What Lies Beneath... [IC]

[Saldre]

A visit to town

It is early in the afternoon: the sun is shining, the sky is blue. Green fields stretch out in the distance as far as the eye can see. You stand at the top of a hill overlooking the green yonder. High above you, a single bright dot vanishes as it exceeds your range of perception. The transporter had left the planet, and with it any hope of returning back home before the completion of the mission.

You recall the briefing you received on-board, no more than an hour ago and the dreary monotone voice of the Administratum clerk who performed it.

“Gentlemen” He had said “Several months ago, The Administratum Offices had received a request on behalf of the Astronomican. It seems they have detected some sort of Psychic disturbance around these parts: they suspect it is due to the emergence of a latent Psyker’s powers. Though one can only attribute these spikes to an Alpha Class Psyker”
His voice, and his attitude, betrayed how little faith he placed in this so called warning.

“Though such an occurrence is highly unlikely, as this a class 37, category A82 Section Sub-par B world (You all know what that means). Regardless, we have been tasked with putting together a small squad in order to look into the situation: This is why you are here. As you know, your respective Inquisitors have volunteered your services to this cause (I assume you all have the appropriate CAP-382 Signed and ready? I will gather them once I am finished).”

He had pulled out a data-pad as he spoke, and now fiddled with it. A few minutes later, an image appeared on it: A luscious green planet.

“This is Tephain Minor, an agriworld of rather... retarded advancement levels and your current destination. You will no doubt have to spend a few years there, maybe more: you will have to find the source of these disturbances and deal with them appropriately. It goes without saying that you are not to alarm the local population: the paperwork to deal with the aftermath of a riot would take years to complete."

He had frowned slightly: the idea of doing more work on this planet did not appeal to him; that was the extent of his attachment to your success. Then, he reached into his robes and pulled out several scrolls.

“You will be dropped down on the Outskirts of the city suspected to be the source of the Psychic spikes: Windhaven. The Rest of your instructions are in these documents, I trust you will report back once your mission is successful: there is an admnistratum office in Windhaven, and the local Arbites, both have the capability of contacting the fleet”

Then the transporter landed and the group disembarked. You were left standing there, the documents crumbled in your hand, your equipment hanging over your shoulders, ready to face the unimaginable horror of a world stuck thousands and thousands of years in the past.

Nearby, you spot a large vehicle: a truck, left to you by your superiors.

Here follows the contents of the documents:

For the Adept – (Several signed documents and legal papers are attached to the scrolls)

Spoiler

Show

You have been assigned as a direct agent of the Administratum because your years of dedicated services and quality work.

You are to perform a Psyker Population Census of Tephain Minor, starting with Windhaven, and then moving on to the other towns. Attached to this document are several maps that you will find useful in order to determine the next town’s location.

Your main objective is investigating the abnormal psychic phenomena and locating its source.

To this purpose, Castus Tybalt of the Mechanicum has been assigned to your squad in order to manipulate a Psy-Tracker. While Arbitrator Juron Corex and his men have been assigned to ensure both security and the success of the mission should anything happen.

For the Arbitrator: (The documents bear the seal of the inquisition).

Spoiler

Show

CASE FILE: 8263-PAC

Arbitrator Corex, You have been tasked with both maintaining security of the squad and ensuring that any threat to the safety of this sector is dealt with effectively and efficiently. Keep in mind that keeping the peace is also your responsibility.

This is first and foremost a covert assignment: make sure the adept has the required conditions to complete his census.

Attached is a briefing report on the “Burning Princess” Incident, for your reading pleasure.

For the Tech-Priest: (A series of zeros and ones cover the scroll).

