small part of him regretted his choice, but it was squashed by the righteous fury that seethed through his veins.

"Let us do so."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:26 am

It took some time for the acolytes to contact the Inquisitor. Security concerns demanded that the vox link be warded against intrusion and directed throughout the hive before reaching upwards into orbit, though the nuances of such procedures escaped their understanding. It was a full hour later that Skane's voice crackled over the vox, distorted beyond recognition and only confirmed to belong to their master after the exchange of a pass-phrases between her and the senior acolytes. When they announced their intentions she demanded a comprehensive report on their investigation so far. Their words were ruthlessly scrutinised as they related the events of the past few days, their master seeking knowledge of every detail. Eventually, after well over an hour of discussion, she gave them her reply.

"I ordered you to remain incognito for a good reason. I want the ringleaders captured and brought before me to answer for their crimes, not sent running into the depths of the underhives or offworld. That's a luxury we can't afford to pursue right now, though. You have evidence of unsanctioned psykers being abducted and "processed." The people we're dealing with are either extremely competent or inviting disaster. They're also trying to disappear. This goes beyond xenotech and meddling with the Emperor's Tarot. Worlds have been damned by men like these." Skane paused to let her words sink in.

"I'll see that all travel from Ambulon is interdicted. Gunner, Cryvus, call in support and hit them hard and fast. Your new objectives are to destroy whatever operation these people have set up and secure or kill any unsanctioned psykers in their possession. Recover whatever evidence and prisoners you can and destroy the rest. Prepare for war, acolytes, and may the Emperor watch over you."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:07 pm

Mik saluted the comms-machine, his spirit being heartened somewhat at a clear plan of action being laid out; especially as it was one he understood.

"Well, how're we gonna go about this, fellas?"

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Nov 26, 2010 9:29 am

The plan turned out to be a simple one. As the other acolytes stashed their kit for transport Cryvus and Gunner made a second vox transmission, broadcasting a complex code and a set of coordinates before securing their own belongings. Sister Masha collected her few possessions as well, her broken arm doing nothing to dissuade her from joining the other acolytes. Brother Gear was a different matter. His condition had only worsened over the past few hours, the priest gripped by powerful withdrawal symptoms. The decision was made for him to be left behind. The acolytes said their farewells to Laurent Strophes, the old man snapping Cryvus a Battlefleet salute and wishing them luck, and headed towards the landing pad where they'd first touched down in Sibellus.

A craft was already waiting for them; a dull grey and unmarked Valkyrie gunship flanked by men in similarly coloured carapace armour. The Magistratum officers responsible for guarding the platform gave the acolytes nervous glances as they stepped outside to greet their transport.

"It's about damn time." one of the stormtroopers commented, his face concealed and his voice distorted by the helmet he wore. "Climb aboard, ladies. We're going for a ride."

The gunship pulled away as soon as they were all aboard. Ten identically armoured men shared the cramped compartment at the back of the craft with them, buckled into their seats as they checked their weapons. The one who'd spoken before removed his helmet and, for those who remembered the Coscarla Incident, a familiar face greeted them.

"I was wondering if I'd ever see your sorry asses again." Julius grinned, shaking Mikolas' hand and nodding respectfully to Gunner. "Me and my boys haven't been given much intel about whatever you're roping us into, so get talking." The acolytes did just that, filling in the details for an old comrade. Cryvus also set out the rules of engagement; force would be met with force but those who didn't offer any resistance would be subdued. Julius passed the orders among his men and had it voxed over to the second team aboard a second Valkyrie that had joined them shortly after departure. He also saw that those without micro-beads were provided with them and that all of the minuscule devices were attuned to the same frequency. The hive had long since disappeared behind them, the flyers having quickly risen above the clouds. It was a peaceful journey for the next few hours, one that gave the acolytes plenty of time to don their own armour, check their weapons and prepare themselves for combat.

