Sin of Pride - Black Crusade

[DrK]

The Sin on the Sin of Pride

Deep within the 3.8km of the Sin of Pride gnaws a hidden evil. Wrapped in 22 million tonnes of adamantine and ceramite and hosting some 68000 souls the vessel is a bastion of the power of the Inquisition but not all as it seems.

Cults and xenos hide in the long abandonded sections of the vessel. In airless and broken sections sealed off for centuries the mutant breeds and spreads. Hiding along the edges of the mighty warpsbane hull. The geller impregnated hull shielding their vile presence from the holy light of the Emperor and the purges of the Lord Theocles lie the forgotten reaches where chaos dwells...

5 months ago the acolytes were contacted by a powerful and evil chaos sorcerer Master Kharulan the Artifex who promised things they desired. Powerful rituals to unleash demons, 20 captured imperial confessors and access to ancient and powerful artifacts. Things that called to your dark souls. So you found yourselves sealed away in a small cargo crate that was loaded aboard the Sin of Pride while it hung orbiting the Lathes being outfitted for war against the very creatures that were boarding it. The crate that you were loaded on was opened after ~6 hours and the albino with a split tongue mutant abased himself in an appropriate manner before his betters. The dank and decript surrounding poorly lit and smelling of refuse and waste a welcoming home to you as the leader - Soldevan, a powerful figure amongst the underdeck scum the dregs of an Ensign's uniform still clinging to him - explains where you should and should not go. The various criminal elements aboard the crew and where trouble can be found.

The past 5 months have been exploration and consolidation as you've learned how to navigate the seedy hidden world of the underdeck and where the hidden paths between the dead sections lead. You also learned about other cults and powers aboard the vessel. The artifacts in Lord Theocles possession drawing strange and eseoteric enemies and interests. The Lord Inquisitor having more to hide than any of his followers aboard the vessel know.

2 months ago you lost several of your eyes and ears in the Prow of the vessel and soon the senestive amongst you registered the void in the warp in that area. The powerful xeno cult residing there too powerful even for the likes of you to face. A compact between you and them - no crossing of a certain line the unspoken truce as you both went about your nerfarious duties.

Then the contacts began with the darker hereteks. the weapons they supplied invaluable as the mutants you began to arm spread. A secondary source of guns from the stores another hook in the belly of the vessel. Who knows what the Hereteks want but you chose to steer clear of them as well. The power they were drawing sure to be noticed even by the blind fools in the well lit decks above.

You had endured the attacks on the vessel The hereteks on the Agglomeration either allies nor enemies but distractions as you sought to acquire whatever artifacts that the Inquisitor Lord possesses.

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I'm assuming you dwell i the underdecks.
Some suggested starting points.
1. Infiltrate the crew
2. Begin a cult
3. Learn what Theocles has!
-any questions ask in the OOC or in here. let the games begin

[Tome]

Sid Miles

The shaggy haired heretic takes a long drag from his lho stick and exhales, unfocused eyes watching as the smoke intertwines with those special patterns only he can see. The warp twists and turns, and Sid gazes deep into it's patterns.

"Maaaaaan" he drawls, absent-mindedly commenting aloud to the other heretics, "warp's looking all sorts of sketchy tonight bros. Future maybe ain't so bright, you know?". The wyrd kicks back in his seat on an old and long since looted storage cabinet, yawning a little. He's a tall, lanky fellow, with an easy, friendly smile and a half-lidded gaze that always seems to be aimed somewhere just off to the side.

He gives a snort of laughter as he thinks about it, before adding "Or maybe that's the smoke? Miracles, man".

"So what're we doing tonight, brain?".

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Just a little something to introduce Sid.

[Starbin]

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I guess I could keep Salome and change the class if Caimheul still wants to be an apostate ... so this should still be useful

Salome stood staring at herself in the mirror. The synskin hugged her form in all the right ways; ways that almost made her take another few minutes to herself. However, there were other sensations to be had, and now was the time to find them. The thrill of working aboard the ship of an Inquisitor had its own delicious brand of adrenaline ... the group walked a razor's edge of advancing the will of the Ruinous Powers while avoiding the attention of the powerful elements Theocles controlled.