Spoiler

Show

01001000011000010110100101101100001000000111010001 10100001100101001000000100111101101101011011100110 10010111001101110011011010010110000101101000001000 00000011010000101001011001011011110111010100100000 01100001011100100110010100100000011101000110000101 11001101101011011001010110010000100000011101110110 10010111010001101000001000000111010001101000011001 01001000000111000001110010011011110111010001100101 01100011011101000110100101101111011011100010000001 10000101101110011001000010000001110100011010000110 01010010000001101101011000010110100101101110011101 00011001010110111001100001011011100110001101100101 00100000011101000110100001100101001000000101000001 11001101111001001011010111010001110010011000010110 00110110101101100101011100100010000001100001011100 11011100110110100101100111011011100110010101100100 00100000011101000110111100100000011101000110100001 10100101110011001000000111001101110001011101010110 00010110010000100000011010010110111000100000011011 11011100100110010001100101011100100010000001110100 01101111001000000110110001101111011000110110000101 11010001100101001000000110000101101110011001000010 00000110010101101100011010010110110101101001011011 10011000010111010001100101001000000111010001101000 01100101001000000111001101101111011101010111001001 10001101100101001000000110111101100110001000000110 00110110111101110010011100100111010101110000011101 00011010010110111101101110001000000111010001101000 01100001011101000010000001101000011000010111001100 10000001101100011000010111010001100101011011000111 10010010000001110101011100000111001101100101011101 00001000000111010001101000011001010010000001000001 01110011011101000111001001101111011011100110111101 10110101101001011000110110000101101110100100100111 00110010000001101111011000100111001101100101011100 10011101100110000101110100011011110111001001111001 10010010011100110010000001101101011000010110001101 10100001101001011011100110010100100000011100110111 000001101001011100100110100101110100

Spoiler

Show

All Hail the Omnissiah
You are tasked with the protection and the maintenance the Psy-tracker assigned to this squad in order to locate and eliminate the source of corruption that has lately upset the Astronomican’s observatory’s machine spirit

Glory to the Omnissiah

For the assassins: (A sealed envelope is handed to them).

Spoiler

Show

Inside, a single line is written on a scrap of paper: “Recover Target- dead or alive”

[Talkkno]

With a breath of fresh air after weeks after weeks threw the warp was refreshing to the young Arbitator. He smoked his lho-stick for a moment, the rings of smoke threw the air. The fields of verdent green reminded me of Serinith before it was blasted into craters...before the genestealers, the war, the claws...Yes the claws that scared at every step, that haunted his dreams. A thought too horrible remember, he pushed it out of his mind as he focused on the present situation

"Reminds me of home." Corex said outside wistfully, as he finished his lho-stick.

"Well, it's all rather brezzy assignment don't you think? I'm blown my way from one end of this sector to the other end, and this has to be about the most rotunie task ever set for me. In any case, we got a job to do. I can drive the truck, and cogboy try to keep out of sight, don't want to freak out the locals. Juron remarked in a military fashion, expect for the last part, which he stared at the errant tech-priest bristling with guns with a small hint of disdain, before heading to the truck. His hellgun hanging lazily on his back.

He though on the back of his mind.
THE CLAWS! Zeithn once meationed they got some kind witchery with them genestealers...please not it be them please Emperor, spare me of there horrid sight...

[FullPlateJacket]

A cloaked man sits in the grass, staring up at the blue sky. It may not be a proper hab, but this ain't so bad, he thinks.
Glancing down, he sees the envelope he got from the Administratum clerk, still unopened. It didn't matter - he knew what it said anyways. It's always the same.

Still, there's something off about this mission. If there is an A-class psyker, they should have sent more people. If there isn't one, there's no reason to send someone like me. He looks around at his teammates for this mission, none of whom he particularly recognizes. Good. Time for a little information gathering. But first, I need a name. How about...

The man stands up and turns to face the rest of the group. "I suppose we should introduce ourselves. You may call me Claus. I specialize in intel, stealth, and long-range fire support. I look forward to working with you all." The man speaks with a smile, but...

[Talkkno]

"The name is Juron Corex, Arbitator, I'm specialized at managing "human resources." Corex replilded slightly more relaxed, as he flexed his neck a bit as he got into the car, putting his key in right the place, and setting his visor over his face. But not yet igniting the truck yet

"You got quite the loadout there, Claus. Might want to keep most of your guns at base when we get there. Your going to scare the warp out the civvies packing that much firepower. There isn't enough seats in this truck to hold all of us, you mind hanging in the back?" He remarked off handily

[FullPlateJacket]

"Not a problem. Watch." Claus swings his rifles over his shoulder, using the attached leather straps to hang them off his back. Then he flips his cloak over the guns. With the rifles and cloak in place, it merely looks like Claus is carrying a rather bulky pack under his cloak.
"I don't make a habit of letting people know just how much heat I'm packing. But if you still want me in the back of the truck, that's fine. I can set up a sniper's nest."