They got their first sight of Ambulon as they began their descent and dipped below the clouds. It was a massive machine, easily rivalling a Battlefleet cruiser in size, which crawled across the plains of Scintilla with a dozen insectile legs. A city had grown on its back, building built atop building with narrow allies running between them. Haphazard structures jutted out over the sides and the edges of the shanty town that clung to its belly could be seen swaying beneath it. Their gunship didn't let them take in the view for long though, turning towards the rear end of walking city and flying above its spine.

"This is it." Announced Julius, his voice once again muffled by his helmet. "Bravo team will secure the rear and set up a perimeter. Alpha team, you'll be hitting the front with me and these boys."

The Valkyrie came to a sudden halt, hovering mid-air as its ramp opened and stormtrooper attached lines and slid down them. The acolytes followed shortly after, the stormtrooper assisting them where necessary, and soon found themselves standing in front of a small two story church.. They saw Bravo team touching down behind it, their gunship pulling away as soon as the last man had got his feet on the ground and assuming a holding pattern above the city. Civilians fled in their wake, scrambling across the walkways that wove between and through the buildings of Ambulon. A few of the braver souls stayed to watch, though only from a safe distance.

Mithras:
Spoiler:
You catch glimpses of movement from inside the building. Second floor, behind that circular stained glass window adorned with an aquila.


"No secondary entrances identified." Julius announced, repeating the report from Bravo team they'd all heard a moment before. He gestured towards the front doors. "Shall we?"

(I'll assume that everyone's equipped the best armour that they possess, reloaded their weapons and so on.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:39 pm

Mithras saluted Laurent Strophes as well, having found some respect for the man who proved to be a honest and well-intentioned nobleman, and then followed the others towards the Valkyrie. He brought his boltpistol and chainsword he had acquired earlier... but he also carried, in a duffel-bag, the same lasgun and axe he'd used earlier, the weapons as well prepared as they'd been on the day he first met the rest of the Acolytes.

He'd never enjoyed riding in these flying vehicles, Mithras was reminded off as the vehicle lurched into motion, he'd much more enjoyed the cramped compartment of the Chimera... even that one time, on the Hellhound, he'd still felt better than what he always felt in one of the valkyries... and that was when he was responsible of firing a weapon he'd only ever seen in a text-book before.

His mind was wandering, so he quickly recited an oath of war for the Emperor, steeled himself and turned his attention to Julius, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his guts as the flying death-trap carried on.

The remainder of the trip was a haze, his stomach doing its best not to lurch at every air-pocket they met, and the sight of Ambulon at the horizon made him only more nauseous... but he once more thought of their task, and his stomach settled, still gurgling but clearly in the same state of religious fervor as Mithras himself.

Then they were off, his boltpistol at his side, the chainsword at the other, his face expressionless as the civilians fled. Fighting in a city. By the Emperor, he hated this. But this was his elements, except... it was less destroyed, fewer ruins to hide in... but with the added bonus that a very small percentage of the people in there wanted to kill you on sight, or if you didn't try to kill the other people fast enough.

"Keep close, standard patrol formation, two men up front, two in the back, keep separated, reduce risk of mass-frag from mines..." he growled almost too quietly to pick up as he nodded to Julius. "They are ready for us." he nodded to the windows.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Sat Nov 27, 2010 4:06 am

Cryvus had left the Strophes with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it had been good to see his old captain again. On the other, they'd brought trouble down on his head and been unable to retrieve his missing niece. He intended to rectify that last part if at all possible.

"Well, I don't think we need to bother with warnings and ultimatums," Cryvus said quietly, holding his lasgun ready to swing up and fire at any trouble, "I leave the breaking and entering to the experts."

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Sun Nov 28, 2010 1:03 am

Gunner had returned Laurent's salute, with every intention of making good on the promises he and his men had made to date. It was becoming sketchy how that would work out now, but there was nothing to do but try. Seeing Julius again was a welcome surprise, and he was happy enough to catch up while changing out his disguise for his standard gear. They were going to war now, dammit, and he was going to wear proper armour and have his rifles again.

