Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

RP-related discussion otherwise not covered in the Character Closet.
InquisitorChris
 
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Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Tue May 11, 2010 6:16 pm

Initial post -- waiting on players to show up.

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helvorn
 
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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Tue May 18, 2010 10:30 am

Matt Ashley here. I'm playing the Warp-bait... errrr... the Psyker.

I hail from Southern California. I've been playing the table top versions of 40K and Fantasy Battles since the early 90's so I'm quite the WH geek. I also played in a campaign of the original WHFRP game back in that time period that was a lot of fun. I like what they've done with the 40K role play game and am looking forward to playing here with this group.

My character, Kara Isaan is an Imperial Psyker from the Feral world of Dusk. I took A Shadow Over Thy Soul so she's fought off a daemonic possession (although that's one of her deep, dark secrets). She most likely will head down the Biomancer route but that assumes she isn't killed, possessed, driven insane, horribly mutated or all of the above in the meantime.

One question for the GM; do you want us to start posting in-game now? I understand we are at the Inquisitor's estate at the moment.

Let the games begin!

Matt

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ChristianC
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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed May 19, 2010 2:15 am

I've decided to write my reply from the e-mails here instead of through those channels. Those of you who know me may know I'm notoriously bad at replying to emails unless I'm physically at my computer when I receive them.

First of all. This is soptunnan2k5, my real name's Christian Cordeus, I'm from Sweden, I live there right now and I've been into 40k for about... an embarrassing 5 years now. I had a brief stunt with fantasy in grade school, but it was too expensive. I've compensated my lack of time spent being a 40k nerd with reading more or less anything I've stumbled upon, like a true fanatic.

Awesome characters, all of you. Chris wanted some more info on Chani, and I'm happy to oblige (Matt, I'm glad you liked her, I'm really pleased with how she came out as well, but I'm fearing that I won't be able to keep her way of thinking up for too long (I'm not a musician myself), but I'm going to do my best.

Chani has tattoos all over her body, but only a few 'cantatas'. She has "sheets" covering most of her skin, lines drawn in advance so that she can add notes to it later. Her face and neck, however, is tattooed only around the eyes and forehead to make her eyes seem more menacing. They look more like theatrical makeup, but they're permanent, and is something personal to every guerriero and hers is the motif of a bird of prey, possible a falcon or a hawk.

Her credo is that every death must be a thing of beauty. This is a very broad defintion, and some find beauty in mowing down your enemies en masse, whereas others might only take pleasure in the slow effects of a neural poison. Chani herself believes that every death must be something that would bring emotions to her 'audience'. She couldn't simply stab a man and walk away, it has to be done in a way that is at least dramatic, or imposes a sense of dread, there must be emotion in every death. Even if it anguish.

Here's how I think Chani will look on the other characters:

Jim: He seems unable to hear the music, or he dances to his own tune. She cannot hear it. He has an interesting view on justice, but he seems blind to the necessity of the great drama. He believes a col pugno is enough.
Huw: He is a criminal and scum, but he is so con affetto, he does not hide it. Chani respects all actors, regardless of what role they are forced to play. At least as long as they stay fidelious to the script.
Kara: Disturbing. She seems to play so many roles, does she not get confused? She is much more than just an actor...

More or less. Quite basic, since I assume we've met maybe once or so, Chani's a very recent addition to the roster. She's not spoken much about herself yet.

Oh, and I should point out, once the game we begin, it's easier to create a thread for out of character-stuff in the OOC-Forum and keep such chatter out of the game. It's traditionally what we do on this board.

Anyway, looking forward to play this game. :D

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed May 19, 2010 4:51 am

I get the feeling that we're all new to the whole acolyte thing, though getting to spend some time socialising and learning the ropes on a private island in the middle of an endless sea is probably one of the nicest ways to begin your service to the Inquisition. An OOC thread good, yeah. We can probably move this one across to the OOC forum, given how we're all filling it up with out of game chatter, allowing Chris to start up a nice clean thread for the game itself.

I'll paste what I wrote in the email about Jim's opinions of the others for posterity and ease of access.


Chani - Strange, strange lady but nice enough. He'll be polite to her, as he is to most people he considers friends and allies, but her habits and weird view of the galaxy make her hard to talk to. He'll probably try asking about her homeworld to try and get an idea of why she's like she is.

Huw - Unless the man gives him cause to believe that he's been mixed up in some serious criminal activity he'll take a liking to the guy. Being classless dross that exists outside of the social order of the Imperium isn't a crime (in his opinion at least) and he can respect the man given his new vocation.

Kara - She looks like she's had a hard life but that haunted nature makes him ill at ease when she's about. If he knows that she's a psyker then he'll be outright suspicious of her (and maybe a little fearful) while attempting to remain polite.

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Shinigori V2
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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Wed May 19, 2010 9:51 am

Moving this to the OOC forum.

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helvorn
 
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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Wed May 19, 2010 3:00 pm

IIRC Chris' intro had us as newbies. I've posted his note below.

I'm going to assume you have all been hanging out on Herlok's estate on (skims through book -- OK that planet looks to be in the right place) a floating articifial island on the ocean world of Spectorus for a few days or up to a week waiting for various members of your group to arrive from offworld for the mission, about which Herlok is tight-lipped. (In fact, you haven't seen him, instead being attended to by servants both human and mechanical, although you may have glimpsed Wazzon coming and going a few times.) So, I will let you say as much or as little to each other as you want, depending on whether you just stay in your quarters feeling seasick or actively try to socialize. (I won't roleplay this; I'm just saying the other characters know as little or as much about you as you want them to.) The exception is the Prime, to whom Herlok will give a general report on the members of the team. So anything Herlok knows the Prime will know, unless it is something he thinks should be hidden for some reason.)

You're all brand spanking new acolytes and haven't met before, or done any work for Herlok, other than what might be indicated in your backgrounds.


I like the idea of hanging out a bit and learning something of each other. It'll be good as both the players and characters and GM are all somewhat new to each other. I've gamed with Chris and Gordon (cleric) a bit previously. Kara certainly will vastly enjoy the resort-like atmosphere once she gets over the shock.

Kara would not volunteer that she is a psyker. However her sanctioning brand would be at least a little bit visible as it covers her upper chest. She would probably wear clothes that would cover it although I'd leave it to Chris just how visible the brand should be. She's certainly a bit spooky from her experiences on Dusk and everything that went into the Black Ships/Sanctioning experience. Plus she's coming straight from Terra and really hasn't seen anything of the Imperium outside of whatever was available to her during her 'training". I figure that the sanctionites were kept in a monastery-like environment so she has little to go on in the wider world. Certainly we can role play that!

I expect her to grow more worldly and experienced as the game progresses. She'll lose a lot of the spooky but will always be a bit haunted and 'different'. I don't think you can be a psyker and not be at least a bit 'odd'. Although a lot of the Inquisitor-type psykers in the novels seem fairly well adjusted. I'd expect that is something that takes years and years if ever to really gain some degree of control. It will be fun growing her into something more powerful and in control of herself (if we survive!).

How does Kara see the others...

Chani - A dangerous woman but touched by the Emperor through her music. Kara will be fascinated by how she weaves music into her life and into the death that she deals to others. She will be quite comfortable with Chani's customs and would try to befriend her if possible.

Huw - He would probably be the closest in background to Kara; one from caves of steel and the other from woods and swamps. His background scrabbling around in the underhive would fit in well with her experience. His violent or criminal background would pose no problem. She would still be a bit wary of him since he is a stranger.

Jim - she would be quite wary around him given her experience with enforcers and Imperial authority figures. As a psyker she would be doubly wary as he undoubtedly has a round chambered for her just in case... She would appreciate his strength as a warrior-type.

