[Riddick]

Experiment Details

As hinted in the briefing, your cell is not the only group with interests in this matter.

There is another group of Radical acolytes hidden away on a private forum. This group has the same number as your own cell and their characters were created under the very same rules. While your direct objectives do not overlap, it is very likely (by design) that the two cells will come into contact.

And perhaps into conflict.

So when I hinted that this game may be more lethal than other Dark Heresy games, this is why. You will not only be up against the tasks and trials I’ll lay before you, but you will also be up against sentient, calculating, scheming players whose objectives may count you as an obstacle.

Some of you may be enjoying this idea, while others are hesitant. Allow me to use an example from my own gaming experience: EVE Online. When I first started that game, it seemed a slow paced yet graphically pretty monthly expense. It wasn’t until about two months in and about a day before I planned on moving on, that I was attacked by someone in my corporation for no other reason than he wanted to betray us all and take what we had (in EVE Online, when you lose something, you truly lose something - no respawns/body runs etc). This is where my love for the game began. I spent the next 6 months in a nemesis-level feud with this player and I recall every victory vividly. As much as I love creating fiction and fleshing out a persona, the only thing I’ve found better is being pitted against another human mind with something at stake.

Here, I seek to combine both of those.

My goal is to create a noteworthy story for each of your cells and to couple it with a truly memorable RPing experience by squaring you off against rival PCs. That said, if and when you are killed in this campaign, I’m afraid you are out for good. Fate Points can still be burned in an attempt to stay alive, but I cannot guarantee the following actions of the rival cells. While I don’t want to breed paranoia, I do want to give you the feeling of caution and an emotional investment in the action at hand. Allowing for cell replacement characters would sidestep that goal. Each cell should feel a real loss of an asset if they lose a man/woman.

The reason I withheld these details until now was so that everyone would create their character as they envisioned them without instead feeling pressured/enticed to create the best ‘PC killer’ they could. And again, all the rules and procedures you have worked with is the very same the other cell has utilized – no bias has been or will ever be given to either side on my end.
When one of you interacts with a rival cell’s PC, I will port over what they say and do (if visible/noticed) verbatim. I will NOT be telling you which NPCs you meet are in fact rival PCs unless you’re intelligence gathering has already confirmed their identity.

While I imagine it may be possible to locate the other cell in their own forum, I kindly ask you not to meta-game. This is to be a fun, exciting IN-CHARACTER experience. Cheating and power gaming will not be tolerated. If I suspect you of having tracked down the other thread to gain the upper hand, I will rain Ork Roks upon your head. So please, have integrity and keep this game clean – don’t peak at the xmas presents early!

So, also of note, certain skills that take x hours or y days now matter. In previous games, time mattered little when there was no pressing hurry as long as the roll succeeded. Being the faster in this game could spell the difference between one cell arriving in time to intervene and arriving too late.

Lastly, this is the first and last time I’ll give intel on the cells without earned footwork by the acolytes: both cells are currently on Scintilla. Yes, it’s a big planet. I know that.

Well there you have it. If there are any questions, please PM me until the OOC thread has all sheets in it. Once that’s done, post away there. The briefing will be up within the next 24 hours. I wanted to get this up so that each of you may digest it and toss any questions you may have at me. For now, your character sheets are locked in. No retroactive changes that may enable you to better handle a PC. I will be offering a handful of xp and Cell Directive packages to each group for last minute additions prior to starting. The details of that will follow with the briefing.

Last note: please keep an open mind and hold on to a friendly competitive spirit. The opposite of this would be stressful, petty actions. While I certainly understand and even promote IC differences and even hostilities, keep it civil otherwise. In other words, keep this experiment enjoyable for all and make the most of the situation you’ve found your character in. Every hardship for a character is an opportunity for great narrative for the player. And if your character should meet his end, as bitter as it may be, I challenge you to make it a commendable ending to that character.