Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:07 pm

"Clearly we are dealing with the mostly neutral and unaware native population, and a few opportunists who saw us as nothing more than the rightful owners of a trinket they wished to pluck. What better way to win the support of the numerically superior former than to give them money and our very presence? There is more to security than gates and guns. If I felt like getting poetic, I'd remark that a tenuous foothold is a path to a more secure one.

I won't be impervious to threat, but I'll be in a position to learn more and react."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:57 pm

"Whatever party it was and still is after this...trinket, as you termed it, were aware of our arrival and that my presence was required to gain access to it. I'd wager that they are more than simple criminals. I would also wager that any loyalty that can be bought with coin was never worth much to begin with." Rajender stepped closer to Dauphin, lowering his voice and speaking earnestly.

"There will be a time to secure our position here, but it is of paramount importance that we return to the ship with haste. Only one gifted with the psyker taint is able to access the message it bears, and I shall trust no such free agent in this matter. Remain here and make preparations for our return if you believe it worth the risk, but do not underestimate what forces might be brought to bear upon you."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:55 pm

Quick action on Vispanius's part sees one of the fallen stabilised, though he will require ongoing treatment from the apothecaries. The other is beyond helping, and is gathered up by his fellows for return to the ship. One of the walking wounded keels over during this process, and all the attentions of the servo skull are insufficient to pevent him from bleeding out. The others seem in passable health, and grimly set about bundling up this second victim of a treacherous ambush.

"With respect sir," Dray says to Dauphin, "I agree. There can be no place on the station so secure as your ship, and while you might set up an outpost, without a loyal and diligent staff to run it, you would find your secrets sold the moment your back was turned."

It is as Vispanius is turning his attentions to the enemy wounded that the minions of officialdom arrive, in the form of a dozen-strong squad of arbites. Clad in the ubiquitous carapace armour and helmets, with combat shotguns held ready, they are an intimidating sight and one the civilians are loathe to approach. Their leader takes in the situation and the status of the people involved at a glance, and approaches Rajender.

"Can you tell us what happened here, honoured sir?" he asks respectfully.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:32 pm

"We were attacked by these men while conducting our business." Rajender gestured towards the bodies of their fallen foes. "They were hiding in the crowds and opened fire, forcing us to defend ourselves. Bilge-scum desperate enough to try something this foolish, no doubt, though most likely in the employ of another." He appraised the arbite squad leader, looking to get a measure of the man.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:32 am

Vipsanius seemed to pay little heed to those who passed on, working in his own pace and directing the floating skull in a lingo unknown to most other of the present crew. The little skull applied stims, healing salves and insta-skin, emitting a shrill beep occasionally and on quite a few occasions bumping into the techpriest due to a faulty anti-grav unit that seemed to pull to the left a bit. If any thanks were given to him, he received them without word, as he seemed intent on labelling the survivors who were not on the crew of their ship. Using a strange system of characters, numbers and letters, he proceeded to mark each and every one, branding them with a small tool fastened to the palm of his hand, burning into their skin the lettering he had given them.

After done with this, if no one decided to stop him of course, he would proceed to have the men taken aboard their ship, and turn his own attention to the approaching Arbites, leaning once more on his staff.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Fitz » Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:49 am

Race paced in a loose circle around the other explorers, his cruel-looking bolt pistol still held at the ready. Anyone foolish enough to approach without a good reason would live to regret it. He was no stranger to casualties - he'd seen more dead friends and comrades than he could ever hope to count - but this had been a pointless and cowardly attack. "Next time they show their faces, they'll pay the blood price five times over," he quietly told the armsmen as they prepared to return to the Satisfaction.

At the approach of the Arbites, he loped back to flank Rajender.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:12 am

Dauphin's shades tilted towards the approaching arbites an inch or so.

"Perhaps we should plan our next move from the ship."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Dec 23, 2009 6:40 am

The lead arbitrator takes Rajender's information in without surprise, "Bilge scum indeed," he says, "Such incidents are regrettably common where people feel they are beyond the gaze of the law. Though they seldom targetgroups so vigilant and well-equipped as your own."

From what Rajender can tell, he seems to have accepted his version of events fully, due perhaps in no small part to his rank. His men made no effort to hinder Vispanius in his works, though hauling the wounded back to the Satisfaction would have to wait on their own departure.