As the group stood before the church he held his reloaded mauler at the ready, six rounds of explosive death waiting to be unleashed and nine spares stashed away on his person. He could possibly be accused of overusing the weapon, but it was hard to care; it was effective, and he had yet to hit a man with it and see them stay up, save the heavily augmented assassin. He felt good about having it on hand right now. He quickly turned his thoughts back to the job at hand. Breaking and entering wasn't his expertise, but that was ok: They had a full team present, which meant someone here would be more than capable. They just needed to get that man 20 meters from here to the door alive.

"You heard Mithras, men. They're waiting for us to come on up. Let's not keep them waiting. Form up and move out!"

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:16 pm

Mik was overjoyed at seeing J again, especially in these circumstances. His grim duty was lightened by the sight of his old friend; just the pick-me-up the giant needed. Donning his helmet and securing it place with a few dull thwacks, he took pleasure in filling J in on all the details he'd missed, save the bits about the demon plucking his eye out. His bionic wasn't something he felt self-conscious about, of course, but he didn't feel the need to dampen the mood with that little failure.

Doing some quick stretches- not the least of which was his tombstone grin- he got ready to use his combat shotgun and monoblade for, well, their intended purposes.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:22 am

The two professional soldiers amongst the acolytes advanced with Julius and four other stormtroopers. They'd only just reached the door to the church when the stained glass window above them was smashed out. Those who'd hung back watched as the long barrel of some heavy weapon was shoved through it and swivelled to bring them into its sights. Crisis reacted faster than the rest, immediately darting off to the side to avoid the fire that was about to pour down on their position.

(Here's a map. Apologies for the foregoing of a proper combat grid, but I felt it'd just clutter and complicate things in this case. Gunner and Mithras are next to the front doors to the church along with 5 stormtroopers. The others had stood back to let them do their job and, in all likelihood, will come under fire very soon. Dark grey spaces are long drops, light grey spaces are shorter drops onto buildings a few meters below your current level, brown lines are doorways and the blue line represented that smashed out window a story up. Declare actions, gentlemen.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:13 pm

Cryvus reacted quickly, snapping his lasgun up and loosing one of those strangely accurate shots at the heavy weapon crew. Things were about to become very hectic indeed.

(Using unnatural aim, spending a fate point if need be to ensure a hit)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:41 pm

Mik darted towards the doors, hoping to avoid whatever devastation this weapon could bring down upon him. (Running north)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:40 am

Mithras, being somewhat out of reach for the weapon, did what any sane, well-drilled soldier would do in a situation like this.

Plucking a krak from his belt, he took careful aim before tossing it towards the broken window before dodging inside the building, his bolt-pistol drawn and ready.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:46 am

Gunner was going to fire into the window with the bolter, and take out part of the ceiling over the shooter... when Mithras lobbed a Krak. That this was going to be much more effective than a bolter round in this situation didn't really register so much as the need to have some cover between him and the blast. Unfortunately, cover was nonexistant here. The only thing left to do was duck and cover.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:33 am

Cryvus' aim was indeed strangely precise; his shot took the gunner in the shoulder, failing to kill but throwing the man away from the heavy weapon. Crisis, safely nestled in cover and staring through his scope, sought to finish the job but only succeeded in hitting the Aquila. The rest of the acolytes caught in the open ran forward, using the time Cryvus had bought them to leave the field of fire of the gunner on the second floor and reach the church. Julius readied kicked in the door as one of his men threw a grenade inside. It detonated with blinding flash, one that elicited cries of surprise and pain from those inside but didn't phase the stormtroopers as they rushed inside, snapping off shots. The enemy had taken cover behind the pews, the weapons in their hands marking them as threats rather than bystanders. One went down with a hole seared through him; the rest of the troopers failed to hit their marks as they moved into cover.

Mithras' aim wasn't all that it could have been, his arm still weak in spite of the unnaturally accelerated healing that his superior had enabled. The grenade bounced off the stonework and detonated a split second later, blasting a hole in the face of the building. From his vantage point behind the others Cryvus saw the man inside go down, a torrent of rubble slamming into him.

