Rogue Trader: The Great Game

[Erik Vale]

Analgor [Ship main lift]

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"Don't Know but it's probable they're mercenaries, I will have to take a few moments latter to run through my memory. Given harm probably pointless to search them.... I'll get a servitor to collect them, then we will pass it of to our medical and weapon techs."

[LeSwordfish]

On Board The Ship

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Upon being asked if there is a lift nearby, gerrick considers the question. "There's an auxillary lift thirty-five meters northwest. I think it would be useful if you had a look around, first. Crime scene investigation, sort of thing. We don't know what happened here, so just cutting and running won't help. There's four rifles up on the platform."

OOC

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Unless i'm missing something, you can astropathicaly message the ground team from here.

In addition, something's amiss here. Succeed on an intelligence test to find out what (Or just work it out OOC) below:

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Four rifles. Four grenades. Four life signals detected.

Five bodies.

[Grailkeeper]

Ship

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Deacon Broderick turned up at the crime scene, he stood transfixed unable to turn his eyes away from the bodies. It was repugnant.

[ChaoticSky]

super secret on ship message! >_>

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Alia was brooding when the call came in, she really had been hoping to meet her esteemed colleague, House Kaelim had its scores to settle, and bagging one would have earned her much respect. But oh well, one of the enemy captains was a navigator, perhaps shed get to kill him before all was said and done.

Cheered by that thought, she was about to return to her alcove and begin plotting the journey ahead when her ear buzzed and the voice of a certain Took started nattering to her. after a moment, she shrugged to herself, and responded "Very well, tell him I am coming., as she pulled a hard right through a corridor and started heading for the main lift.

[LeSwordfish]

Alia

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"I'll let him know."

You can/should now read the "Everybody on Board" spoiler, and all the on-board spoilers too.

[Fearan]

*OOC: sorry for keeping it this long. My Internet provider hates me.*
Ethan's search have brought him to the reasonably clean bar somewhere in better sectors of Footfall. Still, he would probably abstain from coming personally, if it wasn't that important. He listened to the "greeting" the xeno gave him with a poker face, yet he had to made a pause before answering, to overcome the urge of answering with the order to the fire-teams.
It is customary to greet your negotiaton partner. I'm to be adressed as Lord-Captain d'Arbanville, and no amount of your usefulness will change that. Is it clear? - apparently the kroot wasn't the only proud being in the inn. - Yet, I'll not require elaborate ceremonies - I do like that you moved straight to business. Still, I don't see the point of making a reasonable offer, if you'll try to double it anyway. So... let's start with *making a commerce check to make an offer, that is at least somewhat reasonable (1d100)[46] vs 48*

[LeSwordfish]

In the bar

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There is the slightest of tense silences as skri'vva digests this, and then she nods. "Fair enough. That's a good start, at least. Take a seat, have a drink."

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The Commerce check has got her attention. Intimidate/Barter/Decieve/Charm (Yeah right) tests could cause her to look more favourably on you, as could accepting her offer of a drink. Kroot are not noted for their love of authority, i warn you.

(1d100)[78] Commerce roll to Oppose yours. Failure: You have, for however long, the upper hand.

Eli's comm-bead crackles. "Sir, three approaching the bar. Too nicely dressed to be locals. Two men, one woman. Seem to have a firearm apiece. One of the men also has a chainblade. Requesting orders."

[Sithis]

Eli

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"Do not engage, but have a few men move closer and prepare to intervene if necessary." Eli switches channels to Lord d'Arbanville's com-bead and whispers*, M'Lord, we may have company. Any chance we could speed this process up?"


*Basically, trying to keep the kroot from overhearing.