"Arbitrator-Sergeant Targos, Sir," the Arbites leader introduces himself, "If you would care to accompany us to the Precinct House, we shall see what we may learn of these men. No doubt their present misdeeds are but the latest in a long litany. A litany which comes to an end today." Although the Arbites are the law here, as everywhere they are found in the Imperium, Targos' invitation is just that; he has no power to compel a Rogue Trader's obedience, and shows none of the animosity that might lead to a foolish attempt to do so.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:16 am

Rajender made a show of considering the man's invitation despite having no intention of following the man back to his precinct house. If he was a stalwart enforcer of the Lex Imperialis then he could send someone to meet with him later to see what information he could extract from these men. The talent of the Adeptus Arbites in such matters was widely renowned, after all, a reputation undoubtedly promoted by the Arbites themselves to scare the would-be scofflaw off any thoughts of criminality. If, however, he was in the employ of their attackers, either a bought man or an outright imposter, then this was the second layer of an increasingly elaborate trap or at least an attempt to remove the surviving attackers from the tender, caring ministrations of Vispanius.

"I'm afraid that pressing matters necessitate my presence elsewhere," he said, balancing civility with firm declination. "though I shall send someone to meet with you later to determine what these vagrants have to say for themselves. The dead shall come with me, my associate having invoked the right of a senior member of the Adeptus Mechanicus to seize the bodies of all those who raise a hand against the Machine Cult, so you shan't have to worry yourself with them."

Rajender, once he had a moment to talk to Vipsanius alone, would ask him to collect one of the wounded assailants along with the rest of the dead, preferably one who could pass for a corpse, and bring him back to the Satisfaction with them.
Last edited by Jak Snide on Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:26 am

[[OOC: It's ViPsanius, guys. :D]]

That Vipsanius would not be given his share of lightly wounded assailants seemed to lower the man's mood somewhat, but the senior priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus knew to take this temporary hinderment with the proper response.

He loomed.

"It is within our interest to cooperate with the authorities of these ports..." he spoke in a firm voice, "And the interrogative prowess of the arbites are known to me... but as these men raised weapons against not only me, but also the head of a respected and noble house of Rogue Traders..." his orange-red vis-enhancers flaring up, "...They have forfeited their lives. Once you are done with your questioning, these men belong to us and we shall mete out their punishment."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:16 pm

Dauphin, his plans to strike forth into the heart of the port dashed, was content to brush off his shoulders and wait until the situation became more clear to him.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:34 am

Nodding respectfully, Targos sets about gathering up the living, sternly informing one conscious soul that it'll be the penal legions for him. Although the arbites are taking care not to further damage the men, there is no gentleness there. Rajender's men, meanwhile, gather up the dead, along with one not so dead individual, body seared through the torso but seemingly without any major organs damaged.

Dray doesn't even bother to pack up the contents of his stall, simply leaving them for whatever scavengers might claim them. It seems he'll be just as glad to put Port Wander behind him. Having seen their handiwork, the denizens of the Court of the Dead give them a wide berth, leaving them with an unobstructed path back to the Satisfaction and plenty of breathing room. If there are other ambushers out there, they aren't making themselves known.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:33 pm

Once everyone was back aboard the Satisfacton and (hopefully) safe from the machinations of their still unidentified foes, Rajender dismissed his allies to tend to their various duties. The dead needed to be tended to for a start, both their own and those of the enemy. He had made a point of never prying to deeply into what Vipsanius required a steady supply of cadaverous for. The Machine Cult prized secrecy and, for the sake of good relations, he granted them just that. Then there was their captive. He was sure one of the others would be more than eager to tend to that one. The matter of shipboard security crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed as someone else's duty. Dauphin and Race were more than capable of overseeing such matters themselves. The Lord-Captain had a specific task to attend to.