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Wed May 19, 2010 8:25 pm

Hi guys... Finally! :)

I'll be making some preliminary comments tonight (after the BBQ; I'm on vacation right now visiting my father), and then we'll get the whole thing rolling. (The Cleric sheet will be coming out forthwith.)

I may have questions for the esteemed Snidesworth aka Alex on how this site works...

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 2:13 am

And, as the Cleric is 99% of the way to total completion, here are the long-awaited preliminary notes. Here are some notes on the scenario and some minor house rules and rules clarifications, in no particular order. I may add some if any have slipped my mind.

I am as yet totally unfamiliar with how this forum works (such as, do I post the character sheets in a regular thread, or is there some special area? EDIT: I assume that is the Character Closet?) but hopefully that will be overcome soon.

Me. Some of you already know me -- for those who don't, I'm American, grew up in Southern California, lived several years in Washington DC working on (and never finishing) a doctoral degree, and have lived for the past 10 years in Russia.

General game style. I come from a largely Call of Cthulhu background, so I tend to play DH as largely a horror game (but without the extreme levels of player death in CoC). I do tend for this reason to be rather generous with Insanity and Corruption, as Alex can attest. :cthulhu: It's pretty heavy on investigation and information-gathering, so Lore (and even Trade!) skills are pretty important.

Some of you have been through the initial stages of this scenario before. As you will see, I have changed it quite a bit, so you shouldn't have to deal with too much repetition.

The Inquisitor. For reasons inscrutable to all but me, I have decided to recast your Inquisitor as a member of the Ordo Hereticus rather than Xenos (I don't think this makes a difference to anybody's backgrounds). If you missed it the first time, he is Inquisitor Sholmes Hirlock, a tall thin man known for his penetrating mind. He is often accompanied by his long-term associate Chirurgeon Wazzon. Rumors are whispered that he may be a distant relative of the notorious Haarlock Rogue Traders.

Dice rolling. Since DH uses a system heavy on Opposed Skill Rolls and Reactions, I'm going to do all the rolling myself -- otherwise it would take way too long. I will tell you the results of all the rolls and the mechanics of determining them (unless something has to be concealed for some reason, as is often the case with for example Awareness). I also will not fudge rolls. If you are in close combat and have the option of either using Dodge or Parry, I will assume that whichever is higher is being used unless you say otherwise.

Death. If the dice say you die, you die (avoiding that is what Fate Points are for -- although while burning an FP will save you, you will still suffer lasting damage, physical, psychological, or other). This is the grimdarkness of dark grimness, not Happy Happy Land. :) If a character for some reason becomes unplayable, another can be recruited from the locals. However, I am not of the "kill the PCs!" Gary Gygax school of GMing. If something nasty is coming up, I will give you warning -- albeit maybe subtle warning.

NPCS get Righteous Fury. If somebody is waving a gun in your face, you shouldn't be thinking, "hey, it's just a laspistol! I have 13 Wounds -- it can't kill me!" You should be worried. By the same token, I don't use the Sudden Death rules for mooks.

Corruption. I will be using the Corruption rules in the Radical's Handbook. They're more CoC-ish. :)

Fate Point use. Fate Points can be used for rerolls of Tests only (as per RAW). Not for rerolls of damage (there's a Psychic Power that does that) or for Psychic Phenomenon rolls, or for the results of Fear, Insanity, etc. (though you could rerell the Test that made you succumb to fear in the first place).

Normally, at the beginning of a combat, before rolling for Initiative, I ask if you want to spend an FP to get the automatic 10 (as in RAW).

Fate Points, as per RAW, can be used to heal back Wounds. NOT the effects of Critical Damage. However, they will let you reduce the effects of Critical Damage in the following way. Let's say that Chani is rammed by a charging Khornate Space Moose and takes 5 Critical Damage. She takes whatever that result is on the CD table. Then she spends an FP and gets back 4 "Wounds." This means that, should she be hit again and take 3 Wounds, which would normally bring her down to a -8 result (and likely mutilation or death), she only suffers a -4 result. The same goes for the Healer Minor Psychic Power and most other forms of healing.

If an FP is spent to heal Wounds, it must be used immediately or very shortly after taking the damage (the "merely a flesh wound!" effect). You can't use them to magically heal yourself overnight.

Avoiding Stinky Acolyte Syndrome. In addition to your "work" clothes, I assume you have several sets of normal civilian clothing and normal personal possessions.

Avoiding Penniless Acolyte Syndrome. You will start the game with one month of income PLUS whatever Thrones you have left after having bought equipment, if any, during character creation (for the Scum, this is random, so you should roll it, or I can, as you wish ;) ). After the mission briefing, you will have a couple of days in which to look for equipment if you want to using the normal Inquiry system. You can do the same when you reach your destination if you want.

Ignorance. This is a police state with strict control over information and a pretty crap educational system. You probably know a lot more about the 40K universe than your characters do. I assume that everybody in the Calixis Sector has a vague idea of what Orks are, since they are so common. However, in order to know more about them than that they are "foul green-skinned barbaric Xenos," you need Forbidden Lore (Xenos). This is even more the case for other aliens. None of you have heard of Eldar, for example, except perhaps vague stories about vile alien pirates. Knowledge of the Horus Heresy will require Scholastic Lore (Legend) (and a pretty good one). Knowledge that machine spirits maybe aren't really spirits requires Forbidden Lore (Machine Cult) (it's forbidden for a reason!). And so forth.

To read anything of any complication requires Literacy. (Sorry Huw!) However I assume that everybody has been around the block enough to read street signs and so forth.

Similarly, to drive a vehicle you need the appropriate skill. I don't care what the Inquisitor's Handbook says: even in highly developed societies in our world, lots of people don't know how to drive, much less some guy from the Feral World Stoneagia. (Jim has traded Scrutiny for Drive (Ground Vehicle), so he can pull off this esoteric skill.)

Whew! Let me know if any of that is unclear.

And so... we will start the game proper in the morrow. One thing I would like to know is to what extent your characters have been interacting while on Hirlock's floating estate (a more detailed description of it will be forthcoming). I will assume that you have gotten there:

Brother-Initiate Leviticus a week ago
Chani 4 days ago
Jim 3 days ago
Kara 2 days ago
Huw The morning of the last day (the day of the briefing)

All you know is that Hirlock has summoned you from various ports of call for your first official mission. He has been nowhere to be seen (not surprisingly, since the majority of the estate is closed off to you), although you may have seen Wazzon puttering about. There are plenty of servitors and human servants though.
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Thu May 20, 2010 10:49 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu May 20, 2010 5:00 am

InquisitorChris wrote:I am as yet totally unfamiliar with how this forum works (such as, do I post the character sheets in a regular thread, or is there some special area? EDIT: I assume that is the Character Closet?) but hopefully that will be overcome soon.


The character closet is the usual place, yeah, though sticking them in the first post of the OOC thread is also acceptable (and probably more sensible). That other forum is a bit of a relic of the old days when lots of short games were run via chat in a shared, persistent setting and, as a result, characters weren't usually confined to a single game for long periods of time.

Games are also usually confined to one IC thread. The times when they're not is when a game gets too large and permenantly/near permenantly splits into two. The usual format for posting IC is plain text for actions, quoted text for word and bracketed text for OOC/mechanical stuff. This is convention rather than a rule though, so don't sweat it if you'd rather format things a different way. Private Messages can be accessed via the User Control Panel, something I use for conveying really secret information to players in my own game.

Can't think of anything else important, but if you do then just ask. Christian and Capntastic have both been around here for about as long as I have so they'll be able to help you too.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby ChristianC » Thu May 20, 2010 9:02 am

For simplicity's sake, I believe I'll make a longer initial post about what Chani's been up to since her arrival, but sufficient to say I doubt she will have initiated conversation with any of the other acolytes unless pressed. She's pretty scared, only a few months out of boot camp, but she's hiding it by just not interacting with the others. If approached, she will have most likely given a very short, melodic excuse and hurried away.