Sighing, she turned from the mirror and languidly walked back to the small table and taking a seat. Glancing around, she smiled again at the well furnished room; perhaps not as nice as should benefit one of her station, but better by far than any the others of her cult. Having earned a coin or two in her time, she commanded a greater amount of wealth than most of the others, and enjoyed the advantages it brought.

Looking down at the written note on the table, she read the possibilities Soldevan had laid out. The thug thought himself a power aboard this ship; how little he understood of true power. Perhaps she would convince Sid to demonstrate what power might look like. Of course, the former Imperial Navy lapdog was just dancing to the strings Master Karulan pulled. Now he had power ... but the question for the sorceror would be, could he keep it? In this world, betrayal was a fact of life, and change the only constant.

Bah, she was daydreaming again. Pulling her hand back up from where it had been caressing her inner thigh, she focused on the note. Theocles had an artifact, perhaps more than one, and the sorceror wanted it. It must be mighty indeed, given the promises Karulan made to them ... which meant it would be heavily guarded. In order to get to the artifact, they would need a distraction. The heretek's and the xenos-spawn were excellent patsies, but they also served as cautionary tales - awaken the sleeping dragon and invoke its wrath. Both had acted, loudly and clumsily, and paid dearly for their arrogance. No, if this small cult were to be successful, it would require subtlety and subterfuge. A silent and sneaking serpant hidden amongst the masses, where that fruggin' golden confessor who kept a constant stream of imperial drivel wouldn't notice ... until it was striking at his breast.

They could start with a grass-roots campaign, something to start the masses thinking about something other than the Carion King. Then, a few select outbursts, timed with efforts from the tech priests and xenos. Finally, a full-scale uprising, perhaps emphasized with a being from the blessed Warp.

Once Theocles and his precious retinue and mutated giants were focused elsewhere, the artifact would be hers for the taking. All it would take was a friend or two in the right place at the right time. She needed to find out who aboard this ship might be susceptible to the temptations of the Prince of Pleasure ... and then find what poison best slaked their thirst. Now it was time to find the others and stir up a little chaos ...

Walking into the room, Salome glanced around at the others of their little cult. As was to be expected, Sid was lounging to one side, staring idly at his own smoke rings. She caught his question as she entered.

"So what're we doing tonight, brain?"

Smiling, she responded. "The same thing we do every night, love. Try to take over the ship. Now, who among my cute, little outcasts is up for a little insurrection, hmm?"

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My intro ... and at some point Salome will try to find out a little about the ship and it's senior members. Never can tell when someone on the bridge might be a crazy sex-freak who could possible be the target of a Slaanesh temptress ... I'm just saying. What roll is that, Inquiry? (TN 64, (1d100)[61])

PS - I had Salome as someone who could blend in with the ship (her trade's remembrancer ... she takes pretty pictures). Should she take Peer with a different group on board the Sin? Like Administratum?

Finally, I think I've got two more acquisitions to make ... any recommendations from the crowd?

[Tome]

Sid Miles

The wyrd flashes Salome a lazy grin in greeting. "Oh man, I am all over that stuff, my sweet sexy-sis".

"So hey" he drawls excitedly, as if he'd already been thinking of bringing it up already, "I was giving it some thought myself and I reckon, if we're gonna grab whatever it was that car-van dude wanted to pick up, we need to know where it actually is, you know? And I thought about it some more, gave my think-pan a bit of a righteous little workout and all, and I'm pretty sure there's like two ways we can do that. We can be all subtle and stuff and just, like, check which bits of the ship the big ol' greyface prime has got locked down tighter than a sororitas' chastity belt, not that those things're actually as hard to get into as you'd think, 'cause one of them is probably where we want to look. That's the places with the security and stuff, not the sororitas' chastity belts. Maybe shift through some rumours to see which door is hiding our grand prize. Orrrrrr, we can find someone who'd be in the know, probably like one of the greyface's flunkies, and unless they're a total badass I can be all, like, lifting the secrets right outta their greyfaced grey meats without them even noticing". Sid's ramblings seem about as focused as usual.