[Fearan]

Bar

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Ah, new expirience - with this words Ethan accepted the offered drink. He wasn't fully sincere on that one -he actually had a lot of strange brews in his collection on board of "Libertine", and he actually tried most of them. Yet, he didn't recall drinking in this particular bar, so thaty counted as new. Now, you announced the rules of the game, and right now I'm willing to play along. Your move.
Lord-Captain was suddenly interrupted by the voice in his microbead. He grinned and answered: - Just stick to the schedule. Nothing is out of place - he reaaaally didn't understand why his trusted Arch-militant hestitates instead of following Ethan's orders, but that could wait. He wel deal with the competence issues later.

[Fearan]

Oh, and a charm test. Sorry for double-posting
(1d100)[50] vs 48

[LeSwordfish]

On the planet

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"Got it. Maintaining position. Tagged them for the servitors, though."

Skr'ivva has no interest in small talk, and after growling an instruction at the barman she waits for the drink in silence. When the drink arrives she swigs it in a single gulp and, after a choking cough, begins to speak.

"So. This is why you-" The door opens, and the group that you were told about enter. As mentioned there are two men, massive, burly thugs carrying autopistols, and a woman, wearing a chainsword at her hip and a bolt pistol in a sholder holster. All three wear the brass globe pin of Lady Brass. The two men take up positions next to the table, and the woman sits down sharply. The bar's other clientele look around at them suspiciously, but Skr'ivva gives the newcomers a brief, suspicious squint, before seeming to pass them, and waving a "let it go" hand at the other barflies.

"Skr'ivva of Taar." the woman begins. "I am an emissary of Lady Brass. I wish to purchase your services for a period of one month, to assist with an expedition."

Skr'ivva looks from you to the woman and back again. "What have we here? It's a bidding war, my second favourite kind of conflict." She sits back comfortably, with a wide smile. "I'm glad i dont have to say this twice. This is why you want to pay me lots of money to work for you. Number one: I am the only person alive that knows the exact location of the font. That is what you are after, don't pretend otherwise. Don't care what Merrick says, i could find that damn thing with my eyes closed. Number two: it took us two months to find the entrance to the catacombs. That's the price of not having me. And number three: twenty good men died in those catacombs, and i didn't. Again, the price of not having me on board. There's other reasons, but those are the ones i can sum up easily."

She looks between you again, and then names the price you placed earlier. "That is lord d'Arbanville's offer. What do you offer?"
"An additional twenty percent." The woman replies immediately. Clearly she has money to throw around. Skr'ivva's grin widens, and she turns back to you.

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To bid for Skr'ivva: Opposed acquisitions check: Your PF vs Lady Brasses, which is unknown but much higher. You add 15 to your PF, for coming in person (+10) and making an effort to charm Skr'ivva (+5). Charm, Commerce, Barter, Carousing, etc, checks can all be made, with each success adding 5 and each failure by more than one Degree of Failure deducting five.

The benefits of Skr'ivva: She's not kidding about being the only person to know where the font is. Without her, you're reliant on, at very least, following someone else. In addition, while Skr'ivva is in the party, all Barter, Survival, Climb, Navigate (surface) and Forbidden Lore (Xenos) tests are at +10

[Erik Vale]

Analgor (Main Lift)

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After a time Analgor asks one of the crew still around.

"Pass me a slate, I wan't to look at the scanners readings again."

And then he saw it.
He thumbed the switch on his staff, and it lit up ready to shock. The crewman took a hesitant step back, afraid he was going to be beaten.

"There is one to many bodies here."
Already he was walking towards the corpses, ready to touch one of them with the body of his staff. He was already looking for differences.

[Fearan]

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Ethan made a sip of his hideous Footfal drink and interrupted the emyssary's foolish blather with a simple AHEM!. Then, when he caught the attention, he adressed to the woman with cold fury in his eyes and plenty of frost in his voice
It is a pity, that I have to say it twice - it's customary to greet your partners. Is house Brass tries to insult house d'Arbanville? That would be most unfortunate. Next - your offer is void, for ourrespected host had allready requested double from my initial offer. And finally - this is not a bidding war - he made a healthy dramatic pause, and then have put a hand already holding his trusty plasma pistol on the table, yet not aiming at anyone - it's an ambush - and in the next moment to the micro-bead: Eli, what's keeping you so long?