It could be of note that Chani's native language isn't gothic, but rather a musical language (it simply sounds like lyric-less singing to anyone listening), but she's learned enough to get by during her training to become a guerriero... not that it won't stop her from making the occasional mistakes and such.

For gameplay's sake, I suppose this is a language spoken only on her homeworld, I don't want to add this to any game-mechanics, it's a character flavor-thing.

Anyway, woo! Looking forward to the game :D

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 am

I have never seen a starting character with a characteristic as good as that of Mr. House of the de la Poers here. In fact I've never seen a PC with a characteristic that good. Well that's what Tainted Blood of Malfi does for you.

SEBAZTION DeVOLPA

Home World: Noble Born (The Tainted Blood of Malfi)
Career Path: Adept (Colleges of the Hetaireia Lexis)
XP: 450 XP Spent: 450 Remaining: 0
Age: 34
Sex: Male Build: Fit Height: 1.75m Weight: 70kg
Skin: Tan Hair: Sandy Blonde Eyes: Green
Quirk: Ear-Piercings
Divination: "The wise man learns from the deaths of others"

Characteristics
WS 24
BS 34
S 25 SB: 2
T 31 TB: 3
Ag 32
Int 56
Per 33
WP 29
Fel 45

Wounds: 12
Fate Points: 1
Initiative Bonus: 3
Insanity Points: 10
Corruption Points: 5
Move: 3/6/9/18
Carry: 27kg/54kg/108kg

Traits: Supremely Connected, Vendetta, Wealth, Fiendish Mind, Monstrous Lineage

Talents: Pistol Training (SP), Light Sleeper, Peer (Academics, Adeptus Mechanicus, Noble), Sprint, Talented (Deceive), Resistance (Fear)

Advanced Skills: Ciphers (Hetaireia Lexis) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium, Tech) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Xenos), Literacy (Int), Scholastic Lore (Legend, Beasts) (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int), Trade (Copyist) (Int)

Advancements: Colleges of the Hetaireia Lexis (100), Simple Intelligence Advance (100), Simple Fellowship Advance (250), Scholastic Lore (Legend) (100)

Weapons: Stub Revolver (Pistol; 30m; S/-/-; 1d10 + 3 I; Pen 0; Clip 6; Rld 2Full; Reliable), Autopistol (Pistol; 30m; S/-/6; 1d10 + 2 I; Pen 0; Clip 18; Rld Full)

Armour: Flak Jacket (Arms, Body, Legs 3)

Gear: Thirty-six stub revolver rounds, six autopistol clips, Administratum robes (Common Quality Clothing), writing kit, chrono, data slate, backpack

Weight Carried: 13kg

Throne Gelt: 7 + 500 = 507

Monthly Income: 500

He's the boyishly charming dilettante spawn of a Malfian noble house with all that entails, exposed young to the pleasure jaunts and beast hunts of his immensely wealthy and needless-to-say debauched cousins and elder siblings, developing early an unhealthy fascination with the exotic, the Xenos, and the archaic. Today he is something of a freelance archaeologist/treasure hunter, furthering his academic knowledge in his hobby by training under a famed Xenos Archanist of the Hetaireia Lexis, to which he regularly delivers broadly exaggerated accounts of adventure-filled danger and horror with his published findings and recovered artifacts or assorted Xenos beasties. Imagine the sort of boarding-school educated boyishly charming jolly-ol' English gentleman, circa 1840-60 you might find running about Africa with a safari cap, elephant gun, mutinous native bearers, and a raging case of dysentery that needs a serious looking-at; then 40k it up a little.
As such, he is despite a whip-sharp intellect and wit, an amateur engaging in a hobby for pleasure - and perhaps a mild addiction to the thrill of semi-elicit discovery. Unsuspecting and over-confident chap that he is, he sees his induction into the Ordos at this juncture as a fine opportunity to get his hands a little dirty, and he can't quite seem to grasp what everyone is so troubled and bothered about; after all, they're only Xenos, and everyone knows they died out thousands of years ago in the Crusade...right?
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby ChristianC » Thu May 20, 2010 9:48 am

Indeed, simply name the thread after our RP. No one is going to mind, we're pretty laid-back, and the structure's here to help, not hamper. And worst-case scenario it'll get moved, so no worries there.

And okay, sounds good. :)

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 10:10 am

KARA ISAAN

Home World: Feral World (Dusk) Career Path: Imperial Psyker (A Shadow over Thy Soul)
Rank: 1 (Sanctionite)
XP: 300 Spent: 300 Remaining: 0
Age: 29
Build: Lean Height: 1.65m Weight: 55kg
Skin: Fair Hair: Pale Blond Eyes: Green
Sanctioning Side-Effect: Hypno-Indoctrination
Sanctioning Brand: Large black and gold Imperial eagle on upper chest between breasts
Quirk: Piercing (Small silver skull set in nostril)
Tribal Taboo: Lonely Dead
Divination: “In the darkness, follow the light of Terra”

Characteristics
WS 24
BS 29
S 31 SB: 3
T 36 TB: 3
Ag 32
Int 33
Per 37
WP 40
Fel 32

Wounds: 13
Fate Points: 1 Current Fate Points: 0
Initiative Bonus: 3
Insanity Points: 10 (Unsettled)
Corruption Points: 6
Move: 3/6/9/18
Carry: 36kg/72kg/144kg

Traits: Bad Blood, Dark Tales, Little Left to Fear, Primitive, Wilderness Savvy

Talents: Dark Soul, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Weapon Training (Las), Psy Rating 1

Basic Skills: Navigation (Surface) (Int), Survival (Int), Scholastic Lore (Occult) (Int), Tracking (Int)

Advanced Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Dusk Folklore) (Int), Invocation (WP), Psyniscience (Per), Literacy (Int), Trade (Soothsayer) (Fel), Speak Language (Dusk Cant, Low Gothic), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (Int)

Psychic Powers: Healer (7, Full, 10m), Chameleon (7, Half, Sustainable, You), Resist Possession (6, Reaction, You)

Advances: A Shadow over Thy Soul (200), Awareness (100), Basic WP Increase (100), Minor Psychic Power (Resist Possession) (100)

Weapons: Compact Laspistol (15m; S/-/-; 1d10+1 E; Pen 0; Clip 15; Reload Full; Reliable, Compact), Axe (1d10+4 R; Pen 0; Primitive, Unbalanced), Staff (1d10+3 I; Pen 0; Balanced, Primitive, Two-Handed), Knife (1d5 + 3 R; Primitive)

Armour: Flack Vest, Quilted Vest (Body 2; Primitive)

Gear: Worn leather breeches and stained cotton blouse, ragged green and brown cloak, Psy-Focus (tarnished silver coin on a leather thong), Laspistol Charge Pack, Pair of bone dice, Charm (small silver bracelet set with small Imperial Aquila; picked in a shipboard shrine on the voyage from Terra), writing kit, three compact laspistol overcharge packs.

Weight Carried: 10.25 kg

Throne Gelt: 53 + 70 - 35 = 88

Monthly Income: 70

Kara Isaan was born on the Feral World of Dusk during an eclipse of the greater moon Metus. This marked her as touched by the witch-blood and from an early age she carried herself with an uncanny air, even among the inhabitants of eldritch Dusk. She grew up into a pale, haunted beauty with wide green eyes that saw too much.

Kara freely dallied with the boys (and girls) of her tribe while growing up; indeed she was desired and feared as she moved rapidly from one relationship to another. Perhaps she was toying with those around her or maybe she sought comfort and protection from the Night in the bonds of companionship. Whatever her motives she became an apprentice to the wise woman of the tribe and learned much of the lore of nature and things beyond the Pale.