[Lycan 01]

Ralix removes his backpack and sets it down beside him on the grass. He then takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the clean Agri-world air. It was much more wholesome and healthy than the recycled oxygen of his old Hive, but he sometimes missed the familiar sting of toxic pollution and human filth. Slightly. On rare occassions. Cocking his head from side to side, the Adept pops his neck, trying to loosen up after the ride on the transport. "I always hate travelling in those things..." the gaunt scribe croons, running a hand through his short black hair. "But I suppose it is a small sacrifice, if it brings Glory to His Name."

Turning to face the rest of his new associates, Ralix performs a slight bow. "Ralix Zane, Imperial scholar and scribe," he introduces himself, hoping to make a good impression. But between his slightly pale and gaunt appearance, his short jet black hair, and the slight traces of darkness under his tired black eyes, he more than likely gives off the impression of a weasel. But appearances could be decieving, as they would soon hopefully learn. "Devout servant of the Emperor, collector of lore and legends, and hater of all things heretic and Xeno. I may not be a good shot or a talented athlete, but I'm an excellent source of wit, banter, and random facts. Also, I'm a good driver," he grins, nodding towards the truck.

[Talkkno]

Corex tips his visor to meets the adapt's eyes, putting head outside the open window in the truck.
"If you insist" Juron leaves the truck, leaving the door wide open for Ralix to drive, opening his visors for a moment, scanning the endless fields of green.

"As much I would like to think this what the Inquisition idea of a break is, leaving us stranded punking kids from their parents. It just doesn't seem right just sending us if there suppositions are correct, an alpha-class psyker would normally warrant something an entire Guard regiment to deal with. I've heard they can single handily destroy a Titan with their witchery... Let's hope its nothing but unusual increase psyker births eh?" He remark humorously putting visor back over his face.

"Or Tyranids" He thought silently.

[Lycan 01]

"Think about it," Ralix shrugs, approaching the truck but not entering it, opting to instead have this conversation without the roar of an engine in the way. "If they sent a Guard regiment, or an Astartes strikeforce, or anything else of such grandious power, wouldn't it tip off the Alpha to their intent? But who's going to notice, let alone suspect, a rag-tag bunch of Inquisitors doing a simply survey and census? An unseen dagger accomplishes the same thing as an organized firing squad, but with less effort and mess. We may not be the most powerful option, but we're likely the most effective one... Or at least, the most expendable, should we fail in a spectacular manner," the Adept smirks, showing off a taste of his own gallows humor.

[crazedloon]

Castus

Castus stood in prayer over the great axe his claws twitching in rhythm with a subsonic hymn. Energy plays along the edge of the great weapon and below his cowl lights spark around his tattoos. He does not stop when the Arbiter rudely nicknames him nor when the others continue their banter though every word is carefully registered for latter. His right hand is stone steady with the odd box and screen which made up the Psy-Tracker. Sparks seemed to travel from his hand to the device in a rhythm all their own. Finally the ritual stops and a puff of incense issues from one of Castus's long mechanical arms.

Spoiler

Show

I will tech-use - (1d100)[25] on the the Psy-Tracker vs 78 (48 + 20 + 10 multi-tool)
awareness - (1d100)[56] vs 65 (35 + 20 auspex + 10 optical) reroll - (1d100)[76]

tech-use - (1d100)[53] for the auspex vs 78 (and the area around us)
awareness - (1d100)[5] for general area vs 65

[Bowerbird]

Ravion, seemingly clad in local garb, a waistcoat, glasses, and a cane, had been sitting towards the back for the entire briefing. You aren't sure why, but you seem uneasy in his presence, like being in the room with some kind of large predator. He steps off the transport carrying a large metal stake, and a duffelbag. For the first time since you first noticed him in the meeting room, he speaks: "We should make haste to the rendezvous point, the sooner we get set up, the sooner we can locate the target, and the less damage he can cause to faithful servants of the Emperor." With that he climbs onto the back of the truck.

[Saldre]

Castus:

Spoiler

Show

Your auspex does not detect anything important or unusual in the area other then harmless local lifeforms, birds, bugs and the like: your are all the only humans nearby.