The red-coated rogue trader made his way through the passageways of his dynasty's home, heading towards the astropathic chambers. There were only two groups aboard would could read the contents of the mnemolith and both of such import that his personal invitation was the only appropriate one. The contingent of psykers from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica aboard were his first choice, part of one of the enormous and potent facets of the Adeptus Terra yet ultimately subservient. The second group, those who sealed themselves away in their own enclave aboard the ship, those who were even less a part of the dynasty than the tech-priests aboard, were a distant second. When he took command of the ship he'd quickly learned that no one, not even the Lord-Captain himself, disturbed the navigators without good cause.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:10 pm

Vipsanius had scowled beneath his visors as his request, nay, claim upon the living as well seemed to have been ignored... still, he was not exactly with the backing of the entire Adeptus Mechanicus behind him, so he would settle for what he was given. Indeed, with fresh inhabitants of Port Wander to research upon, criminals at that, he might find something interesting... perhaps the secret to thievery and foul play in these men...

He nodded to himself as he disappeared to the section of the ship housing the general medicae facilities and his own, personal laboratory. It was a pity indeed that he had not been allowed to bring sacred texts with him, and as it were he would need to begin his work from the very first square... thankfully any travels in the company of Captain Rajender would earn him plenty of fresh bodies to work with.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:28 am

Dauphin had faith in Loken to handle any security issues. While part of him felt the need to personally make sure things were handled to his liking, he decided to snag a bit of rest. A hard man to find aboard the ship unless something important was afoot, he could be meeting with any one of his underlings, or simply meditating in the midst of the ship's day to day work. But today he had seen fit to slip off to his personal quarters. The room was not a place many had ventured to, and its extra reinforced security door was something of an oddity, adding to the man's mystique. Indeed, the place was either near permanently occupied by its sole owner for days (or during longer warp stints, weeks) on end, or vacant as Dauphin went about his tasks with very little in the way of relaxation.

He undid his hip-holster, removed his inferno pistol and examined it thoroughly before placing it on a desk. He mixed himself a drink, removed his boots, and began to nap.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:28 am

Race:

As the others depart to their separate pursuits, it falls to Race to see Dray settled into his quarters and acquainted with the basics of the ship. Dray seems deeply impressed by the Satisfaction, vouchsafing that he has never set foot on such a monument to the might of the Emperor's navy. He also takes the opportunity to sound Race out about their principal, trying to get a sense of what kind of man the rogue trader is.

Vipsanius:

Having seen his new experimental subjects stowed, and their lone prisoner stabilised by one of the ship's apothecaries, Vipsanius is free to conduct his experimentations or interrogations as he sees fit. Few men indeed will not crack upon seeing a member of the Mechanicus looming over them in their own private laboratorium, particularly one festooned with the bodies of their comrades. Before he begins however, he notes an oddity. It seems some helpful person has included the remains of that infernal bird in the haul, perhaps assuming that such a hybrid of flesh and machine might be of interest to him.

Rajender:

Rajender's steps take him to the Astropaths' Spire, a small, thin tower rising from the ship's superstructure to gain psykers and crew some distance from one another. The spiralling stair gives the rogue trader ample opportunity to put his thoughts in order, with stern-faced saints gazing down upon him from the wall frescoes. Preferring as they do their seclusion, Rajender sees not a soul during his ascent, finally topping the stair and entering a large chamber which functions as both relay station and temple to the God-Emperor. He is greeted at the entryway by one of the junior astropaths, a hunched and jittery young woman garbed in the traditional robe and blindfold, blind yet by no means sightless.

"I bid you welcome, Lord-Captain," she says formally, accent shaped by some distant world, "How may we be of service?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:15 pm

Rajender always appreciated the ascent to the Astropath's Spire. It offered him solitude and a time for reflection, things that had far too rare for his liking since he had taken up the title of Rogue Trader. The sight of the young astropath, someone both blessed by the Emperor himself yet undoubtedly cursed as well, did little to damage his tranquillity.

"I have come into the possession of a mnemolith, one that contains a message from the former Rogue Trader Hakon to his heir. I require the aid of your master in retrieving it."

He was not certain what would be involved in the reading of the strange stone. Would it be a simple matter, or require some sort of sanctified ritual? In either case he judged that the matter was of sufficient import to warrant the services of the most senior astropath aboard.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:46 pm

Vipsanius clapped his hands together in delight, he had thought the bird destroyed beyond salvation from the torrent of gunfire it had suffered, but once more the Omnissiah had shone His light on the tech-priest, and he would not look a gift bird in the beak. Momentarily distracted from the man they had salvaged for interrogation, he ordered one of his simple-minded servitors to have the bird carefully reconstructed and pieced together to the point where it would, hah, functional, if it wasn't for it being dead. As the servitors scuttled away to do just that, he approached one of the stationary vox-transmitters and set the transmission to the frequency of the Dauphin, plugging in a transmission-cable into his mouth-piece.