Perhaps Kara was overconfident or just unlucky one night during a double eclipse of the major and minor moons; she was possessed by a daemon. She and the Wise Woman of her tribe were performing the Rites of Redemption to ward off the powers of Darkness during the eclipse when the Veils of Reality thin to almost nothing in some places. Something went wrong during the ritual and both women were psychically attacked from the Warp. The Wise Woman recognized the attack for what it was and managed to kill herself before she could be taken but Kara was not so quick and she was possessed by a Daemon named Ilibaugam.

The Daemon inhabiting her body and controlling her actions did not serve any of the Ruinous Powers but rather existed to feed off of the despair and dark passions of mortals. Kara’s soul was tortured and scarred by the Daemon while her mind was reduced to gibbering helplessness in a small corner of her consciousness. For a full ten day the Daemon ran amok in the mortal realm using its own powers and Kara’s body to inflict unmentionable torments on her tribe. Through all of this Kara maintained a frail hold on her sanity in the hopes of regaining control of herself perhaps long enough to kill her mortal shell.

Kara’s torment came to a blessed end one night during a conjunction of the greater moon with the nearer planet. This conjunction traditionally signaled an end to persecution or ill fate and a change for the better. During that night Kara was severely injured by the warriors of her own tribe. The shock of the injury combined with the psychic potential of the conjunction allowed Kara to rally and during a struggle lasting the rest of the night throw the Daemon out of her and back to the Warp.

During her struggles she somehow travelled many leagues beyond her home range to the edge of the Imperial down port. As Kara finally defeated the Daemon and threw herself to the ground she was noticed by the perimeter guards. Before she could kill herself and put her body beyond the further reach of Ilibaugam the Imperial Guardsmen seized her and carried her into the settlement as a prize. The next period of time was a haze to her as she slowly healed her bodily wounds and served the Guardsmen as a drudge and worse. At some point she was noticed by the Regimental commissar as a witch and psyker. Kara never knew why she was not killed out of hand; perhaps she begged too fervently for death and was instead spared for the Black Ship. Perhaps the commissar sought to inflict a deeper penance than death on her; she would go to serve the Emperor.

Kara survived the Black Ships with her secrets and her sanity mostly intact. The fact that she came from Dusk served to explain much of her own strangeness and no one ever found out that she had shared her existence with a Daemon. Mercifully, the psychic wards and dampening drugs that were fed to the cargo aboard the Black Ship isolated her from the Warp and allowed Kara to escape Ilibaugam’s pursuit. When she reached Holy Terra Kara was found to be strong enough to serve the Emperor amongst His domains. After years of harsh training and discipline she was Sanctioned at the foot of the Throne. In an odd or perhaps fortuitous coincidence her Sanctioning brand was applied to her chest directly over the faint scar marking the wound that freed her from servitude.

However during the final stage of her Sanctioning it was discovered through divination that she had previously been possessed by a Daemon. Kara was immediately secluded in a high security cell while the Ordo Malleus and the adepts of the Schola Psykana pondered her fate. At last it was decided that her soul was free of lingering taint and that she possessed sufficient mental strength to remain pure. The Inquisition took special charge of her and following the final rites of Sanction took her away for further evaluation and trials. One of the side effects of the additional conditioning provided by the Inquisition is that she involuntarily chants the Litany of Protection in a whispered voice while asleep or unconscious. The holy words provide further protection for her when her mind is most vulnerable.

Her sanctioning complete, Kara has been returned to the realm of the Emperor to serve His will. She has only the bare clothing on her back, a handful of coins and two special links to her past and future. One is a small silver skull set in her left nostril as a piercing; this represents her past and the tribe that she betrayed. The other is a worn silver coin that was given to her on Holy Terra to use as a focus for her powers and to remind her of the eye of the Emperor.

Now almost thirty years old Kara seems younger than her years would suggest except for the depth of pain and knowledge in her swirling green eyes. She is still possesses a haunting, ethereal beauty yet is set apart from human comfort by her Sanction and her service. She knows little of mainstream Imperial society beyond what little she has picked up during her Sanctioning and travel from Terra to the home of her new master. She continues to cling to as many of her familiar tribal ways as is possible, the most important of which is that to speak the name of the dead is to summon their spirits back from the Void.
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:41 pm, edited 25 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 10:14 am

CHANI ODESSA

Homeworld: Imperial World Career Path: Assassin
Rank: 2 (Shadesman)
XP: 500 XP Spent: 500 XP Remaining: 0
Sex: Female Build: Well-built Height: 1.83m Weight: 78kg
Skin Colour: Tan Hair Colour: Dyed White
Eye Colour: Blue Age: 27
Quirk: Tattoos
Divination: "There are no civilians in the battle for survival"

Characteristics
WS 41
BS 29
S 34 SB: 3
T 35 TB: 3
Ag 40
Int 33
Per 29
WP 32
Fel 34

Wounds: 15 Current Wounds: 1
Fate Points: 2 Current Fate Points: 0
Initiative Bonus: 4
Insanity Points: 6
Corruption Points: 0
Move: 4/8/12/24
Carry: 36kg/72kg/144kg

Traits: Blessed Ignorance, Hagiography, Liturgical Familiarity, Superior Origins

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP),
Ambidextrous, Sound Constitution 1x

Basic Skills: Common Lore (Imperial Creed, Imperium, War) (Int), Literacy (Int), Speak Language
(High Gothic) (Int)

Advanced Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag), Silent Move (Ag), Speak Language
(Low Gothic) (Int)

Advancements: Simple WS Advance (100), Simple Ag Advance (100), Climb (100), Silent Move (100), Sound Constitution (100)

Weapons: Aria dell'imperatore (Best Quality Sword) (Melee, 1d10+4 R, Pen 0, Balanced, Primitive),
Knife (Melee, Thrown, 1d5+3 R, Pen 0, Primitive), Compact Laspistol (Pistol, 15m, 1d10+1 E, S/-/-. Pen 0,
Clip 15, Rld Full, Compact, Reliable), Hunting Rifle (Basic, 150m, 1d10+3 I, S/-/-, Pen 0, Clip 5, Rld Full,
Accurate)

Armour: None

Gear: Charm (Corpse Hair), Black Bodyglove (Common Quality Clothing), One Laspistol Charge Pack,
16 Bullets, One Dose of Stimm (Located in Sword)

Weight Carried: 9.25kg

Throne Gelt: 24 + 120 = 144 - 2 = 142

Monthly Income: 120


Background: Music. It has surrounded Chani Odessa since the day she was born and
has, for her entire life, been as common to her as air, life and the Emperor,
l'Imperatore, Il grande compositore. Raised on the planet Corsa, the only hospitable
body in the Corsa system, Chani never saw much of the Imperium outside of her own
world. Aside from a tithe offered to the Imperium every twenty year of men, women and
produce, the Imperium of Man had little interest in the little dot on the starcharts
that had neither valuable resources, strategic importance nor any significant saints
being born or dying on it.

But to the people of Corsa, the Imperium had all the importance in the world. Long ago,
before even the Great Crusade, the planet was the hub of a large sector of the great
ages, a planet renowned far and wide for it's cultural treasure. Great performances in
art and song were held across the entire face of the planet and the people of the old
age travelled far and wide to witness the perfection of art that was Corsa.

But as the former civilizations of man descended into barbary and isolation, the people
of Corsa were soon left to their own device. Spacefaring was forgotten and great projects
to transform their homeworld into one capable of supporting local life was done. This
project would take thousands of years of suffering, hunger and anarchy before finally
they were able to sustain themselves on food grown by themselves. Through this time,
the Corsan people forgot much of their former glory, and the songs, lyrics and art of
the past became incomprehensible but powerful symbols of civilization to which they clung
to like shipwrecked sailors. The cantatas of old transformed into hymns of life itself,
and music became the very language they spoke.

When finally the Calixis sector was reclaimed, the people of Corsa had long since allowed
their history to become mythology, ancient times where Music was powerful enough to move
mountains, where ancient gods travelled the skies, singing the hymns that created worlds.