"Or we can do both, I guess" he adds with cheerful indifference.

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You may notice that Sid's speech is a little off. This is because he'd actually be dropping some form of obscenity in almost every sentence, were I not censoring it due to the forum rules.

[Caimheul]

Gregor Verduyn

In one corner of the room, hunched over a crate now performing he same job as a table, the Heretek Gregor Verduyn carefully continues stripping the skin and flesh from a dead genestealer the mutants had managed to save from the consuming flames of ignorance and fear the Corpse God's worshippers would have fed this treasure trove of information to. As he works, he occasionally "speaks" in soft bursts of crackling, screeching tones to a servo skull floating nearby, recording the procedure. The large incisions are made by one of the mechandendrites emerging from somewhere somewhere within the heretek voluminous robes. The fine, detail work is carried out by the blades extending from the fingers of his right hand, the flesh parting at the merest touch of one of the blades.
"Or we can do both, I guess" At this he looks up, dead eyes giving away nothing of Gregor's emotions, the entire lower half of his face replaced by a metallic grille vaguely resembling the lower half of a skull.
<Blundering about secure areas is likely to attract attention. Given the recent discovery and subsequent purging of the advanced xenos and foolish hereteks, only utter fools would not have increased their protections upon the type of treasure we are likely seeking. The latter of the options you put forward are likely the best suited to locating items of interest, especially as people have a... fortunate habit of disappearing on vessels such as this one. Should your attempts at penetrating their mind psychically fail, there are other ways to... entice information out of an unwilling subject. > This last he emphasises by momentarily retracting the blades on his hand one by one, a series of soft snicking sounds piecing the air. He turns to the servo skull as if listening to it, then slapping it as if it said something impertinent. <Yes, you fool I was getting to that! What have I said about interrupting me?> he scolds the silent, floating skull. <Should we decide to attempt to create a following within the crew, we should take note of our failed competition and strive to avoid making similar mistakes.>

[DrK]

As you linger in the dingy underreaches of the vessel you can hear the faint "thumps" of Furies and Starhawks landing beneath you from your lair above the landing ramps.

As you wait, the slow crackle of peeling exoskeleton from the heretek in the corner is drowned out by the heavy metal planks being dragged open and one of the mutants creeping in. His fingers, all seven of them heavily webbed with large boggled bluish eyes. "Masters. We've top deckers down in near by. They looking around in some of the old decks"

To Sid's mind the mutant's words are drowned out by a sudden scream. A piercing scream that only he can hear that bores into his psyche. Soething bad just happened- though to someone else.

The mutant continues on "Heard that we won some battle. Some station was torpedoed away. We going to be landing some troops down on the planet."

[Tome]

Sid Miles

"Man, some dude is having a craaaaazy bad headache right now. All screaming into the warp and stuff" Sid comments, grimacing and rubbing his ears, as if they had anything to do with the sound he just heard. Why do all those other dudes have to be all screechy and stuff? Couldn't they be more, like, 'ow, dude my head just exploded'? Be way easier on his ears.

"Maybe one of those gimp dudes, the sanctioned whatevers, finally goofed hard enough that the corpse on the fancy chair couldn't save 'em? Be downright miraculous" he wonders with a smile, paying little attention to the mutant. Salome and Greg could figure out what to do about that, he was gonna take a looksie and try to suss out what made that little racket. Assuming he can remember which shade of barkbeast was supposed to be west today.

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I wonder what could have made that noise?

Just so everyone is clear, despite spending so much of his time staring at it, Sid is actually pretty rubbish at reading the Warp. It's all just pretty lights and colours to him.

Psyniscience: 36 VS (1d100)[3]

[Starbin]

Listening to the others, Salome smiled her secret smile. "These are all fabulous ideas, but do not be like most men, and rush through it. This must be something we savor, my sweetmeats, relishing the delightful opportunity to bring chaos to an Inquisitor's ship. Most of these ilk walk the razor's edge, thinking the ends justify the means ... silly fools, never understanding that the means justify the means, and the end is neverending."