"Greetings, Dauphin, he spoke into the mouth-piece, pacing away through his laboratory as he spoke, the extended cord (made so exactly for this reason) trailing behind him like some sort of narrow tail. "As it has fallen upon me to retrieve one of these, aha, unfortunate survivors, I would like to extend an invitation to you, or Race if that would be the case, to work your own particular brand of, ehe, expertise on him before I set to my own, more permanent, work."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Fitz » Wed Jan 06, 2010 5:56 am

Race made for a highly informal guide to the ship; between his lazy, hive-accented drawl and the lho stick dangling from his mouth, a guest expecting to be treated in high style might have found justifiable cause for concern. He pointed out the major thoroughfares and transport links within the ship as they passed by en route to Dray's new berth, adding "Wouldn't stray too far belowdecks, if I was you. Some of the bonded crew gone a little bit crazy down there; cut you soon as look at you if you put a foot wrong."

"Captain's as straight as they come. Very religious, too, I don't know if that's a family trait or what. Word of advice, though - don't even think about crossing him." Race smiled mercilessly, taking another puff on the lho stick. "Won't end well."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:17 pm

Vipsanius's summons were not received without some level of annoyance. He slid out of bed, re-donned and smoothed his outfit out, and brushed his hair. He re-holstered his inferno pistol, poured himself another drink into a clear highball glass, and taking it on the go, began his approach to Vipsanius's workshop.

He had not sipped a drop by the time he arrived.

"What condition is our guest in?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:57 pm

Vipsanius/Dauphin:

It seems the captive is just starting to come around now, struggling against his bonds in a most gratifying manner. Meanwhile, the bird is clearly beyond the servitor's skills. It can replace most of the more common damaged components (and there are quite a few), but the neural circuitry is clearly fried. A pity too, because it looks to have been of considerably better workmanship than the rest of the mechanical parts. Far better than it should need to be, in fact, to control what is, after all, not a particularly complicated creature. It takes Vipsanius some few moments to deduce why this might be. This was no mere grapplehawk or spyborg, but a psyber-raven, an augmented familiar of a type favoured by psykers across the Imperium. Far from being a mere servant, such creatures are almost an extension of the psykers themselves.

Race:

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir," Dray says, looking shocked at the very suggestion, "I may have been away for some years, but I am still a loyal servant of the dynasty, and besides am far too old to cast what I have aside for the uncertainties of a new patron." He shakes his head, dismissing these thoughts, "I must say, it will be good to see the light of new suns and stand upon soil once more. It has been far too long."

Rajender:

"Of course, lord," the astropath says respectfully, turning to lead the way deeper into the sanctum. Her steps take them to the centre of the space, floor covered by intricate patterns of inlaid circuitry. Here senior astropath Gerrin Thaye sits, face blank, lips moving silently. After a few moments' standing before him his face takes on expression and he stands, his subordinate smoothly taking his place in the chair.

"Welcome again, Lord-Captain," Thaye says, that somewhat disconcerting blind gaze focusing on Rajender, "I should be able to read the mnemolith with ease, though interpretation may be another matter. If I might see it?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:39 pm

Rajender suppressed the urge to shiver as he stepped into the astropathic chamber. He had a better understanding of what occurred in such places than the common man yet the detailed workings of such a place were shrouded in mystery to all outside the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. What little he did know of the psyker arts did not put him at ease. Regardless of how he felt the Lord-Captain composed himself and nodded as Thaye finished speaking, certain that his gesture had been perceived in some manner, before unsealing the casket once again.

"I did not realise that there was interpretation involved, Master Thaye, though I presumed that you would be the one most capable of reading such an object regardless of the specifics."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Fitz » Sat Jan 09, 2010 12:33 pm

"Mm," Race said noncommittally. He walked in silence for a short while before asking, "How long did y'say you've been grounded here for? You see a lot of action like today's, or was that a special warm welcome?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:19 pm

Vipsanius had initially dismissed the bird, but now his interest was piqued. A psyber-raven, eh? This technology hinted at stronger enemies... stronger than vagabonds and scums trying to rob a noble of his riches at least. He had to literally tear himself from prodding and poking the mechanized animal and return his attention to the prisoner.