And the Emperor, through clever manipulation of the Ecclesiarchy, would come to be perceived
as the very father of those gods. The great composer, as He is often seen as by the Corsans,
had long ago planted the art of song on Corsa, instilled them with the power so rare and
so potent that only few, few others outside of Corsa knows it. The power to create music.

Chani herself was born into the warrior-caste, the guerriero, and was taught the ways of
harmonizing the blade and the dance of your opponent, creating with them the song of battle,
the Cantata of the Two, each one unique and bound to be remembered by the victor for the rest
of their existance. With each foe slain, the cantata was to be noted down on the body of
the survivor, using an ink made from his victim's blood through a secret art passed down for
generations. The ink was tattood into the skin of the victor, for all to see, and when a
guerriero passed away, his songs would become known to others, to know the cantatas of a living
guerriero meant you had either stolen them, or he had shared them with you as a bond as strong
as anything else. The binding of two guerriero traditionally meant that they shared their
cantatas, singing them while fulfilling their union at the first time.

But Chani was raised for another purpose. Hers was not the lot to live, love and die on Corsa,
but to learn the cantatas of the galaxy. She was recruited as part of a company conscription
into the service of the great Composer where she quickly showed her capabilities with the
Aria dell'Imperator, the finely crafted blade that every acknowledged guerriero is given
on their 25th birthday. Her skills served her well in a few battles, but soon it also drew
the attention of someone else. An arm of the great composer neither she nor her people, save
a few initiated, knew of. The Inquisition. Although a Corsan Guerriero is primarily a warrior,
their fighting style, a fluent smooth style adapted to follow the rhythm of their opponent,
and their focus on the blade instead of the gun, made it obvious that she would be more
useful aimed at the back of the Inquisition's enemies rather than to throw herself against them
head on.

Personal Strictures: Chani is not entirely comfortable with her given duty as assassin. She is
unfamiliar with the term, and do not consider death something that should be done in the dark
and quiet, but she has come to realize that in silence, the voice of the Cantata merely changes
aria, it is still a song. She also refuses to kill children or those she deem too weak to give
her a song she can be proud of scribing.

Appearance: Chani dresses in the traditional garb of the guerriero, a puffy-armed, cream-shirt
laced at the arms and chest with black, satin bands. Atop it she wears a darkblue vest with golden
trims, buttoned cross-chest like an old navy coat, and she wears similarly lace-up leggings made
from the same material as her vest. She also wears a pair of duelist's gloves and keeps her long,
white hair (the traditional guerriero haircolor, dyed, reminiscent of the 17th century wigs, although
natural) tied up in a ponytail.

Her features have a certain eagle-like qualities to them. She's by no means thin, but her face
and body are quite angular, almost pointy, which is a physical trait considered strong and beautiful
amongst the Corsans. Her eyes, also, has a disconcerting look about them as she is often prone to
consider most people she meet regarding what kind of music their bodies would make if forced into
a fight.

Her blade, the Aria dell'Imperator, is one forged by the master smiths of Corsa and given to every
guerriero who proves themselves on or by their 25th birthday. Before that, they are given the meek
Spada to train with, clumsy, mass-produced weapons. Every Aria dell'Imperator is unique in its design,
designed to harmonize well with its wielder and to symbolize their connection to the Great Composer
Himself. Chani's blade is ornamented with opals primarily, the steel they are set in a rosy gold and
the handle wrapped with a narrow and strong rope made from local-grown hemp. The pommel folds out and
covers the top of her hand entirely, like a foil, and the blade itself is more suited for piercing
thrusts rather than cuts, but is capable of both.

Emotions: Chani is music. Whenever she is awake, she sings, hums or, if she's forced to remain silent,
have a pace about her that hints at a rhythm. She is a capable composer, having a wide range of tones
to her voice that she employs well, and with a natural sense of tact and rhythm. Likewise, her emotions
tend to be rhythmic, stable but she is also quick to change pace. When she is angry, she is seething,
when she is sad the whole world weeps with her, when she is happy there is life and color around her
that seeps into anything she touches.

Most often, especially on missions, Chani is focused on her tasks as a guerriero, which is just as much
about giving a good performance as it is about killing. Therefore she tends to be flourishing, almost
to the point of being excessive, but she is quite aware of the dangers of being too careless.
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:40 pm, edited 11 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 10:23 am

JAMES “JIM” CLAGGET

Homeworld: Imperial World Career Path: Arbitrator (Justice, Not Law)
Rank: 1 (Trooper)
XP: 300 XP Spent: 300 XP Remaining: 0
Quirk: Horseshoe Mustache
Gender: Male Build: Fit Height: 1.75m Weight: 65kg
Skin Colour: Fair Hair Colour: Black Eye Colour: Blue Age: 27
Quirk: Horseshoe Mustache
Divination: "Thought begets heresy, heresy begets retribution"

Characteristics
WS 26
BS 31
S 33 SB: 3
T 34 TB: 3
Ag 35
Int 35
Per 38
WP 33
Fel 36

Wounds: 10
Fate Points: 2 Current Fate Points: 1
Initiative Bonus: 3
Insanity Points: 1
Corruption Points: 0
Move: 3/6/9/18
Carry: 36kg/72kg/144kg

Traits: Blessed Ignorance, Hagiography, Liturgical Familiarity, Superior Origins

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Peer (Underworld), Quick Draw

Basic Skills: Common Lore (Imperial Creed) (Int), Common Lore (War) (Int), Speak Language (High Gothic) (Int)

Advanced Skills: Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites, Imperium) (Int), Deceive (Fel), Drive (Ground Vehicle) (Ag), Inquiry (Fel), Intimidate (S), Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int)

Advancements: Justice, Not Law (200), Basic Toughness Advance (100), Drive (Ground Vehicle) (100), Scrutiny (100)

Weapons: Pump-Action Shotgun (Basic, 30m, 1/-/-, 1d10+4 I, Pen 0, Clip 8, Rld 2 Full, Scatter), Arbites Maul (Club) (Melee, 1d10+3 I, Pen 0, Primitive), Brass Knuckles (Melee, 1d5+2 I, Pen 0, Primitive), Knife (Melee, 1d5+3 R, Pen 0, Primitive)

Armour: Mesh Vest (Body 4)

Gear: Uniform, 32 Shotgun Shells, 3 doses of Stimm and injector, Arbitrator ID, Chrono, Pack of lho-sticks

Weight Carried: 9kg

Throne Gelt: 93 + 70 = 163

Monthly Income: 70

Born on Balecaster, a feudal world undergoing an industrial revolution and a fuller integration into the Imperium, Jim spent his early years as an enforcer in one of the frontier towns that had sprung up in the wake of the influx of technology. When the chance came for him to enlist with the Arbites he jumped at it, seeing the job as a higher calling and the opportunity to visit other worlds. While he had respect for the laws of the Imperium he had trouble enforcing them, interpreting their intent rather than sticking to the letter. He never went so far as to warrant serious reprimand but he made enough of a bad impression to earn an initial posting on Sinophia, long regarded as a dumping ground for the Adeptus Arbites.

Faced with incompetent superiors and a jaded and almost entirely criminal populace he stuck with his old ways, dispensing justice as he saw fit with little regard for the wording of the Lex Imperialis. He wasn't the only one to take this approach and found himself among like minded men and women in short order. That squad ran into trouble soon enough, angering a group with offworld connections and an eye for especially illegal profit. Thankfully the Inquisition was on hand and investigating the matter themselves. Once the dust had settled he and the few survivors of the incident found themselves recruited as acolytes.