On the other hand, your Psy-tracker is acting strange: It will blink intensely at a point north-east far off in the distance then stop, only to restart again in an erratic manner. The screen is fizzling, riddled in static and you cannot quite make out the image perfectly: something is disrupting the machine. As per the briefing, you realize from what little information you could get out of the image that the bleep is coming from Windhaven's direction.

[crazedloon]

Castus

Castus Lifts the heavy axe and walks to the truck his long robes trailing behind him before he climbs into the back using the arms to nearly crawl into the bed. He sits cross legged with the axe across his lap and his arms bracing him in place as well as searching the area around him. A slow mechanical breath can be heard from within his cowl.

[FullPlateJacket]

"Fair enough. Regardless of why we were sent, we have to accomplish our mission. Whether we live or die is secondary." Claus grins. "On that note, let's hit the road. For the glory of the Emperor!" Claus climbs in the back of the truck, occupying a position at the very back, in order to watch for any trouble. ...Not like there'll be any, but it's best to follow procedure in these kinds of situations, he thinks.

[Talkkno]

Assuming everyone is in the truck now, Corex gets back in the driving seat of the car and starts up, driving across the verdant fields the best he can toward Windhaven.

Drive Ground Vehicle (d100)[5]

Initiative: (d10+3)[9]

[Saldre]

You reach Windhaven after a few hours; the drive is uneventful, blissfully quiet as you pass by countless farmlands and fields dedicated to growing everything from corn to sugar canes.

As you approach the town, the scenery changes more and more and takes on a more civilized appearance. Though Windhaven is still a relatively small settlement, it is considerably bigger than anything else on the planet: It was, after all, the point of first contact and the only place that has more or else solid connections to the bureaucracy of the Empire.

The road leads you directly to the town square, the heart of Windhaven, where almost everything can be found.

Spoiler

Show

At the center of town, a large boulder stands erect: ancient carvings adorn its front side. It is said these were made by the Emperor’s finest when they first arrived and recruited the planet into the Empire as a symbol of a new age.

Since then, An Adeptus Arbites Bureau stands across the street from the town-square along with Administratum Office besides it. The Local church, largest on the planet, is run by the Ecclesiarchy, and constantly reminds the Emperor-fearing folk of what awaits them beyond the stars: You can hear its loud bells ringing in the distance all the way from the other side of town.

[Lycan 01]

Having jumped in the passenger seat before the truck took off, Ralix sits back and relaxes during the trip. As they near their destination, he makes a quick check of his weapons to make sure they're all safely hidden and secure. He then adjusts the straps of the armor beneath his robes, and then straightens out his clothing so that he looks more organized and clean. Reaching into his backpack, Ralix digs through various clothing items and pieces of equipment, before finally pulling out the item he desired - a small but colorful hat, with a feather in it.

Placing the hat upon his head, Ralix makes sure the feather on top isn't squashed or anything, and then ***** the hat to the side in a cavalier manner. He then looks at his comrades and grins. "When dealing with backwater civilians and sensetive information, it is always a good idea to try and make a good impression. If one has to masquerade as a wealthy merchant or something of the sort, so be it. As long as it gets people to open their hearts to you... as well as their mouths."

[FullPlateJacket]

"I wholeheartedly agree," Claus replies. "At least for this phase of the operation." He pulls out what appears to be an old pair of reading glasses and dons them while relaxing his posture to appear more like an explorer or traveler.

[Talkkno]

Juron gets out the driver seat, and head's to the Adeptus Arbites Bureau and enters it.

"I'd like to speak to commander of this station, Arbitator Juron Corexm, we were sent here to deal with the recent flaring of a possible alpha level pskyer."

[Saldre]

Juron (and Anyone else who goes to the Bureau with him):

Spoiler

Show

The Adeptus Arbites Bureau is a large, three story tall building. Arbitrators and Guardsmen, dressed in a most peculiar uniform devoid of armor, move in and out, talking with each other.

As you walk in, a man is being escorted inside by an Arbitrator. He is loud and abrasive, trying his best to make a scene and disturb the otherwise quiet station.

You reach the front desk, your presence relatively ignored thanks to the commotion behind you. A rather plump arbitrator sits and passes the time waiting for visitors by drinking from a large mug, which he keeps on his desk, and eating a sandwich.