Watching the heretek work, she shook her head. "Oh that I had met you before your unhealthy facination with machines, dear Gregor. But at least your focus provides you with a measure of insight. If we do not heed the lessons of others, we shall fail in our own efforts. Our xenos counterparts failed to understand the hatred with which most of humanity views their ilk ... we shall offer them something more relatable ... desirable. We shall play upon the classics - pride, envy, sloth, gluttony, lust, greed and wrath. The seeds are sown in everyone upon birth. We simply need to water their precious little gardens."

The mutant's abrupt arrival and announcement brought her attention to the hanging questions at hand. "Who are these people below? A normal patrol, hunters of the xenos cult, the misbegotten sons of the False Emperor, or something else? Find out quickly, least they stumble upon our assembly.

As for this battle, perhaps there is an opportunity here. If we can find out why they go to the surface, we may be able to sabotage their efforts ... by either denying them what they seek, or sabotaging their transports.

What do you think, gentlemen?"

She clearly spoke to Sid and Gregor, the only two heretics she deemed to be at her station. Sid responded with some remark about a psychic event, to which she frowned. "Perhaps it is our intrepid wanderers above ... what might they have awoken in their stumbling about in the dark? And how can we benefit?"

To herself, she wondered, And what curse does this ship possess to find itself under seige from so many competing interests? Surely this is a sign from the Powers ...

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For the record, I'm okay with conflicting desires, missions and the like. However, I'd prefer to avoid direct conflict with our other characters!

Now, did my skill check for Inquiry garner anything related to the crew (i.e., who might be susceptable and the like)? Also, here are a couple of rolls for
Forbidden Lore - Heresy (TN 46): (1d100)[56]
Forbidden Lore - Inquisition (TN 46): (1d100)[97]
Scholastic Lore - Occult (TN 46): (1d100)[66]
Scholastic Lore - Legend (TN 46): (1d100)[37]

Trying to figure out if Salome has heard anything about why the Sin is going after this planet ... what artifact is on board ... details about Theocles and his allegiances ... etc

EDIT

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Okay, ninja'd by tome ... and what were you saying about reading the warp? He seems pretty good to me! I, on the other, will return to some of that luck that made me famous!

[Caimheul]

Gregor Verduyn

<Your genetics is far to limited to have ever enticed me, even prior to my time in the deluded, close-minded priesthood of Mars.> the heretek drones without looking up from his gristly work. <It is my opinion that you are focusing too much on the goal that they are leaving the ship to complete, and not enough on the simple fact that they are leaving the ship. Depending upon which of the senior crew departs, this may provide us with the opening we need to begin corrupting the crew, or further some other machination with a lessened risk of discovery.>

[Starbin]

Salome shrugged. "No one ever complimented me on my genes, so perhaps you are right. Regardless, I suggested a number of options, one of which concerned taking advantage of a trip to the planet's surface. However, until we know who is going, who stays behind may be a moot point.

Will you be able to infiltrate their systems to determine who shall be traveling to the planet? Or will we need to engage in numerous variations of pressing the flesh?"

[Caimheul]

Gregor Verduyn
<That depends on if they yet trust the ship's systems. Those foolish disciples of Umbra Malygris attempted to eradicate information about their movement from the ship's computers, resulting in increased security protocols and a decrease in the information that is available from the general network. I will however see what I can discover.> he says as he reaches for his datapad.

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(1d100)[53] Tech use I believe? AFB right now

[DrK]

As the dark temptress muses things over she watches the data slate in her hands again. The actos on the screen involving the Chief Helmswoman almost as acrobatic as some of the acts that she herself practiced. The name, Regina, one to remember and one to look upon as a weak link among the highly ranked command crew.

Even as she considers things she mulls over what sort of artifacts the Inquisitor Lord may possess that has attracted such a high degree of attraction from all manner of nefarious powers. A daemon weapon, a yu'vath artifact or some other xeno tool, maybe even some even greater artifact like a key to eldar gate network. Though the orbit above Morwen suggests something like a xeno artifact.

Sid reclining anaylsys the psychic scream, the strange flavour of it like a chewy slimy maggot in his mind. But its alien. Very alien with no trace of humanity. Distinct from the cold cool alien intellect of the xeno that was being messily dissected in the corner.