Jim is a driven man and looks forward to the freedom he believes that his new calling grants him. He's willing to overlook minor, "benign" transgressions in favour of using criminal elements to take down the larger threats. His years on Sinophia have helped him acclimatise to the wider Imperium but he still maintains a few old prejudices from Balecaster such as his disdain for las-weaponry and that the worth of a man is determined by how strong his word is.
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:45 pm, edited 13 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 10:33 am

ZURIEL TITUS

Homeworld: Hive World (Volg Hive – Fenksworld)
Career Path: Guardsman (The Mara Landing Massacre)
Rank: 1 (Conscript)
XP: 250 XP Spent: 200 XP Remaining: 50
Gender: Male Build: Brawny Height: 1.75m Weight: 90kg
Skin Colour: Fair Hair Colour: Brown Eye Colour: Blue Age: 27
Divination: "Thought begets heresy, heresy begets retribution"

Characteristics
WS 32
BS 45
S 40 SB: 4
T 42 TB: 4
Ag 24
Int 33
Per 30
WP 34
Fel 23

Wounds: 12
Fate Points: 2
Initiative Bonus: 2
Insanity Points: 7
Corruption Points: 3
Move: 2/4/6/12
Carry: 56kg/112kg/225kg

Traits: Accustomed to Crowds, Born Survivor, Caves of Steel, Grim, Hivebound, Volg Hiver Skills

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las), Jaded, Light Sleeper, Resistance (Psychic Powers)

Basic Skills: Tech-Use (Int)

Advanced Skills: Awareness (Per), Drive (Ground Vehicle) (Ag), Intimidate (S), Speak Language (Low Gothic, Volg Hive Dialect)

Advancements: The Mara Landing Massacre (300), Awareness (100), Simple Ballistic Skill Increase (100)

Weapons: Lasgun (100m; S/3/-; 1d10 + 3 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Rld Full; Reliable), Shotgun (30m; S/-/-; 1d10 + 4 I; Pen 0; Clip 2; Rld 2Full; Scatter, Reliable), Laspistol With Red-Dot Laser Sight (30m; S/-/-; 1d10 + 2 E; Pen 0; Clip 30; Rld Full; Reliable), Sword (1d10 + 4 R; Pen 0; Balanced, Primitive), Knife (3m; 1d5 + 4 R; Pen 0; Primitive)

Armour: Guard Flak Armour (All 4)

Gear: One Lasgun Charge Pack, One Laspistol Charge Pack, 12 Shotgun Shells, One Week Corpse Starch Rations, Stealth Gear (Common Quality Clothing), Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer

Weight Carried: 25.5kg

Throne Gelt: 13 + 55 = 68

Monthly Income: 55
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Fri Feb 04, 2011 11:03 am, edited 5 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Thu May 20, 2010 11:23 am

InquisitorChris wrote:And so... we will start the game proper in the morrow. One thing I would like to know is to what extent your characters have been interacting while on Hirlock's floating estate (a more detailed description of it will be forthcoming). I will assume that you have gotten there:

Brother-Initiate Leviticus a week ago
Chani 4 days ago
Jim 3 days ago
Kara 2 days ago
Huw The morning of the last day (the day of the briefing)

All you know is that Hirlock has summoned you from various ports of call for your first official mission. He has been nowhere to be seen (not surprisingly, since the majority of the estate is closed off to you), although you may have seen Wazzon puttering about. There are plenty of servitors and human servants though.


Kara would spend the first day wandering about the estate. Her first goal would be to find the shrine to the Emperor and spend a good number of hours in meditation. She will be polite but distant/distracted to the staff (servitors she would largely ignore). She would introduce herself to both Jim and Chani although she'll be distant with Jim and if Chani is stand offish she would respect that and keep her distance.

Absent any major interaction from the other acolytes she will spend her time in meditation in the shrine or stripped down to shorts and a loose shirt (that would cover most if not all of her brand) and performing something very much like Tai Chi (I figure there is a physical aspect to her meditation also). She can also be found at night moving quietly through the darker parts of the estate gazing at the stars.

She speaks with a very odd accent. Kara's low gothic is influenced by her Dusk Cant and a strong accent picked up during her many years on Terra during sanctioning.

Since we are sort of in pre-game can I spend my Thrones to buy stuff? I'd rather have something more than natty coveralls and such fresh off the feral world :)

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 11:47 am

AKINYA ZURI

Home World: Forge World (from Hesh, The Lathes, Golgenna Reach)
Career Path: Tech-Priest
Rank: 2 (Mech-Wright)
XP: 550 Spent: 500 Remaining: 50
Age: 30
Sex: Female Build: Lean Height: 1.7m Weight: 70kg
Skin: Dark Brown Hair: Long Black, partly braided in dreadlocks Eyes: Green
Quirk: Electoo Inductors, as intricate dark green tattoos on the backs of both hands.
Divination: "Truth is subjective"

Characteristics
WS 25
BS 38
S 32 SB: 3
T 38 TB: 3
Ag 29
Int 48
Per 31
WP 33
Fel 28

Wounds: 12
Fate Points: 2
Initiative Bonus: 2
Insanity Points: 0
Corruption Points: 3
Move: 2/4/6/12
Carry: 36kg/72kg/144kg

Traits: Forge World Skills, Fit for Purpose, Stranger to the Cult, Credo Omnissiah, Mechanicus Implants

Talents: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las), Basic Weapon Training (Las), Binary Chatter, Electro Graft Use, Technical Knock

Advanced Skills: Common Lore (Machine Cult, Tech) (Int), Evaluate (Int), Literacy (Int), Logic (Int), Secret Tongue (Tech) (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Copyist) (Int)

Advancements: Common Lore (Machine Cult) (100), Common Lore (Tech) , Evaluate (100), Logic (100), Binary Chatter (100)

Weapons: Las Carbine (Basic; 60m; S/2/-; 1d10+2 E; Pen 0; Reload Full; Clip 40; Reliable), Laspistol (Pistol; 30m; S/-/-; 1d10+2 E; Pen 0; Reload Full; Clip 30; Reliable), Knife (Melee, Thrown; 3m; S/-/-; 1d5+3 R; Pen 0; Clip 1; Primitive),

Armour: Flak Jacket (Arms, Body, Legs 3)

Gear: Mechanicus robes and vestments (Good Quality Clothing), two laspistol charge packs, two las carbine charge packs, glow lamp, data-slate, five spare cogitator parts, vial of Sacred Machine Oil

Weight Carried: 12kg

Throne Gelt:
61 + 165 = 226

Monthly Income: 165

Mechanicus Implant Notes:
Electro-Graft: Graphed finger probe, right index.
Electoo Inductors: As mentioned above.
Respirator-Unit: A simple grill shaped as a half diamond with modest scroll work; aged silver tone.
Cyber-Mantel: (hidden)
Potentia Coil: A long, snake like tube of flexible metal that runs the length of her spine.
Cranial Circuitry: Almost all implants are internal except for a small outer port bolted just behind the left ear with multiple wires running back to the base of her skull.

Akinya is a very mild individual, soft spoken and quietly observant. She rarely offers insight without reason and even more rarely speaks unless directly addressed. Think of her like a metal crusted, red robed elephant standing in the corner - everyone knows she's there, but they don't talk about her. Even among her own order she is considered aloof and interacts with people on a need only basis. However lacking she may be in social graces, she is exceptionally keen (from both a natural affinity and a few augments) and records everything she sees and hears to be stored, processed, and delivered at a later date. She has been known, on several occasions, to calmly and without rancor denounce her colleagues on actions they had undertaken a decade or more prior. The interim period having been spent on "reflection and study" to "determine the most logical and evidence supported course of action." She is, for lack of a better word, a perfectionist. Everything she does must be done correctly and to the absolute pinnacle of her ability which she strives to further daily.
It is this devotion to perfection which has also contributed to a... peculiar hobby which she indulges in. In her cog-enhanced mind the Tech-Priest is the absolute synthesis of man and machine. The perfect unity of chaos (humanity, organics) and order (machine). Unlike many tech-priests of the Mechanicus she believes (and some have called her a radical for this) that the organic element of humanity must be recognized and preserved in order to fully venerate the machine. Driven by this deduction she seeks to find such synthesized "harmony" wherever she can in the greater galaxy. A student of the Magos Biologos she will spend years researching, testing, and rejecting countless blends of fruit and differing distilling processes to create the perfect wine. She is equally likely to spend as much time and effort creating the ultimate virus.
Having toured with the Explorator fleet A13789-D from a young age she was exposed to the horrors, and wonders, awaiting in the dead and distant worlds upon which humanity had not expressed its presence in millennia. And it is likely not long before her obsession with biology wanders into the realm of the Xenos.
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:38 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 4:23 pm

Here's Johnny!

