Dark Heresy -- Purge the Xenos

[ChristianC]

Chani tried not to yawn as she remained at attention, listening to the two men of the cloth speak.

[InquisitorChris]

He leads you out of the room, down the hall to a door. He opens it, and you see a staircase leading down.

"Down here," he says, "in the catacombs."

The door swings shut behind him and locks. The walls flicker with electric torchlight.

"They're down below where the old tunnels start. We can speak freely here."

"What would you like to know?", he says as he descends.

[gsteelwraith]

He leads you out of the room, down the hall to a door. He opens it, and you see a staircase leading down.

"Down here," he says, "in the catacombs."

The door swings shut behind him and locks. The walls flicker with electric torchlight.

"They're down below where the old tunnels start. We can speak freely here."

"What would you like to know?", he says as he descends.

Leveticus will answer, "As much as you can tell us. What have you learned thus far about these artefacts?"

[helvorn]

Leveticus will answer, "As much as you can tell us. What have you learned thus far about these artefacts?"

Kara follows quietly and as they pause she reaches out with her mind to feel the sense of the building around them <ooc> psysience check </ooc>

[Jak Snide]

"They haven't done anything...unnatural since you've had them locked up, have they?"

Jim regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth. It still seemed strange to him to think of a couple of inanimate objects as inherently dangerous, though he had an Inquisitor's word that they were so. As he drew close to them for them for the first time he found himself becoming increasingly unnerved.

[helvorn]

Kara nods sympathetically at Jim.

[InquisitorChris]

(Sorry guys -- work deadline, plus I'm reapplying to grad school in the hope they will let me finish my diss, so I have to write an obsequious essay. Will speed things up dramatically shortly.)

[helvorn]

ooc: good luck on the obsequious essay :)

[InquisitorChris]

Spoiler for Kara:

Spoiler:

You detect no disturbance in the Warp per se. However, you do detect that the boundary between this world and the Immaterium is very thin here. You have the idea that if you used a psychic power in here it might have unpredictable results.

The subprelate speaks as he leads you down the hall and through another door. this one locked. He opens it with a key and the hall continues It slopes gradually downward, and you can see that after a short while it enters a subterranean area with stone walls. Tunnels branch out to the left and right of you.

As he walks, he addresses your questions and speaks.

"I have seen nothing untoward -- they just lie there, looking malevolent. It's not as bad for me as it is for the Famine nartives -- you no doubt noticed the resemblance between the ugly little statuette and their patron saint."

He stops a moment, looks around with some slight perplexity, turns, and heads down a side tunnel.

The tunnels are pretty cramped. They appear to have been carved from the stone in some kind of crude fashion, the ceiling supported by plasteel buttresses that look newer.

"These tunnels were built a long time ago by the Famine people before the coming of the Emperor. You know, they have a problem with the sun, and sometimes needed someplace to hide. They go on for quite a way..."

He breaks off and stops again.

"This is odd. There seems to be nobody down here. No servitors, and Brothers Jenkin and Marli should have been at their posts."

He scratches his head.

(You've been down here for about three minutes, so you're a short ways into the catacombs.)

[helvorn]

Kara stiffens and sniffs the air; "The barrier between the Immaterium and the world of men is weak here. It is like a pile of cataclysmite waiting for the slightest spark. The use of powers will be dangerous."

As they move further down the tunnels Kara gets more and uneasy. When the priest mentions the missing brothers she immediately pulls out her las pistol. "Do you have an alarm to summon your guards father?"

[Jak Snide]

Their patron saint. Those were words Jim was glad to here. A priest who wasn't associated with this particular branch of the church was one he felt more at ease around. Even if he was Sinophian. He'd been about to ask about how he'd come to be here when the others started making observations. The psyker produced a weapon and Jim suddenly felt very naked without his shotgun.

"Well, better keep keep your curse in check then." He looked to the subprelate. "Your men in the business of disappearing when there's weird shit afoot, father?"

[ChristianC]

Chani came to attention as if she'd been brought out from stasis, one moment she had remained passive and slightly smiling, an almost glazed look over her eyes...

Then, as if someone had injected a healthy dose of combat drugs into her system, her entire posture changed. Her steps became lighter, her head swivelling back and forth slowly but rhythmically... even her mouth remained slightly open, as if she was tasting the air she was breathing...