Gregor, his mind spinning - with literal cogs - considered the possibility. Hacking into some of the security data ports should be possible. Even into some of the surveillance feeds for launch bays and drop pods but not from here. Not from the dingy unpowered festering pit that the mutants and underdeck scum were confined to. For real access he would have to head above decks where power and access could be guranteed.

[Tome]

Sid Miles

"You know it'd take more than that to get his servos whirring Sals" he comments absent-mindedly, "man can't appreciate the finer things in life like we can. Though speaking of getting Greg's servos whirring...". He flashes a grin at the heretek. "Greeeeg. Greg. Gregy Greg Gregor, Gregarious Gregatron prime. Greg. I found something you'll wanna seeeeee".

"Something aaaaall xeno-y and stuff. In kind of that direction" he adds, pointing vaguely in the general direction of the disturbance he felt. "Reckon you'll be all wanting to go take a peek at whatever it was. Seemed like your sort of deal".

"Anyways, I'd say me and Sally could put on our fancy dress and go see if we can't get some officer to tell us the latest news - like exactly who's going off-ship, you know?".

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According to the rules for Psyniscience, Sid should know where the disturbance came from. Even if he is too scatterbrained to know what that translates into in terms of how to get there.

[Caimheul]

Gregor Verduyn

The heretek ignores the warp-addled wytch until he mentions a xenos presence nearby. At the mention of an inhuman psychic presence, Gregor looks up and narrows his eyes. <Was it of the same type that these fantastic creatures emitted? Or has a new player entered our little game?> he asks as one of his mechandendrites pulls a ragged, blood stained sheet over the xenos corpse on the table, in a vain effort to protect it from contamination while he investigates this new revelation and perhaps sneaks into the upper levels for a quick peak at their computer systems.

[Tome]

Sid Miles

The warp-addled wyrd shakes his head, then shakes it a little more, 'cause the warp is singing some sweet jams right now and headbanging is always the right response to those choirs invisible. "Nah man, it was all like, something totally new. Pretty close too".

[DrK]

As you mull things over another mutant - this one a humanoid shape malformed and covered in twisted flesh as if it had been a candle and melted. "The filth is leaving the underdeck. You want us to get em' Masters?"

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The DH acolytes are indeed just escaping

As Sid "tastes" the psychic impression he's fairly siure its one that he has never encountered A new xeno maybe? Certainly a new experiment for Gregor. Though the proximity and direction of this psychic scream would tally with where the creatures loyal to the Corpse God where found by some of their followers.

[Starbin]

Salome listened to Sid and Gregor speak for a little, wondering if this new xenos incursion might have anything to do with what was on board the Sin of Pride. The discussion was interrupted by one of the more mutated heretics. "The filth is leaving the underdeck. You want us to get em' Masters?"

Glancing back to the others, Salome shook her head. "It is probably best that we do not alert the ship to our presence just yet. However, we should investigate this xenos signature that Sid has detected. And if they have left any behind, then perhaps my darling Bral will find someone to play with." She looked coyly to a shadowy corner where a large lump of a man sat quietly, twin chainswords across his back. What used to pass for skin was now some sort of chitinous hide, but much of that was hidden beneath the light carapace armor it wore. Blood red eyes stared out from an oddly shaped skull, scanning the area around Salome with fevered interest.

Smiling, she turned back to Sid. "Where did you 'see' this signature, Sid?"

[Tome]

"Did'n I say it already? Man, thought I had" Sid replies, shaking his head. "Sorry chicka".

"It's all in that direction" he indicates, pointing off at an angle with one arm, "close enough to be down here in our little impromptu kingdom. Not sure where that'd be in terms of maps, but I got a pretty good feel for it if you're all wanting me to lead us there".

[Caimheul]

<That will likely be the most advantageous course of action, your presence may be required in order to analyze anything our search turns up through the Warp. Additionally, it may assist in navigating the labyrinthine passages.> Gregor contributes.