[Ghaundan]

On the ship

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"Captain, post guards on the elevator and order another squad to search the immediate area to where it leads, tell them they're looking for a stowaway or somesuch"

He slowly drew his pistol, merely supporting himself on the staff "I noticed the same Analgor. You're the expert on such creatures. Should I inform our Lord or would you like to do some tests first so we have something concrete to show? And do tell if my skills can be of any help, if even just to end these cretin" He nodded at the deacon, agreeing to his reaction, even if he himself had hidden it better.

[LeSwordfish]

On the planet

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As soon as Ethan reaches for his weapon, Brass's men do likewise. The massive size of the plasma pistol causes them to hesitate though. The emissary however smoothly swings out her chainsword and draws back from the table into a duelling position. "Should you quarrel, sir, the house of Brass shall meet you."

"Moving up." Albrin announces from outside. "Team one, take the bar. Team two, over watch the street."

Skrivva takes her feet off the table and frowns slightly, as if someone had delivered her the wrong drink. "Ey, ey ey. Keep yourself polite folks. While I'd love to see my first favourite kind of war today as well, here and now is not the place."

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Should you press the issue, begin combat time. Skr'ivva, the emissary, and the thugs are all at point blank range. Nobody is surprised. Albrin and his men will enter at the end of the next turn.

On the ship

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Gerrick's nods. "Cutting them down now." He motions to one of the servitors, armed with a pair of long mechandrites, and it braced itself with one and extended towards the macabre bundle with the other. The guard next to it brings up his lasgun slowly. "Sir! Something's-"

And then all hell breaks loose. The lights flicker and die, plunging the room into thick black darkness. The guard who had been aiming his lasgun shouted, in shock and fear, and opened fire, semi-automatic fire las bolts streaking across the room. In the strobing blue bursts of the lasgun, a dark shape peels away from the hanging corpses and leaps across to the shouting guardsman, swinging like an ape on the extended mechandrite of the servitor to leap into midair. High above the guardsman's head, the shape draws a pair of bright blades that glitter twice as two bolts streak past it, and then it falls.

With a wet slicing noise, the shouting of the guardsman and the lasfire cuts off short. Others are shouting now. "Contact!" Gerrick yells, "Contact! Mandrake!"

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Initiative:
Alia: (1d10+3)[4]
Analgor: (1d10+4)[10]
Esarhaddon: (1d10+4)[11]
Broderick: (1d10+4)[8]
Gerrick: (1d10+4)[8]
Guardsmen: (1d10+3)[13]
Servitors: (1d10+1)[11]
Mandrake: (1d10+15)[25]

Surprising no-one, the mandrake is first. Surprising everyone, the servitors and the redshirts are next.

Those of you who passes the intelligence test are not Surprised, otherwise you are. Darkness reduces all BS tests to hit the mandrake by 30, if you can light it up this is removed.*The mandrakes actions for this turn are essentially a charge action.

Combat takes place on three levels, each three meters apart. A ladder leads between the two levels, and for the sake of simplicity I'll say can be treated as six meters of clear terrain to climb, or three meters with a successful agility test.

Level one: three guardsmen, heavy bolter servitor

Level two: you, Gerrick, one guardsman, heavy bolter servitor, hanging corpses

Level three: two guardsmen, two half-guardsman, mandrake, utility servitor, lift.

Full combat maps tomorrow morning: for now treat the mandrake as 10m away.

[Erik Vale]

With a click of fingers a red lance of light flies out from under the sleeves of Analgor's oversized robes where he keeps his hellgun. However all it serves to do is vent panic, frustration, and air from his shirt, as the shot burns into a nearby peice of railing, flying above the mandrakes head.

[Grailkeeper]

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Snapping out of his shock Broderick raises his flamer and bathes the shadow thing in purifiying fire.