"It would seem he is alive and, aha, well." he resumed his pacing in front of the suspended attacker, the click - click - click of his staff hitting the floor joined by the rustling of the heavy robes against the floor. For a while his breathing apparatus remained silent... but then it gave a low-pitched whine and resumed work once more.

"Before I administer my own... admittedly effective methods, I assumed you would like to speak with the subject before he, aha, loses his... communicative abilities." he made a dismissive gesture, "It is often most testing to have to work through the sounds they make, so I have taken to disabling the vocal chords... I can understand you would like to talk with him before I do so."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:15 am

Dauphin strode up to the prisoner, examining him, casually sipping from his glass.

"Do you hear that? He plans on leaving you speechless."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:30 am

Vipsanius/Dauphin:

The thug looks, to put it mildly, scared out of his wits, "Please, sir. Don't take me tongue. I'd never've done what I did if I know'd it'd mean crossin' the Mechanicus. Don't turn me into anythin' unnatural, sir. In the Emperor's Name, please!"

Race:

"I've been on Port Wander going on twenty years now, sir," Dray says, "Seen my share of boarding actions. The Expanse is a hostile place, after all. I've seen a fair few people jumped in Port Wander too, though they're jackals for the most part. You'd never see them knowingly attack a target who could fight back." He shakes his head, "No, the more I think on it, the more I see a hand at work. Though whose I couldn't say."

Rajender:

Thaye nods, before picking the mnemolith out of the casket, holding it carefully in both hands. That blind gaze is turned inwards for a few moments, as the astropath attempts to plumb the mysteries of the stone. At last, he sets it back in the casket, "If I were to guess, captain, I would say this stone was imprinted by a navigator. It holds the image of an aged stellar system, a flickering star circled by dust worlds and a frozen halo, set within a nebula and large reaches of empty space. The flickering is most regular, taking place every hundred-and-two minutes."

This dry recitation of facts done, he adds something else, "There is another impression, fainter and fading. A mind voiceless as we are sightless. There and then gone in an echo of pain."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:46 am

Vipsanius clicked his tongue, an odd sound from behind the breathing apparatus and vox-amplifier, and tut-tutted the man with his finger, his faintly orange-glowing goggles focusing on the thug.

"Your tongue is, ahaha, the least of your worries and, if I may be allowed to jest, should you find yourself tongue-tied to our questions, it would be in our best interest that it remained, ehe, so until I'm done finding out what would motivate a man to attack a man of lord Rajender's status..." he made a grand, sweeping gesture to the rest of his laboratory, "I have made great progress on the subject of the mind most sactious, but the... compulsion to perform acts of violence... on the pretext of greed, why, it still eludes me." he tapped his own head, the metallic 'ting ting' muffled by the thick cloth of his robes of office, "Why did you do this? Did you ever stop to consider the consequences? What manner of... origin could create some one like you? Is it merely a matter of how you were raised, or is there an underlying... concept of... tendencies in your very core?"

He looked at Dauphin and then back on the subject, speaking as if he was merely holding a lecture. "The answers I... will find, but the question remains... will you give them to me by your own volition... or shall I seek them in the very essence of your being?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:40 am

Rajender was careful to conceal his displeasure as the astropath spoke. He would have to take the stone to the navigators of the Satisfaction after all and he did not relish the thought of intruding on their domain. Their domain aboard the vessel of the Hakon dynasty. This spire was the astropath's territory, but it was granted to them by the good grace of the Lord-Captain and so that they might fulfil their duties better. The Navigator Enclave was almost wholly given over to the strange breed of psykers that inhabited it. Vipsanius and his fellow tech-priests controlled the enginarium and other smaller areas throughout the ship and while good manners might dictate that he announce his presence before entering there was nothing to stop him from doing so. Nobody entered the Enclave without invitation, and that privilege was only ever extended to the most important men aboard. He'd learned that messengers were dismissed at the gates as a matter of practice, sometimes without a single word being spoken to them, and no man could fault such behaviour. Rajender Hakon might command an entire Rogue Trader dynasty but without the services of a navigator he would be rendered impotent, unable to traverse the warp and effectively confined to a single star system. The foreboding nature of the second impression only served to further sour his mood.