"The artists prepare their instruments... the orchestra takes their places..."

[gsteelwraith]

Kara stiffens and sniffs the air; "The barrier between the Immaterium and the world of men is weak here. It is like a pile of cataclysmite waiting for the slightest spark. The use of powers will be dangerous."

As they move further down the tunnels Kara gets more and uneasy. When the priest mentions the missing brothers she immediately pulls out her las pistol. "Do you have an alarm to summon your guards father?"

Chani came to attention as if she'd been brought out from stasis, one moment she had remained passive and slightly smiling, an almost glazed look over her eyes...

Then, as if someone had injected a healthy dose of combat drugs into her system, her entire posture changed. Her steps became lighter, her head swivelling back and forth slowly but rhythmically... even her mouth remained slightly open, as if she was tasting the air she was breathing...

"The artists prepare their instruments... the orchestra takes their places..."

Leveticus will draw out his autopistol, rack back the bolt, and he tell the others around, "I would suggest we all prepare to defend ourselves."

[Jak Snide]

"Well isn't this just perfect." Jim took the only weapon he had in hand, an old arbites issue maul, and prepared for the worst in the only manner he could. He didn't like this, being threatened by something intangible. Scum you could beat down or run off. He had no idea how to deal with psykers saying that barriers were braking down hell itself was leaking in.

[InquisitorChris]

Kara stiffens and sniffs the air; "The barrier between the Immaterium and the world of men is weak here. It is like a pile of cataclysmite waiting for the slightest spark. The use of powers will be dangerous."

As they move further down the tunnels Kara gets more and uneasy. When the priest mentions the missing brothers she immediately pulls out her las pistol. "Do you have an alarm to summon your guards father?"

The instant Kara mentions the Immaterium the man stops short.

"What? The astropaths said the objects had been warded!" He looks very alarmed, his eyes casting back and forth.

"We don't have guards other than a few to drive off vandals. I can run back upstairs and summon them."

"Well, better keep keep your curse in check then." He looked to the subprelate. "Your men in the business of disappearing when there's weird shit afoot, father?"

"The Brothers are our most able and pious men. They woule not be down here otherwise!!!!"

"And where are the servitors?"

[helvorn]

Kara shrugs; "The items may be warded but the fabric of reality is weak here. Whether it is the nature of this area or the influence of the items I cannot tell yet."

She looks to the others; "Chani, I think we may have an opportunity for you to make your music." Turning she speaks; "Father, lead us to the objects and if needed you can go for help. Later I will need to speak to your astropaths about what warding has been done."

Can Kara tell if the weakness in the weave of the world is inherent to the area itself or due to an outside influence like the artifacts.

[InquisitorChris]

Kara shrugs; "The items may be warded but the fabric of reality is weak here. Whether it is the nature of this area or the influence of the items I cannot tell yet."

She looks to the others; "Chani, I think we may have an opportunity for you to make your music." Turning she speaks; "Father, lead us to the objects and if needed you can go for help. Later I will need to speak to your astropaths about what warding has been done."

Can Kara tell if the weakness in the weave of the world is inherent to the area itself or due to an outside influence like the artifacts.

Spoiler for Kara:

Spoiler:

You made a Psyniscience check and rolled a 25 and have a PER of 37. That's one Degree of Success. You can either determine the strength of the affect (stronger or weaker than you) or the general location of its source (if it is occuring within 2d10 + Perception Bonus meters).

(BTW, his Kara's compact laspistol loaded with the overcharge packs or the normal ones?)

Ambrose sees people unlimbering their weapons and kneels to make a quick prayer. "Emperor Preserve us."

He stands and nods. "I will lead on. Faith protects."

He starts walking further slowly down the tunnel.

Then, as if someone had injected a healthy dose of combat drugs into her system, her entire posture changed. Her steps became lighter, her head swivelling back and forth slowly but rhythmically... even her mouth remained slightly open, as if she was tasting the air she was breathing...

(OOC: she actually does have a dose of Stimm, I believe.)

[gsteelwraith]

Ambrose sees people unlimbering their weapons and kneels to make a quick prayer. "Emperor Preserve us."

He stands and nods. "I will lead on. Faith protects."