[Starbin]

Glancing around the rest of the lurking heretics, Salome lowered her voice to a sultry, throaty growl. "I suggest we leave our lesser companions to secure this area, unless you wish any to accompany us. While I welcome the opportunity to experience new sensations, surprise that our cohorts have been discovered because they attempted to act without supervision is one that we can save for another time.

Shall we, my dears?"

As they readied themselves to search for the sign of the xenos, Salome laid a hand gently on Gregor's arm. "And my thanks again, dear Gregor, for your assistance in developing Bral's potential. I applaud your decision to forego the standard nerve blockers - his screams and howls were positively delicious, and a feast for She Who Thirsts. He is quite the brute now ... well done!"

[Tome]

"Right, right, let me get my threads on..." Sid grumbles treading off to his quarters with a degree of reluctance. He returns a few moments later wearing his armour, tweaked to blend in with any imperial dogs (bow wow, woof woof) that might encounter them.

"How do I look" the Wyrd asks, striking a pose to show off his false uniform as he throws a mock salute. His armour is a common pattern used by the Imperial guard, and makes him seem honest and sincere, while Sid's own features are forgettable and easily fade into a crowd. The marking of the Scholastica Psykana have been added to the uniform, and his warp staff camouflaged with the addition of an external casing about the runes and an aquila to the tip.

"Can't be too sure, but I reckon we'd be all not wanting to give the whole game away on the off chance some of those wind-up lackeys stuck around to observe. You know?".

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Deceive: 59 (Base 34 + Unremarkable 20 + Armour 5 + Disguise Kit ??) VS (1d100)[34]

I'm not sure what bonuses a Good Craftsmanship Disguise Kit actually gives, but Sid has one. DrK, any word from you on what effects that has?

[DrK]

Minutes later the 3 heretics are ready. Garbed in the dress of the Imperials - or at least (I presume) hiding their monstrous form underneath the red robes of a tech priest.

Heading out with a few words of direction from the local dregs and scum they come to an unlit corridor faintly filled with greasy black smoke from a small fire burning upon the floor.... The faint emanation, an echo of an echo resonates from the flames where the psychic scream had been.

Whatever acolytes of the Imperial dogs long gone now.

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GC Disguise kit will give you a +10

[Starbin]

Standing there with her mesh cowl pulled around her shoulders, Salome smoothed out the synthskin she wore underneath, almost subconsciously lingering over the more sensitive parts of her body. Her gaze took in the expanse of the underdecks, the smell of bodily fluids and musk hung thick in the air, like the perfume of some back alley.

As she catalogued the area mentally, she also brought out her pict-recorder, taking pictures of areas that spoke to her. It was took bad they were wearing their masks, today, posing as loyal imperials for the sake of caution - she would feel more comfortable if Bral were standing guard. Looking over at Gregor and Sid, she shrugged away her concerns ... their abilities should be more than sufficient to keeping them safe.

"Sid, love, where did the xenos contact originate from?"

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Awareness (TN 48): (1d100)[58]

[Tome]

"Aww man, the corpse-lovers already roasted it" Sid moans, gesturing at the blackened fragments. "Greg man, it still worth anything to you?". He throws the heretek a nervous grin.

"So what're we up to now? Head on up and start collecting gossip? I can switch my threads over for Guardsman if we're gonna try the sneaky-sneaky mind-reading ploy, be way less suspicious".

[Caimheul]

Gregor peers at the burned remains, utility mechandendrite shifting through the remains for any larger pieces or anything that seems particularly interesting. <Doubtful. I would prefer it if the remains were of something biological in nature. And not destroyed by those close minded zealots of course.> Meanwhile, his silent companion begins scanning the area with an auspex.

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Right, Gregor first: Awareness: (1d100)[49] TN 13 (can you tell I rely on the Servo skull to see anything?)
Tech-use for identifying useful/interesting bits: (1d100)[88] TN 59

Falk: Tech use for Auspex: (1d100)[73] TN 25
Awareness: (1d100)[30] TN 30/40 Sight and/or Sound

[DrK]

Some 30 minutes of tramping through corridors and all it ends here. A piss soake corridor and some burning xeno remains that have slowly guttered out.