"A map, then." he stated, trying to recall if he'd ever heard of such a system before as he sealed the mnemolith away. "One that requires a navigator's senses to interpret fully, I wager. I shan't keep you from your work any longer, Master Thaye. Thank you for your time."

Rajender made his way back down the spire, mulling over the possible meanings of the second impression. Was this the message that Dray spoke of? He prayed that the navigators would be able to provide a clearer reading, though he doubted any saint besides Rybel Gorth would answer it.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:20 pm

Dauphin let Vipsanius finish his rhetorical lecture before quietly raising a single gloved finger.

"You're rambling."

He let that hang in the air for a moment, before turning to the prisoner.

"Now, who is your boss? Be assured that they cannot help, or harm you, at this point. I'd even go so far as to say that we are your new bosses. Perhaps not so different than the old one."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:06 pm

Vipsanius didn't meet a beat, but swept round to face Dauphin with a respiratorial click and hiss, his cloak shuffling as his heels clicked to the floor.

"Rambling, perhaps, to someone who cannot see, cannot perceive, the greatness towards what I strive." he tut-tutted again, "I would explain, but I am afraid it would be a waste of my time... and of yours, I am sure." He gave another chuckle, which half-way turned into a cough and he leaned heavily once more on his staff, glaring at the prisoner.

Truth be told, cutting off the man's vocal cords was hardly the end of it, and Vipsanius couldn't understand why he'd reacted so badly to that, considering the multitude of agonies the man was sure to suffer before his consciousness, sadly, would fail him. With any luck, Vipsanius would be further on his goal, but most likely this wretched scum of a man would prove as, eheh, fruitless as all the others.

He wasn't exactly low on Servitors either.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:26 am

Vipsanius/Dauphin:

"It weren't meant to be a proper attack like. The witch said we was just s'posed to scare you. Distract you so she could steal the rock out from under you. Throne knows it'd be more'n our lives're worth to kill a Trader, out in the open like that. The boss..." the thug hesitates, loathe to spill the one piece of information that's holding the horrible tech-priest at bay, but what choice does he have, really? "The boss is Trader Fel," he says at last.

Rajender:

Upon consideration, there is one sure way for Rajender to secure an audience with a navigator. By longstanding tradition, scrolls of parchment bearing the ship's intended course are delivered in advance of a warp jump, so that the navigators might have time to plot their path through the tides of the empyrean. Delivery of a blank parchment indicates that the ship's captain wishes to consult with the navigators on their destination. For a Rogue Trader, it may well be that the destination itself is unknown, as the ship sets out to bring new worlds into the Emperor's Light. While it would not do to utilise this stratagem too often, the mnemolith ought to be of sufficient interest for his sidestepping of protocol to be politely ignored.

There is also the matter of Dray. He had a story to tell, and it may have some bearing on the seemingly cryptic nemolith.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:20 am

Rajender adjusted his course once he recalled that particular detail of etiquette. He delegated the task of preparing to the first petty officer that he passed and dispatched messages to his fellow explorers, summoning them to his quarters along with the recently retrieved servant of the dynasty. The attack in the market had gotten his blood up and as a result he'd entirely forgotten about interrogating Dray at the time. Now would be the time to hear what he had to say, he reasoned, while his subconscious steered him down the path which would delay his visit to the navigators.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:23 pm

"Ah... ah ha ha... eh ah ah ha... hoho... ha, a hee..." The laughter coming from Vipsanius sounded like a poor excuse for mirth, but it was hard to tell if the techpriest actually was laughing, as the sound echoed horribly inside his vox-enhancer. He made a courteous bow to Dauphin, pulling back on his robes momentarily and revealing slender, far too slender limbs underneath the heavy coats, a greasy, dark-grey body-suit visible faintly underneath tool-belts and bio-mechanical additions.

"Aha... witches... a mythical rock... and accusations against... ohoh, another Rogue Trader?" the explorator spoke with a bemused voice, but his next words were as cold and calm as before. "Accusations against a dynasty trader is a most serious allegation... even if what we are told is true... the claim of a single man, a thug, a low-born scum... ahahaha, you understand why they would not be enough."

He tapped the metallic contraption covering most of his face thoughtfully and then chuckled grimly, "What ever shall we do with you now..."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:27 pm

Dauphin tapped the beverage glass with his index finger, trying to bring into mind all he knew of Trader Fel, before sipping.