BROTHER-INITIATE LEVETICUS

Home World: Imperial World Career: Cleric (Great Chantries of Tarsus)
Rank: 1 (Novice)
XP: 300 XP Spent: 300 XP Left: 0
Gender: Male Age: 24
Build: Lean (well-defined) Height: 1.75 m
Weight: 60 kg Skin: Fair
Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Blue
Quirk: Long, full hair, pulled back and tied with a metal ring. Has a long full beard and moustache.
Divination: “Trust in your fear”

Characteristics
Weapon Skill: 28
Ballistic Skill: 32
Strength: 26 SB: 2
Toughness: 35 TB: 3
Agility: 28
Intelligence: 41
Perception: 36
Willpower: 48
Fellowship: 39

Wounds: 14
Fate Points: 4 Current Fate Points: 3
Insanity Points: 5
Corruption Points: 0
Initiative Bonus: 2
Move: 2/4/6/12
Carry: 27kg/54kg/108kg

Traits: Blessed Ignorance, Hagiography, Liturgical Familiarity, Superior Origins

Talents: Melee Weapons Training (Primitive), Basic Weapons Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP), Peer (Ecclesiarchy), Sound Constitution x1

Basic Skills: Common Lore (Imperium, War)

Advanced Skills: Charm (Fel), Common Lore (Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Creed) (Int), Inquiry (Fel), Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Trade (Cook, Copyist) (Int)

Advancements: Great Chantries of Tarsus (200), Sound Constitution (100), Inquiry (100), Simple Willpower Increase (100)

Weapons: Autopistol (30 m, S/-/6; 1d10+2 I, Pen 0, Clip 18, Reload Full), Crossbow (Basic, 30m, S/-/-, 1d10 R, Pen 0, Clip 1, Rld 2 Full, Primitive), Hammer (1d10+3 I, Pen 0, Primitive, Unbalanced)

Armour: Flak Vest (Body 3)

Equipment: Two Autopistol Clips, Ten Bolts, Aquila Necklace, Ecclesiarchy Robes (Good Quality Clothing), 4 Candles, Skull Charm, Backpack, Chrono, Data-Slate, Lamp Pack, Pict Recorder, Respirator, Writing Kit

Weight Carried: 14kg

Throne Gelt: 97 + 200 = 297

Monthly Income: 200
Last edited by InquisitorChris on Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:13 pm, edited 10 times in total.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Thu May 20, 2010 4:54 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:Here's Johnny!

BROTHER-INITIATE LEVETICUS

Advanced Skills: Trade (Cook, Copyist) (Int)


He's a cook! Now we have some one that can attend to both our spiritual and culinary needs. The Emperor has truly blessed us. :)

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby gsteelwraith » Thu May 20, 2010 5:16 pm

OOC:Well, I see Brother Leveticus got here before I did. It took me a couple tries to get registered.

Brother Leveticus was born and raised on Scintilla, and studied at the Chantry at Tarsus. After graduating from the seminary his first posting took him to a relatively primitive planet in the sector (Chris will have to make a determination as to where). By primitive, I'm figuring the world is in the ballpark of the Late Renaissance to Early Industrial Revolution. Most people still use horses (lords and swords, as I believe a previous post phrased it).

He stumbled upon evidence of a cult worshipping a four-armed death god, and started an investigation. Leveticus co-opted aid from the local lord and organized his own team, culled from the local population) to help root out the cult. He sent his preliminary report back to his superiors, via an Astropath. The report caught the attention of Inquisitor Shirlock, and he arranged to send a real Inquisition team to take care of matters.

As a result, Brother Leveticus and his ad-hoc team were used in a support capacity as the Inquisition cleared out what he was told was some isolated xeno-cult. Once the matter was resolved, Brother Leveticus was recruited for the Ordo Xenos.

OOC: I'm assuming he left that posting in good stead (at least I would hope so), and that he can consider the local lord as a contact should the adventure ever take us there. His ad-hoc crew could work as a background legit source of 'beta' characters, should they be required, but that would be a matter for Chris' consideration.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Thu May 20, 2010 10:03 pm

So... we have two options here. You can either lounge around on the island for awhile introducing yourselves to each other, or I can start the game proper. What do you say?

(Also, is Huw's player aka Kyle here?)

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Thu May 20, 2010 11:16 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:So... we have two options here. You can either lounge around on the island for awhile introducing yourselves to each other, or I can start the game proper. What do you say?



I'm cool either way but tend toward just starting the game. If we are waiting for another player to get into the boards then I say you should post a little intro thread and let us post away.

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby ChristianC » Thu May 20, 2010 11:39 pm

Yeah, some mingling before we start is good! So maybe just posting something small sounds good.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 12:01 am

OK. I'll be starting up a thread in the main section in 20-30 minutes.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri May 21, 2010 3:48 am

InquisitorChris wrote:So... we have two options here. You can either lounge around on the island for awhile introducing yourselves to each other, or I can start the game proper. What do you say?

(Also, is Huw's player aka Kyle here?)


Sure is. He's another old hand at this board.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri May 21, 2010 4:54 am

I am indeed here! I've gotten Huw's first post in, as well. Don't forget the grenade!

As for thrones, I don't quite recall how it went down when Alex helped me, but basically we rolled for starting income and got the amount that he used to buy the ammo and grenade with, and the 16 he has now was his first monthly income, so that should be it unless I've misread somewhere along the line.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 11:34 am

Capntastic wrote:I am indeed here! I've gotten Huw's first post in, as well. Don't forget the grenade!

As for thrones, I don't quite recall how it went down when Alex helped me, but basically we rolled for starting income and got the amount that he used to buy the ammo and grenade with, and the 16 he has now was his first monthly income, so that should be it unless I've misread somewhere along the line.


The grenade's listed in his equipment.

See my note on Avoiding Penniless Acolyte Syndrome in my long house rule post above:

Avoiding Penniless Acolyte Syndrome. You will start the game with one month of income PLUS whatever Thrones you have left after having bought equipment, if any, during character creation (for the Scum, this is random, so you should roll it, or I can, as you wish ;) ). After the mission briefing, you will have a couple of days in which to look for equipment if you want to using the normal Inquiry system. You can do the same when you reach your destination if you want.


So, you have whatever money you started out with minus whatever you spent on gear plus one month's additional income (I have indicated this in the character sheets using the arcane symbols "+" and "=". Given what you said above, I think that is 16 Thrones.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 4:46 pm

A propos of nothing, I picked up Rogue Trader and Ascension today. This has a very low dollars-to-useful-information ratio, but I thought I would get them just for the nuggets of stuff. It's nifty to have stats for Kroot and Exitus Rifles, even if I will likely never use them. In addition, they are entertaining reads. I also picked up a copy of the original D&D Monster Manual from 1977 at a used bookstore just to relive my childhood (talk about nostalgia).

Comments:

FFG really, really needs some competent editors. These books are full of silly mistakes.

Nevertheless, am I imagining things, or are Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader published gaming materials better written than 90% of the actual novels published by Black Library?