(Map updated. Mithras, after throwing his grenade, has moved inside the building and into the sights of several momentarily-blinded men. Gunner is just outside, having taking cover at the doors, as has Mikolas.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:21 am

Mithras spared the blinded men no refuge, and raised his boltpistol and took aim, firing at one of the stumblers with the deadly precision of a man trained to coordinate firepower from thirty men on a single target. The Mars Pattern lasgun was deadly in numbers, you needed to learn this advantage. A boltpistol, however, was quite devastating on its own.

With the shot fired, Mits wasted no time to throw himself into any cover available, keeping a mental check on his bullets.

[Firing at any one of the men, then throwing myself into cover.]

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Kelne » Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:57 pm

Cryvus, meanwhile, was getting into the spirit of things. Moving up behind the second squad, he readied himself to lend firepower wherever it was needed. "You'll rue the day! Rue!" he harangued the foe, "Are you ruing yet?!"

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:51 pm

Mik made to mop up what he could with his combat shotgun, lending its lung-rumbling drumming to the other noises of this particular scuffle.

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Besyanteo » Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:55 am

Gunner moved to the doorway, and he looked through just long enough to snap off a pair of quick shots at two of the most immediately obvious targets. He'd then pull himself back out of the way, using the door frame and outer wall as cover for now. It was just easier to lend aid this way than trying to squeeze inside would have been right now.

(quick shots at H7 and H5, from the left side of the doorway, and then getting back into cover if I can. Amend that to just H7 if there's not enough time for both)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:25 am

If the enemy heard Cryvus they didn't give show it. In all likelihood they were too busy being shot to pieces. Julius' men poured hellgun fire down onto them, those out in the open moving to cover and snapping off shots as the others shouldered rifles and fired for effect. Two targets were rent apart by high-powered lasers, another seared across the shoulder. Mikolas took this moment to open up with his shotgun, the weapon's roar overlapping with the sharp crack of lasfire. The injured man went down, his face riddled with buckshot, as the two remaining men went to ground, seeking refuge behind the pews. Mithras tracked one of them and fired, his bolt punching clean through the cover but failing to find its mark. Gunner and Masha had just begun to line up their own shots when everything turned against them.

One of the two survivors held his autogun above cover and showered the right side of the chapel with bullets. Mithras and the stormtroopers next to him hit the dirt, the bullets punching cleanly through the wood and taking disturbingly large chunks out of the stonework. Those are the door were forced back into cover, Gunner and Masha loosing a bolt each but hitting nothing. Something sailed across the chamber, eliciting a curse from Julius as he and his stormtroopers threw themselves backwards. Something exploded and showered them with shrapnel. Their carapace had seen them through it, but one man hadn't been fast enough. He lay on the ground, his legs torn from his body and blood spilling onto the floor. Before his comrades could recover a hail of fire fell upon them, bullets punching through carapace with unusual ease. One of the stormtroopers with Mithras yelled something about manstoppers before the other side of the lower floor came under fire from heretics on the second floor. Through some miracle they emerged unscathed, the pew in front of them riddled with bullet holes but the men taking cover behind it untouched.

(Map updated and 2nd floor map revealed. All but two of the enemy on the ground floor died, but the survivors managed to get off some supressing fire and threw a grenade. Their friends on the 2nd floor then opened up to devestating effect, firing from balconies and down into the main chapel. Julius has one man left with his fire team (Alpha 1), the other three being dead. Everyone else is unharmed, though Mikolas, Mithras and Alpha-2 are pinned (1/2 action next round, -20 BS). The second floor is about 6 metres up and the stonework railings provide some small degree of cover to the shooters up there.)

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Re: Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

Unread postby ChristianC » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:19 am

Mithras resisted all urges to remain on the floor, to survive, and instead glanced around, seeing an emtpy can on the floor next to him. Within a moment's notice, he'd shuffled it half full of dust and small bits of stone, getting up on his feet and yelling "Fire in the hole!" Throwing the can across the room towards the men at the other side, hoping they would mistake the can for a grenade as he urged the men next to him to get up.

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