"Well then. That elevates the issue a bit, I'd say. It will need to be investigated. Get someone to escort our newest crew member to his new, honest life in the deep decks. And get Rajender on the horn."

And then he went about undoing the captive's binds.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:56 pm

Vipsanius gave a hacking cough and splurted, "W-What!?" he swivelled on the spot to face Dauphin, staff aimed at the man, "The audacity! The... The NERVE! You order me!? A magus of the Adeptus Mechanicus, in my own sanctum! And worse still, you would take from me what is rightfully mine...?" His voice trembled with emotion that the man seemed not to have displayed before, and his voice was high-pitched, almost whiny. For a few moments he held his trembling staff aimed at the main in accusation, but then he took a raspy breath and seemed to calm down somewhat.

He lowered his staff with a loud tap as one end hit the floor, "Harumph, I shall have words with Captain Rajender about this, you can be certain; to deny me such a price chance to seek the escape of the Ouroboros, of karma... and you would keep it from me...?" his voice trailed off slightly as he seemed to shrink back in himself, then suddenly he slammed his staff against one of the servitors, speaking in a series of strange words in an order that defied common grammar, intermingled with long series of numbers.

Secret tongue, Tech:
Spoiler:
"Inform the captain that his, aha, seneschal wishes to speak with him... and once that is done, take..."

he pointed a quivering finger to the prisoner,


Secret tongue, Tech:
Spoiler:
"him to the lower decks to join the workforce. Inform them that he will be worked to the bone, and when he dies his body shall be mine."

Once the servitor heard its orders, it hurried away to a transmission station, sending away a message to captain Rajender's personal vox-channel, and Vipsanius observed it for a little while before he stepped towards the remains of the mechanical bird.

"It will alert you when the captain has been reached. Now bother me no more, I have work that needs to be done."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:06 am

As it turns out, the message from Rajender to the others comes through in short order, summoning them to his quarters. The servitors are unstrapping the goon and hauling him to his rather unsteady feet as Vipsanius and Dauphin leave the lab, and there's little doubt he'll make it to his destination, there to spend the rest of his days at hard labour. At fate far too good for him if Vipsanius were to have anything to say about it. Finding the outsider in amongst the crew should pose no great difficulty should it prove necessary.

Rajender's front room is everything one might expect from a member of a powerful dynasty - Well-appointed, hung with icons of the faith and subtly intimidating to visitors. The three are familiar enough with it however, and Dray seems to cope well enough, though such luxury is surely unfamiliar to him after all these years.

After a little prompting, Dray begins his story, "It was some twenty-five years ago, Lord, that your Lord-father set out to the Koronus Expanse at the head of a fleet. It was his aim, after some previous expeditions, to extend the reach of the Emperor's Light as far rimward as he might reach, and to establish contact and trade relations with as many worlds as we might encounter upon the return voyage. I served aboard the Emperor's Testament, under Captain Vos Karlon. It was, from the outset, an ill-fated voyage, plagued by warp storms, xenos raiders and rebelliousness among the crew. We reached as far as Raakata among the Heathen Stars before the order was given to turn back, and we saw little profit of the voyage."

"It was as we were traversing Winterscale's Realm that a particularly violent warp storm blew up, throwing us off course and separating us from the fleet. When we finally came to rest in an uncharted system, the ship's astropath heard a faint message, a cry for help from a stricken Imperial vessel. At first we believed it was from the rest of the fleet, but it was soon determined that it was what the astropath termed an echo in the warp, hundreds, perhaps thousands of years old. Further study of the message itself revealed it to be from the Righteous Path."

Dray paused here to let the implications of this sink in, clearly expecting others to be familiar with the name of the ship. Alas, it seems he has misjudged his audience. Seeing this, he elaborates, "The story of the Righteous Path dates back to the time of Saint Drusus," he sketches the sign of the Aquila, "During the Angevin Crusade. Imperial forces were sweeping across the expanse of space that would soon become the Calixis Sector, punishing the enemies of our Lord Emperor and bringing light to worlds lost for centuries to darkness." It is obvious that Dray was either familiar with the legend to begin with, or has become so during the years since his voyage.