Finally, Good God, the Monster Manual was a lot crappier than I thought it was when I was 12 years old. In a word, it's awful, in every respect. RPGs have come a long way.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Fri May 21, 2010 5:25 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:KARA ISAAN


Chris,
Is it possible to 'pay' for the mono upgrade to Kara's Psykana Mercy blade out of her starting monies? It would be 40 thrones.

Also, what about a charm? No Emperor-fearing acolyte should be without one...

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 5:46 pm

helvorn wrote:
Chris,
Is it possible to 'pay' for the mono upgrade to Kara's Psykana Mercy blade out of her starting monies? It would be 40 thrones.

Also, what about a charm? No Emperor-fearing acolyte should be without one...

Matt


You can sell it back for half value and then buy another knife with the mono upgrade. An upgraded Psykana Mercy Blade (if it were possible to do such a thing) wouldn't be a mercy blade anymore. It's made for suicide, not hacking through armor. Plus, you can't take an existing weapon and slap mono onto it; you have to buy it that way.

You can get a charm if you want. They're not expensive.

But TAKE THIS OUT OF YOUR STARTING THRONES, not your starting Thrones + first month's income. I'm trying to make sure you actually have money when you start the scenario, not giving you more money to buy starting equipment. ;)

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri May 21, 2010 6:07 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:Nevertheless, am I imagining things, or are Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader published gaming materials better written than 90% of the actual novels published by Black Library?


This is a substantial contributor to my love of both games; they've got good writers and give a damn about consistency. No 40k novel is going to be a masterpiece of literature but alot of the authors have significant flaws and a few are truly, truly dire. Go read some of the Blood Ravens or Eldar books by C.S. Goto if you want to see the absolute worst. I pick up everything that FFG puts out because, if nothing else, I'll get a good deal of well written fluff and some fun new ideas. I just wish they'd hire more/better proof readers.

As for Ascension, it's a strange game when compared to vanilla DH. The Vindicare assassin, at rank 1, can dodge over ten times a round if he's "only" got an Agility bonus of 50+. He can also dodge stuff that any other character would have no right to dodge. This is balanced out by the career having no real influence or social skills. Psykers (both the Primaris and Inquisitors who develop their psychic talents) can do truly hideous amounts of damage. Combine Force Barrage with a high WP score and Unnatural Willpower. That, I'm sure, is less of a design choice and more of something that somehow didn't pop up in playtesting. Still, the personal power wielded by Ascension characters is huge. It's counterbalanced by your foes either being highly influential players in the sector with access to vast resources or indescribably powerful entities that would reduce lesser men to pitiful, sobbing wrecks with their very presence. Or both.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 6:21 pm

Speaking of either bad editing or my poor reading skills, does the "Saboteur" alternative career path listed in the RH correspond to anything in the text? The Sorcerer advance for Warp Dabbler also doesn't seem to have an XP cost.

The depressing thing about Black Library is that, in my opinion, the 40K universe, despite its toy soldiers in space background, is rich enough to potentially support a really good book. Abnett and Mitchell are good, but they're pulp (and totally unbelievable). Pulp is fine, but the universe could support better.

They should hire Dan Simmons. o_o

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Fri May 21, 2010 6:26 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:The depressing thing about Black Library is that, in my opinion, the 40K universe, despite its toy soldiers in space background, is rich enough to potentially support a really good book. Abnett and Mitchell are good, but they're pulp (and totally unbelievable). Pulp is fine, but the universe could support better.

They should hire Dan Simmons. o_o


I think the main reason the game is popular both on the table top and RP is the intense background. Even when they just had a table top game the older supplements were better than most of the stuff put out for a pure RP game. Both Slaves to Darkness and The Lost and the Dammed were outstanding books with more fluff than table top rules. A set of good writers could go crazy for decades writing stuff. Unfortunately they are still trying to let the table top game drive their profits rather than really trying hard with good authors to let the story drive more revenue.

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Fri May 21, 2010 6:29 pm

Jak Snide wrote:
As for Ascension, it's a strange game when compared to vanilla DH. The Vindicare assassin, at rank 1, can dodge over ten times a round if he's "only" got an Agility bonus of 50+. He can also dodge stuff that any other character would have no right to dodge. This is balanced out by the career having no real influence or social skills. Psykers (both the Primaris and Inquisitors who develop their psychic talents) can do truly hideous amounts of damage. Combine Force Barrage with a high WP score and Unnatural Willpower. That, I'm sure, is less of a design choice and more of something that somehow didn't pop up in playtesting. Still, the personal power wielded by Ascension characters is huge. It's counterbalanced by your foes either being highly influential players in the sector with access to vast resources or indescribably powerful entities that would reduce lesser men to pitiful, sobbing wrecks with their very presence. Or both.


Given the fluff in the novels and table top game I'm not surprised that a vindicare is a combat monster. As a long time table top player and ex-WHFRP player its neat to see them fleshing out the fluff.

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 7:16 pm

helvorn wrote:
I think the main reason the game is popular both on the table top and RP is the intense background. Even when they just had a table top game the older supplements were better than most of the stuff put out for a pure RP game. Both Slaves to Darkness and The Lost and the Dammed were outstanding books with more fluff than table top rules. A set of good writers could go crazy for decades writing stuff. Unfortunately they are still trying to let the table top game drive their profits rather than really trying hard with good authors to let the story drive more revenue.

Matt


I think a big part of the problem is that a lot of the target audience is under 15.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby helvorn » Fri May 21, 2010 7:22 pm

InquisitorChris wrote:
I think a big part of the problem is that a lot of the target audience is under 15.


True... although some of their new table top stuff from Forge World is aimed at those older gamers with more money and not too much common sense :)

Matt

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby InquisitorChris » Fri May 21, 2010 7:31 pm

Hell I buy every codex I can find (I can get them in both English and Russian in Moscow), and I have never actually played the TT game.

BTW, Christian, I notice that Chani is a pretty big girl (which I like, since it is a break with stereotypes, and is logically what a swordswoman would be). She's the biggest person in the cell, and the strongest. Is she Lucy Lawless big, or tubby big?

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat May 22, 2010 1:02 am

:O

Chani's more Lucy Lawful big. And the strongest? Jeepers...

Also, on the topic of fluff and writing and such. I think GW are also deathly afraid of having their fluff 'evolve'. The story's been in stasis for quite some time now, and the only book I've read that doesn't take place in the 41st millenia is the Ciaphas Cain series, who have some parts in the 42nd... I think it's because they've got every race on the brink of exterminating one another, so it's logical to keep the reins in so as to not 'undermine' the value of a single army.

Still, there's plenty of shit to write about. The imperium's got around a million planets, and that's just what the humans control.

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Re: Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

Unread postby Jak Snide » Sat May 22, 2010 8:15 am

InquisitorChris wrote:Speaking of either bad editing or my poor reading skills, does the "Saboteur" alternative career path listed in the RH correspond to anything in the text? The Sorcerer advance for Warp Dabbler also doesn't seem to have an XP cost.


They ended up pulling the alternate career rank at the last minute and forgot to update the contents page. Whoops. They then went on to release it as part of a free PDF that contains two other alternate ranks; the Demagogue and the Infil-Traitor. Link. I particularly like the Demagogue since it allows low-ranked characters to access all the rabble-rousing skills and talents without having to wait until the much later ranks. At a greater XP cost, of course. Still, the combination of Fel 50+, Master Orator, Inspire Wrath and Deceive/Command +20 gives you around a 90% chance against challenging odds to whip up a mob of 100 enraged, pitchfork wielding commoners to go burn something, which is quite a feat to accomplish at rank 4 or 5.

As for books I'd personally recommend Relentless, Execution Hour and the Enforcer omnibus. There's also two books set in the Calixis Sector by Sandy Mitchell (Mr Ciaphas Cain) which are fun reads. Slightly more serious than the Cain books, but only just. They're part of an unfinished and continuous story so hopefully we'll be seeing a third book sometime down the line.

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