The heretek sifting through the wreckage finds a couple of possible scraps of strange alloy but nothing else. However he does hear and does sense on the auspex the faint ping of movement nearby as the sound of heavy boots and faint voices approach.

The noises resolve themselves into 4 large men a lithe whip thin women. All heavily cloaked in heavy robes to disguise the unforms beneath. All clutching various auto-weapons in their hands. As they approach you can hear the women sneering... "A pair of armsmen and a magos.... what could they be doing down here?"

One of the men - a gorrilla like thug with bald head and aqulla's tatooed either side of his skull guffaws slightly cracking his massive ham fisted kuckles. "Don't know miss but I'm thinking they won't be walking away..."

The women smiles as she cradles the hilt of her lathe boarding shotgun. "You'd be best be freezing there me pretties. Or My friends will be blowing your heads and having fun you pretty girl friend.." For the acolytes of the Dark Gods its a strange situation being threatened by apparently some locals!

[Starbin]

Seeing this group, Salome smiled her devestating smile. This was a situation ripe for exploitation. The group's comments clearly spoke volumes about the situation. First, the woman was the accepted leader, by her action and attitude, and corroborated by the large one's deferrence. Two, she was not romantic with any of the four, else she would not be offering up a woman of Salome's ... physique ... to be enjoyed by her minions. Third, there was an undercurrent of jealousy in her overtones of ruthlessness, by her willingness to offer up a fellow female to the predations of the men serving her.

Spoken like an unknowing disciple of the Prince.

With both hands raised, Salome flowed, rather than strode, forward, body swaying to emphasize only the hint of possibilities, rather than a blatant display. But where the actions would be enough to distract the men, shallow as most were, she would have to take a different track to keep the woman's focus. Something simple ... perhaps simply touching on the ever-present dynamics involved when a female was in a superior position to male subordinants? Yes, a tale as old as the first combined unit ...

"Freeze? My lady, all my best techniques require more than a modicum of movement! But that is neither here nor there. I hope that we can reach some sort of understanding before things turn violent ... my companions and I were simply looking for a place that would provide a certain amount of ... discretionary separation from the rest of our brothers and sisters. Perhaps you seek a similar situation? I mean, I appreciate your complements and confidence that you have in my ability to 'entertain' your men, but would that not upset the attraction they have for your own considerable attributes? I see how they look at your even now ..."

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Not sure if I'm Charming (TN 54) them or Deceiving (TN 64) them, but trying to keep them focused on my and on each other. Here's a roll ... apply where you will (1d100)[39].

[Tome]

Sid, content to let Salome do her talking thing, idly wonders if he should make one of them shoot their leader in the back. But that might mess up whatever Sal has going. So he asks, in the most direct, not to mention invasive, way possible. Suppressing a yawn, because man don't these folks have something better to do, he worms his way into Salome's head and leaves a message. "Yo, Sally, let me know if you want me to have them start shooting each other or stuff".

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Thought Sending, Fettered
Focus Power: 121 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10 + Difficulty 40) vs (1d100)[97]

Mind Probe, Fettered
Focus Power: 81 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10) vs (1d100)[39]

[Starbin]

"Yo, Sally, let me know if you want me to have them start shooting each other or stuff".

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Thought Sending, Fettered
Focus Power: 121 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10 + Difficulty 40) vs [roll0]

Mind Probe, Fettered
Focus Power: 81 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10) vs [roll1]

Salome felt Sid's presense within her mind, something she wasn't sure she liked without permission. Of course, there was a certain intrigue in the way it felt, his mind sliding across her lobes ...

Hold that thought, love. I want to see how this plays out, first ...

[DrK]

Even as the hulking brutes move towards the heretics the slim woman holds up a hand watching Salome with a slightly confused eye. "Who are you? Are you even part of the crew?" the questioning tone and a sugegstive note as if she can see a use for the Crusade team. "Hold men. Lets see what this lady and her friends have to say."

Her eyes widen slightly as she sees the true nature of Gregor, the heretical bent of some of the mechandrites- all blades and surgical tines. Again she leans forward motioning her bodyguards a few paces back to not overhear her words. "Again, who are you?"