"Among their number was Lorcanus Ryn, a great warlord and free-captain, filled with bloodlust and greed but also with an unwavering faith in Drusus and the Emperor. At the helm of his grand cruiser, the Righteous Path, he was the scourge of a hundred worlds, carving out a bloody path before him as the crusade conquered world after world. One such world was Kystallan, an ancient colony of man which had long ago fallen to the heretical worship of false gods and the teachings of treacherous prophets known as the Talisar. It was a world of immense wealth and blasphemous grandeur."

"It was, however, no match for the might of the Emperor's armies under Lorcanus Ryn. The warlord descended upon Kystallan, sweeping away the fallen civilisation in three days of fire and blood. When the killing was done, and the corpse counters began gathering up the detritus of war, Ryn marveled at the riches he had won. Never before had he seen such naked wealth; temples piled high with artefacts of rare and wondrous make, statues gilt with gems and gold, and shadowed vaults of forgotten and forbidden archaeotech. Legend spins many a tale of further riches beyond even these, though their true nature has been lost."

"Whatever the truth of Krystallian's wealth, Lorcanus was not content merely to sample it, nor did he trust his fellow crusaders to carry it away. So he set about filling the Righteous Path from stern to ram. He tore out gun decks and launch bays, marooned thousands of crew and stripped away the vessel's innards until she was bursting with plunder. The warlord then vanished into the warp and out of the pages of history."

Dray seems, despite himself, to have caught a trace of the old excitement he must have felt when he first heard the news, "Of course, there have been many expeditions in search of the Righteous Path. Most believe her irretrievably lost in the depths of the warp, or destroyed outright long since. Some believe however, that Krystallian was situated on the rimward edge of the Calixis Sector, a scant few light years from the Maw. It is conceivable that she was caught in the tides surrounding the Passage and carried far beyond into the Koronus Expanse."

It seems Dray has come to the end of this portion of his tale, leaving an opening for questions.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:37 am

The opening of the tale filled Rajender with pride. He had barely known his father, the nature of a Rogue Trader's life leaving little time to visit a family shackled to a single world in heavily exploited region of space, and the news of his expedition fuelled his imagination. He saw a pious yet ambitious man, eyes fixed upon unexplored worlds with a desire to bring the word of the God-Emperor to them. A role model to live up to and, he hoped, exceed in his accomplishments.

The tale of Lorcanus Ryn and the Righteous Path affected him differently. What began as a tale of a faithful man scourging heresy from the galaxy turned into one of a warlord succumbing to his desires. Perhaps there had been something more sinister than human greed at work. It served as a cautionary tale in his eyes, and doubly so for a man who saw profit in discovering the location of the missing vessel as he now did. Any thoughts concerning the veracity of the legend didn't occur to him at that time.

"What did Vos Karlon do when they discerned who had sent the message? Did he know the legend of the Righteous Path at the time?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:26 am

"He was familiar with the legend," Dray said, "But more concerned with the fate of the rest of the fleet. A thorough search of the system might have taken months, with no guarantee of success. Instead, he kept the full details of the discovery quiet and resumed course for the Maw as soon as the navigator felt confident of his ability to chart a course. The system's location was encoded in a mnemolith, so that your father might investigate at his leisure."

Having reached this point, Dray decides to finish the story, "We continued along the fleet's intended course, but with never a whisper of their passage. Our road was easy at the last, as if all the fury of the warp had been spent in that last storm. Nor did we hear word of them when we reached Pot Wander. After months of waiting, captain Karlon resolved to return to the Expanse in search of his lord. I was left here with the mnemolith, so that whatever happened, it would not be lost. A wise decision it would seem, as I never saw either one again."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:12 am

Dauphin stood looking off to the side, an index finger resting under his chin. He was in a mild state of thought, listening solely to add new datums to the tapestry being woven in his mind. A picture was indeed forming.

He glanced at the Lord Captain, and then to Dray.

"Again, excellent work on that, Dray. I'll have to debrief you on your work, in time."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:35 pm

Vipsanius had listened to the story with ill-hidden irritation. Clearly he was in a foul mood, but whether because of respect for the captain, or a brooding nature, he remained silent throughout the following discussions, although it was clear that even he had found a gem of interest in the tale.

"An interesting tale... clearly falsified like so much other gossip, grossly expanded upon over the ages but perhaps with a core of truth at its center..."

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