He quietly stares at you while chewing as you state out your purpose, and before as you finish your sentence his face twists in surprise and he chokes on a piece of bread. Coughing loudly, he spits it out and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Excuse me?" He laughs as he regains his composure. "An alpha-grade psyker? Bahaha You seem to be lost there, Partner. We keep our Psykers under control here on Tephaine. No such thing as an Alpha."

He frowns suddenly, as if realizing something. "Hey, who in the world... you do know that impersonating an officer of the Bureau is punish.." He stops as he looks over the man and then nods a few times.

"Then again, You do seem genuine: my apologies. But that was still funny, almost made me lose my lunch. Tiphain is relatively calm when it comes to them devil-dealers. Bless the Emperor, we get a few cases here and there, but nothing severe and nothing the local squad cant handle. I dont know why you were sent down here Arbitrator...

The commander is out, He wont be back for a at least a week or so: He's in Braksten. I am in charge here now, so If you need anything, you can come to me: Clark. You do have authority papers, don't you? Just show them to me, and I will be sure to put this station's resources at your disposal, no matter how meager they are.

Now, how can i help you?"

He smiles heartily, wiping a tear from his eye, snickering as he recalls your good joke.

[crazedloon]

Castus

When the truck rumbles into the square Castus stops his slow prayer and stands up. When the truck stops he steps over the edge of the bed and lowers himself to the ground using the arms to hold him up. He stands in the middle of the square and begins the ritual he had done at the landing zone.

Spoiler

Show

I will tech-use - (1d100)[72] on the the Psy-Tracker vs 78 (48 + 20 + 10 multi-tool)
awareness - (1d100)[65] vs 65 (35 + 20 auspex + 10 optical) auspex reroll - (1d100)[84]

tech-use - (1d100)[29] for the auspex vs 78 (and the area around us)
awareness - (1d100)[86] for general area vs 65 auspex reroll - (1d100)[73] for anything odd

awareness - (1d100)[48] vs 85 (35 + 20 auspex + 20 optical +10 visually) visually for anything abnormal in the area auspex reroll - (1d100)[84]

re-rolls there only if the first roll does not beat the dc

[Saldre]

Castus:

Spoiler

Show

A cat standing in the area leaps into the air as you land on the floor then runs away screeching, having gotten a rather good look at your bulking frame. People standing around, looking over from the Gazebo point at you, girl gasp loudly, men discuss and children that run about from time to time either laugh or cower behind corners, unable to understand exactly how or why you seem to be blinking.

The Psy-tracker malfunctions, though there is something disturbing it nearby, it still manages to register a bleep in the distance. If you hurry, you can follow it before it fades.

Your auspex detects nothing unusual, simply the masses that dwell in Windhaven and a few stray cats that run rampant around the streets.

[Talkkno]

Somewhat miffed by the response, Juron nevertheless silently slides the letter he recived, marked with the seal of Inquisition.

" I think this communicates adequately the seriousness of the situation. In any case, the adapt I have attached to our squad primary task to take a census of the pskyer population of Tephain Minor. When the last time the Governer took a headcount?" Corex repiles, lifting his visor, scanning his surroundings for a moment, before turning back to Clark.

[crazedloon]

Castus

Castus look to see if any of his companions waited for him, if he sees any he will motion for them to get in the car and begin to drive the thing in the direction he points.

If he finds no one has lingered he begins walking head bent looking at the psy-tracker. However unseen to those who watch his optic mechadirmite has slid out of his socket and peers forward twitching side to side to get the full view of the street as Castus walks.

Spoiler

Show

I will begin following the dot moving steadily but nor running. (or will drive in that direction)

I will also pay attention to my surroundings as they change
awareness - (1d100)[68] vs 85 (35 + 20 auspex + 20 optical +10 visually) visually for anything abnormal in the area auspex reroll - (1d100)[24]
awareness - (1d100)[88] vs 75 (35 + 20 auspex + 10 optical +10 visually) listening to the surroundings auspex reroll - (1d100)[13]

[Saldre]

Juron (and Anyone else who chose to follow him into the station):

Spoiler

Show

Clark begins to visibly sweat as he reads the letter, grumbling to himself.

"Alpha class? You mean this guy might pop any second now!?" He says "And just when the commander went away, just my luck! I tell ya, I always get..." He stops himself, realizing he's standing in front of a member of the Inquisition.