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(1d10+4)[11]

[LeSwordfish]

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As the mandrake lands, Gerrick, Analgor, and Broderick are already shooting. Analgor's shot pings off a railing harmlessly, and Gerrick's lasbolts burn hot holes in the walls of the lift, but Broderick has more success, hosing the creature down with gouts of holy flame. The mandrake screeches and shies back from the fire, but its clothes don't catch and as the fire touches its skin ist hisses into steam.

Frost is beginning to spread around the chamber. Gerrick growls in fury and begins working at his jammed gun, clearing ice from the interior. A chill wind begins to blow up the shaft.

The mandrake recovers from the flame and leaps towards the servitor reaching out for the corpses, slicing the mechandrite off the servitor and kicking it into the shaft, before moving in to attack the final guardsman on the top level, who raises his bayonet bravely to meet it.

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Mandrake: Move, attack.
Guardsmen: Surprised
Servitors: Surprised
Analgor: Logis implant, hellgun miss.
Gerrick: Full Auto: (1d100)[98](1d100)[27] (1d10)[2](1d10)[8](1d10)[8]
Broderick: Successfully does 7 damage to the mandrake.
Esarhaddon: Surprised
Alia: Surprised/didn't post.

As the mandrake's chill aura spreads through the shaft, weapons become more prone to jamming. Any weapon with a chance of jamming doubles that chance.

[Ghaundan]

On the ship

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Ershaddon reeled and felt fear grip his heart, concluding he'd only get closer to the thing when it was dead. Not wanting to shoot in case he hit the guardsman he decided to let the Mandrake feel as he did, and tappet into his psychic powers.


Psychic scream:
Willpower:(1d100)[61]
Damage(1d10+2)[6] Shocking.

[Fearan]

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Lord d'Arbanville laughed at the emyssary's empty threat. - Don't try to threaten me with the wrath of your house. Even if it will be willing avenge you, you won't leave to see it. You have insulted me. Apologize and get out of here, or face the consequences of your ill choise. *untrained intimidate check vs 24 (1d100)[39]* - Ethan wasn't really expect the emyssary to leave, he just held his ground until his men enter the bar. As for the words of the Kroot - he had them ignored - it was not for the Xeno to decide, where and when Ethan will fight. And he obviously would hear nothing, the impolite Kroot would tell him about the manners

[Erik Vale]

Analgor [Combat]

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Analgor growls. He knows that something might be coming from the lift but he has to kill the current threat. and clicks in quick succession wanting to try and end this quickly.
And a single guard is... No great loss.

However, all the shots miss.

[Grailkeeper]

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Raising his flamer higher Broderick sought to combat the ice with flame. He fired the weapon down the tunnel after the alien.

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(1d10+4)[7]

[LeSwordfish]

On-planet

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"Sir, I say again..." the emissary begins, and is cut off abruptly as albrin's team one bursts into the bar through the main doors, dropping into position, guns fanned out to cover the room. Five men and a heavy bolter armed servitor.

"Don't move." Albrin shouts. "Weapons on the ground!"

As brass's team comply, stepping into the middle of the room and laying down their pistols, Skr'ivva clears her throat, waits a second for everyone's attention, and then clicks her fingers.

One by one, each of the men by the bar pulls out a heavy pistol from inside coats or jackets. The barman hefts a cut-down bolter from under the bar, and hurls Skr'ivva a heavy crossbow-style weapon, which she ***** menacingly and points directly at you.

"You have one more chance to leave this place." Skr'ivva says. "The deal is most definitely off."

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Initiative
Skr'ivva (1d10)[7]+8
Bar thugs(1d10)[6]+3

Eli (1d10)[6]+4
Ethan (1d10)[2]+4
Albrin's men (1d10)[4]+3
Servitor (1d10)[10]+2

Emissary+thugs (1d10)[2]+3

Emissary and thugs move to centre of room and lay down weapons. Skr'ivva readies and aims kroot bow at you. Albrin's team enter and aim at the bar thugs and emissary, skrivaa's thugs aim at albrin's team and you.