He starts walking further slowly down the tunnel.

Leveticus will respond with, "May the Emperor preserve us all." He will position himself to provide covering fire for Ambrose if it is needed. At this point his weapon is positioned at low-ready.

[ChristianC]

(Eeeeh, well, I was using prose, she didn't inject herself with anything. It was just the prospect of combat that livened up her attitude)

Chione smiled at Kara and nodded, her voice low as she proceeded to follow Ambrose, her blade in her hand tracing slow figures of eights in the air, her every sense alert for the smallest change in her environment.

[InquisitorChris]

Suddenly, the lights flick off. You're in total blackness. (Anybody have any glow lamps?)

"Catacomb generator's down," says Ambrose with a shudder in his voice.

You can't see anything, but last you saw you were at a T-intersection, a few meters along the main tunnel (so the intersection is in back of you). The tunnel you are in is sloping downward.

Note that these tunnels are pretty cramped, about 2 meters wide and just under 3 meters tall.

Spoiler for Kara:

Spoiler:

Hearing Awareness Roll made. You can hear something moving slowly and, it seems, cumbersomely -- shuffling -- toward you from the side tunnel to your rear (the one that leads back to the cathedral). About 3 meters behind you and another 3 meters down the side corridor.

[Jak Snide]

"This just keeps better and better. Anyone got a light?"

Jim rummaged around in his pockets. It wasn't much, but any illumination was better than utter darkness.

(Given that Jim has a pack of lho-sticks I'm guessing that he's also got a lighter, matches or some way of lighting them.)

[helvorn]

Spoiler for Kara:

Spoiler:

You made a Psyniscience check and rolled a 25 and have a PER of 37. That's one Degree of Success. You can either determine the strength of the affect (stronger or weaker than you) or the general location of its source (if it is occuring within 2d10 + Perception Bonus meters).

(BTW, his Kara's compact laspistol loaded with the overcharge packs or the normal ones?)

Ambrose sees people unlimbering their weapons and kneels to make a quick prayer. "Emperor Preserve us."

He stands and nods. "I will lead on. Faith protects."

He starts walking further slowly down the tunnel.

Reply to GM for Kara's Spoiler

Spoiler:

She will attempt to determine the location

<ooc> Kara has the overcharge pack loaded of course... </ooc>

[InquisitorChris]

Reply to GM for Kara's Spoiler

Spoiler:

She will attempt to determine the location

<ooc> Kara has the overcharge pack loaded of course... </ooc>

Spoiler for Kara's spoiler:

Spoiler:

You roll 2d10+PB (3). You roll 4 + 6 + 3 = 13 meters.

There are TWO sources disturbing the Immaterium. One is ahead of and beneath you somewhere outside of 13 meters. The other source is you.

"This just keeps better and better. Anyone got a light?"

Jim rummaged around in his pockets. It wasn't much, but any illumination was better than utter darkness.

(Given that Jim has a pack of lho-sticks I'm guessing that he's also got a lighter, matches or some way of lighting them.)

Jim has a cigarette lighter, supplying the rather pitiful corresponding luminesence.

GENERAL NOTE:

Looking through your stuff and noting what you said you left behind at the hotel or Arbites HQ, I see that at present you are carrying with you:

JIM:

Arbites Maul (Club), Brass Knuckles, Knife, Mesh Vest, 3 doses of Stimm and injector, Arbitrator ID, Chrono, Pack of lho-sticks (and lighter)

KARA:

Compact Laspistol with Overcharge Pack, Knife, Flack Vest, 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 ), writing kit, two more overcharge packs.

CHANI:

Best Quality Sword, Knife, Compact Laspistol, Charm (Corpse Hair), Black Bodyglove (Common Quality Clothing), One Laspistol Charge Pack,
One Dose of Stimm (Located in Sword)

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

Plus civilian clothes for everybody.

(Is that right?)

[helvorn]

Suddenly, the lights flick off. You're in total blackness. (Anybody have any glow lamps?)

"Catacomb generator's down," says Ambrose with a shudder in his voice.

You can't see anything, but last you saw you were at a T-intersection, a few meters along the main tunnel (so the intersection is in back of you). The tunnel you are in is sloping downward.