"Last census was... well, a while ago that's for sure. The Administratum would know, they handle the paperwork. I can tell you this much, we haven't caught ourselves a psyker in a few years now, that much is for sure. There just aren't any around these parts. And either way, were not equipped to find them...

You know, this is a small town: but... see, the Adeptus is understaffed. If word of something like this gets out of this building, it'll mean hell, that's for sure. Word gets around quick, good thing you came to me, normally Sally would be here and this news would already be all over town."

Castus:

Spoiler

Show

As you follow the dot, it gets further and further away: however, the disturbance seems to clear as you leave your group behind only to worsen as you get closer to the dot. From your current position, you can estimate the dot to be an hour or so away, on the other side of town: no doubt at the edge, right before the farmlands begin again.
You spot nothing unusual, simply the local population going about their business, occasionally pointing at you and whispering to each other.

[Talkkno]

"I wouldn't worry about the possibility a alpha-class pskyer too much, a witch of that much strength would have already blew up the town already. Can you hand me a map to the Administratum building? Juron replied with dark humor, as he slides letter back into his pack.

[Saldre]

Juron (and everybody who went with him inside the bureau...):

Spoiler

Show

Clark nods, obviously relieved.

"You don't need a map, its just across the street over there. Its a small town."

He says and points trough a glass window to another building nearby.

[Talkkno]

Juron nods in thanks, as he heads to the Administratum building, trying to navigate himself toward the layernithe building, reaching the front and speaking firmly to the person on the front desk.

"I demand to see the latest count of psykers in the local area."

Charm Test (d100-10)[13]

[Lycan 01]

Ralix decides to stick with the Tech-Priest, and he watches with interest as the Adeptus Mechanicus disciple does his work. However, once the Tech-Priest begins to walk away, he quickly chases after him and falls into step behind him. "Wouldn't driving be faster?" the Adept jerks his head back at the truck. "Just tell me where to go, and I can drive you in the right direction..."

[Saldre]

Junon: (And anybody who's following him, or who decides to follow him after he leaves the Bureau)

Spoiler

Show

You exit the Arbites bureau and cross the street, moving into a few alleyways before you actually get to the door: it was slightly further away then you had anticipated.

The Administratum is even more imposing then the Bureau: it stands at five stories high, and its size made it seem much closer then it actually was. It is surrounded by both a library and a University: no doubt the only ones in this sector.

As you enter it, various clerks and adepts are walking about, holding packages and boxes while they clumsly attempt to avoid each other in the long hallways.

You get to the front Desk where a young woman is sitting, reading a book. Much like Arbitrator Clark, she does not seem to have much to do: they must not get a lot of visitors.

She jumps, startled as you begin speaking. She looks up from her book and turns red and begins to mumble quietly, lowering her head and avoiding eye-contact, as she obviously fidgets with her hands.

"I..." She begins shyly "I... am just a secretary... I would.. I would have to go get permission... right away!"

She scurries away as soon as she finishes, giving furtive glances to the Arbitrator while giggling.

Moments later, a much older man appears, being dragged by the woman. Obviously displeased.

"What is it Lucy, I was busy: Just because your my daughter does not mean you can waltz into my office anytime you'd-"

He stops as he notices the heavily armored arbitrator.

"Is there a problem here, sir?" He asks.

"He said he wanted to see the Psyker records, father" She answers him, hiding slightly behind his shoulder.

"Certainly, come right this way. I assume you were sent from the Bureau. I will have the files brought over soon then, though you may be in for a bit of a disappointment. Please, come to my office. Have a seat, and tell me how I can help you. Lucy, have them send over the files to my office. Along with something to drink for our guests." He nods to his daughter who quickly leaves his side, giving the arbitrator a bright smile, then motions for him to follow into his office.

[FullPlateJacket]

Claus decides to follow the tech-priest, eager to avoid interacting with the bureaucracy. "If you're planning on catching the psyker's trail, you'll do good to bring along some firepower," he remarks, climbing into the back of the truck, watching for any sign of trouble - or anyone following the group.

Spoiler

Show

Awareness to watch for trouble or something following: (1d100)[59] vs. 80 (40 per. +20 auspex +10 mastery +10 heightened senses)