Note that these tunnels are pretty cramped, about 2 meters wide and just under 3 meters tall.

Kara goes silent as the lights go out. Long practice in the swamps of Dusk have taught her caution in the dark. She whispers; "I hear something slow and cumbersome moving in the side tunnel to our rear leading back to the cathedral. About 3 meters down the side tunnel."

<ooc> can you detune a las pistol to just provide a bright light? </ooc>

[helvorn]

Kara shudders as a flickering light illuminates them from Jim's lighter. "I can feel something disturbing the Warp ahead of us but whatever is behind us doesn't have a touch of the Power."

[InquisitorChris]

Kara shudders as a flickering light illuminates them from Jim's lighter. "I can feel something disturbing the Warp ahead of us but whatever is behind us doesn't have a touch of the Power."

"There's... someone behind us?" the frail old man says softly, somewhat rattled -- possibly partly by the situation, possibly partly by Kara's mention of her psychic ability -- and stops short. "Maybe one of the servitors or the brothers is groping his way around too. Maybe they were off trying to stop the blackout."

(OOC: no, you can't make light with a laspistol, leastwise in the total absence of Tech-Use skill.)

[helvorn]

<ooc> you have Kara's gear down correctly. I guess a nice compact glow stick is called for in the next round of purchases... </ooc>

Kara turns about and calls out in a loud voice; "In the Emperor's name who goes there!?"

[InquisitorChris]

<ooc> you have Kara's gear down correctly. I guess a nice compact glow stick is called for in the next round of purchases... </ooc>

Kara turns about and calls out in a loud voice; "In the Emperor's name who goes there!?"

No reply. Just a heavy "THUD!" and the sound of something heavy being dragged along the ground or another surface.

Then, from the OTHER direction -- ahead of you, from further down the tunnel down which you were walking -- you all hear a faint "bonk!" as of a metal ball bouncing off the side of a wall. Then, a few seconds later, a second "bonk!," slightly louder.


The situation looks like this:
-----------downward------> direction Ambrose was leading you----->

------------------------------------YOU ----------------------- faint bonks------------------------
I
THUDS and SCRAPES coming closer
I
I
Upward to the cathedral

[helvorn]

(OOC: no, you can't make light with a laspistol, leastwise in the total absence of Tech-Use skill.)

<ooc> how much of a burst of light and noise do you see as coming from a las weapon? I picture them as somewhat like the blasters in star wars. Depending on the mechanism of the las technology you might get a 'crack' of noise when it fires </ooc>

[helvorn]

<ooc> Before we go any further; what level of lighting are we getting from Jim's lighter? </ooc>

[InquisitorChris]

<ooc> Before we go any further; what level of lighting are we getting from Jim's lighter? </ooc>

The illumination you get from a Bic lighter in a totally dark room. A couple of centimeters. You can see Jim's hand.

A lasbolt will brightly illuminate the area into which it is fired for a fraction of a second. And there is a definite crack as the air superheats.

[gsteelwraith]

OOC: I would say a laser bolt would be akin to the blaster in Star Wars, and it would make a sound akin to a miniature thunderclap as the beam ionizes the air molecules between its point of origin and its aim point (no ballistics here, folks). As to light generated, while the actual beam would flash for micro-seconds, there would be an afterimage (the so-called 'persistence of vision')in the absence of other light sources. I know this from personal experience having been a photographer and worked with high-output flash equipment.

Leveticus will go silent and move to the side of the tunnel when the lights go out. He will slip the dummy cord of his pistol around his wrist so he can release the weapon without it falling, so he can access a lamp pack.

[InquisitorChris]

Leveticus will go silent and move to the side of the tunnel when the lights go out. He will slip the dummy cord of his pistol around his wrist so he can release the weapon without it falling, so he can access a lamp pack.

His lamp is now in his off hand. I assume he turns it on?

[Jak Snide]

Jim put his lighter away, swearing and sucking on his slightly burnt fingers, glancing at Leveticus and posing questions.

"What now? Back topside, get some guns and backup, clear out anything nasty lurking about down here?"

[helvorn]

Kara crouches slightly and covers the intersection behind them. "We've got our share of nasties behind us Jim and I heard something clatter in the corridor ahead of us; something like a metal ball or a grenade."

[InquisitorChris]

Jim put his lighter away, swearing and sucking on his slightly burnt fingers, glancing at Leveticus and posing questions.

"What now? Back topside, get some guns and backup, clear out anything nasty lurking about down here?"

Ambrose purses his lips. "If the generator is down, that means the machine spirits to the main door back to the Holy Lady will not respond to our entreaties. And whatever is making the noise is between us and the cathedral anyway. It sounds like it could be Temperence Blessed or Abstinence -- the repair servitors -- but if they're making sounds like that something's wrong. They are equipped with dark vision speculators and shouldn't be stumbling around."

Kara crouches slightly and covers the intersection behind them. "We've got our share of nasties behind us Jim and I heard something clatter in the corridor ahead of us; something like a metal ball or a grenade."

As if on cue, you hear another "bonk!" from up ahead the corridor, this time louder.

"I have no idea what that is," says Ambrose. He sounds remarkably calm for an unarmed elderly man in pitch darkness with things going bump around him, but there is a waver in his voice.

From the side corridor behind you, there is another lurching "thud!," another sound of something, as it were, being dragged along the floor or wall, and then a heavy squishing sound as of something soft being rammed against something hard.

It's really, really dark unless Leveticus lights his lamp.

[ChristianC]

Chani has merely stood with her blade out, closing her eyes in the darkness for a few moments as she listened for the sounds... She hadn't often fought in the dark... but if she had to, she would.

"Move in close together, they can come at us from two directions, me and Jim will protect us.. We are the best fighters."

[gsteelwraith]

His lamp is now in his off hand. I assume he turns it on?

OOC: Leveticus will turn on his lamp pack. Sorry, I was a little tired when I wrote that post.

[InquisitorChris]

A six-meter-radius of light springs forth from Leveticus' glow lamp.

Three meters in back of you, you can see the T-intersection, from the "I" of which the thumps have been coming. "THUD!" "Swish!" "THUNK, squish!" -- there's that set of sounds again this time, sounding closer. Whatever it is, it's probably about to come into sight.

In the light of the lamp, you notice that the stone walls of the corridor seem to be decorated in some kind of faded bas-relief images. "What!" Ambrose whispers in muffled alarm. "These weren't here before!" He makes the sign of the Aquilla and begins mumbling to himself in High Gothic.

Somehow, the corridor seems to be mustier and dustier than before. The air is still, with no circulation.

From further down the corridor -- in the other direction from the T-intersection, the way you were already going and sloping downward, in the direction in which the artifacts are presumably located -- you hear another "bonk!", more loudly this time. Whatever is making the noise is outside the range of the glow lamp's luminescence.

Spoiler for Kara. If anyone not the Psyker reads this, they will be struck blind:

Spoiler:

You can hear (feel) something laughing far away deep inside your mind, as if it finds the situation amusing. It sounds familiar.

[gsteelwraith]

Three meters in back of you, you can see the T-intersection, from the "I" of which the thumps have been coming. "THUD!" "Swish!" "THUNK, squish!" -- there's that set of sounds again this time, sounding closer. Whatever it is, it's probably about to come into sight.

In the light of the lamp, you notice that the stone walls of the corridor seem to be decorated in some kind of faded bas-relief images. "What!" Ambrose whispers in muffled alarm. "These weren't here before!" He makes the sign of the Aquilla and begins mumbling to himself in High Gothic.

Somehow, the corridor seems to be mustier and dustier than before. The air is still, with no circulation.

From further down the corridor -- in the other direction from the T-intersection, the way you were already going and sloping downward, in the direction in which the artifacts are presumably located -- you hear another "bonk!", more loudly this time. Whatever is making the noise is outside the range of the glow lamp's luminescence.

Leveticus will speak aloud, "The Emperor stands with us. A spiritu Dominatus Domine. A morte perpetua, Libra Nos.
That thou wouldst bring them only death, that thou shouldst spare none, that thou shouldst pardon none. We beseech thee, destroy them."

OOC: He figures the invocation of battle will steel the hearts of his compatriots, and hopes that if the unidentified whatevers outside his light will either be friendlies and state themselves as such, or if hostile might decide to pick a fight elsewhere. Not sure if a roll is involved here or not, but it works in a roleplay context.