Sin of Pride - Black Crusade

[Starbin]

Eyes twinkling, Salome smiled. "And what, pray tell my dear one, did you have in mind?"

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I fully expect debauchery might ensue ... and to be honest, while I personally don't want to go through with it, I think the character would WHOLE(black)HEARTEDLY jump in That being said, if we're going to have a full on orgy, let's just cut scene that and move along ... my (not-so) evil nature can only go so far ...

EDIT: Glancing at Gregor, she gave him a small moue. "Oh, you and your inorganic body. Completely ruining all our fun. But he is probably right, my sweet. Perchance a rendez-vous afterwards?"

Then a though occurred to her as she continued to revel in her expanded senses. "Oh, I just had a delightfuly thought. There is a rumor about a certain someone who works on the bridge. The rumor has it she has a taste for the lash ... and I've seen a pict or two to confirm that. I would love to have a meeting with the three of us, a ménage-à-trois if you will, discussing the finer pleasures in life. Like craich ..." With a wicked smile, she stroked Razor's hand and rose, somewhat unsteadily as the feel of blood rushing through her veins stopped her for a moment. Then with a smile, she turned to join her companions.

[DrK]

The woman shudders as she imagines that and seems pouty and dissapointed as you turn to leave...

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Trust when I say writing the slaneesh scene is a bit behyond where I want to go... merely suggesting and leaving a "the curtains close......." style unsaid thing would be fine with me

Leaving Razor and her drugs you return to the bustling market. A desicion to make. How to travel the 2km to reach secondary thruster controls? With the ship on war footing certainly the hidden heretek would be at duty stations but checkpoints and the like between your black market and there may be strict?

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YOu have 3 real options to get to Secondary thruster control
1. As you're in disguise walk the decks and deceive any guards you meet
2. Return to the underdecks and brave the mutant infested dark and forgotten tunnels where cannibal mutants dwell
3. Another option you can think of that I can't?

[rb780nm]

"We will pass for crew members. Let us walk in the open decks, it will be easier and quicker," Myrwenna says.

[Caimheul]

<That is only true so long as our cover holds up. I presume Salmone and Sid would be able to facilitate such clandestine travel. However should they feel they are not up to the task, it would be more advantageous, if more risky, to travel through the underdecks, thus limiting our exposure and reducing the likelihood of the ship becoming aware of our presence.> Gregor replies, waiting for the response of the two who would be responsible for talking the group's way past any checkpoints.

[Starbin]

Salome took a deep, cleansing breath, her eyes shining bright. Glancing around to ensure they are alone, she spoke quietly to her companions. "First off, give a modicum of appreciation to the Prince of Pleasure for bringing us this wonderful opportunity. We now have a connection to the blackets of markets aboard this ship, providing access to a variety of tools and ... substances ... that we can use to achieve our goals. Additionally, this may prove to be a trove of information about the underworld living right beneath our dear Inquisitor.

Now, as to the path we take, it is a simple assessment of risk. Overtly travelling through the Imperial-controlled areas ensures speed at the risk of discovery - which will force confrontation. I would love to show some poor guardsman the delights of my lord, but discovery and confrontation are the sins of pride and arrogance that have put our competitors on the run. Travelling the underdecks may add a component of danger, but will avoid engagement with our hosts and may provide access to more assets to exploit in the days to come.

If not, we can always slay them all without fear of discovery from the Inquisition ... a win-win situation."

Smiling, she waited for the others to respond.

[Caimheul]

<It would only be a win-win should we additionally avoid losing time over the overt route.> Gregor looks at his servo-skull familiar, tilts his head slightly and then nods. <Yes, I do believe we are more heavily armed and armoured than any mutants we will likely encounter, however numbers will likely be on their side.>

[Starbin]

"Perhaps you can search the electro-magnetic pathways and find us a map, dear Gregor, from which we may approximate our travel time. You may find alternative ways to meet with our contact, by communicating with him directly or indirectly, and having him meet us at a mutually beneficial spot. You may even be capable of providing false orders that serve to give him reason to leave his post."

She paused, staring at her hand for a moment, waving it back and forth, then staring again. Dreamily, she continued. "I am ambivilent. Or is it agnostic? Apathetic? Perhaps apoplectic. No, it must be apologetic. Whichever one means I do not care. I find the destination is inconsequential compared to the experiences of the journey ..."

[Caimheul]

Gregor lets out a hiss of static as he shrugs his shoulders, approximating a sigh <Unfortunately, the unpowered nature of the underdeck prevents me from connecting to the ship's internal systems without venturing forth into the upper decks.>

[Tome]

"Man, that's okay Greg" Sid drawls, giving the heretek a consoling pat on the shoulder, "Sally-girl is all sorts of used to blokes not performing as advertised".

"But yeah, let's be getting all nice and safe back down where it's dark. We're the nastiest things down there, you know? Let's keep the veils on the necrophilliacs for a bit longer, right?".

[Starbin]

"But yeah, let's be getting all nice and safe back down where it's dark. We're the nastiest things down there, you know? Let's keep the veils on the necrophilliacs for a bit longer, right?".

Salome smiled. "Why Sid, darling, I had no idea you were versed in the old ways. Perhaps we shall discuss techniques at some later date, when we are not so pressed for time.

If we are decided, then let us away, 'ere break of day. We can stop back by home sweet home and gather a few items, and we'll be ready to depart, yes?"

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Figure we'll go back and gear up - disguises won't be important for the majority of our trip through the underdecks, and Salome wants to get bring her pet along ...

[Caimheul]

The heretek looks at Sid blankly for a second following his comment <I do not understand your comment psyker, I am currently operating at optimum capacity, the defect lies with the ship's systems in this area, which have fallen into a sorry state of disrepair.> A bare second after finishing, Gregor backhands his familiar <Don't be vulgar!>

[DrK]

The underdecks are dank and dingy and as you move towards the rear of the vessel where the throbbing engines pulse and whir and the machine spirits behave more and more erratically barely held in check by their mechanicus priests the maze of forgotten gantrys, crawlspaces and hidden decks grows ever more danger.

Twice you turn back having to find a new route - the way blocked. Once by a crack large enough for a human to fit through. The compartment beyod the sealed and long rusted bulkhead registering as open to the void. The second by fire as with each pulse of the plasma drive a tiny crack in an inhection valve leaks filling a section of the vessel's long forgotten decks with raw pomethium fumes - lethal to any living matter.

The darkness is intense and the strange smells of burning and ozone do not help matters as you follow Gregor's internal compass and range finder as the heretek navigates the maze. His magnemometer keeping them on a constant distance and bearing to where the secondary thrust controls are situated. And the Heretek they are looking for.

At the edge of their vision however they can hear a sudden noise. A ladder some 40m ahead plunging down out of sight giving off a faint white light of a lit glow bulbs or torches and guttural snarling low gothic and a more moderate tone filled with fear pleading for its life...

As you creep to the edge of the hole and peer down you can see in a old abandoned control station for a tertiary energy transfer station a collection of 4 renegades. All 4 hulking and cruel looking - even at a distance of some 10m. THeir attention focused on the 2 crewmen and 2 bodies that lie on the corroded decking. The two bodies with huge gashes where their faces and necks used to be. One of the living crewmen clutched by the largest of mutants, a pistol held to is head as it barks at the other crewman...

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All 4 humans wear the robes of Adeptus scribes. THe mutant demanding to know once more... "Where is the vaults? How do you scum gain access to the Inquisitor's library. You must have a slaves' entrance. Tell me now or your friend here will be splattered across the room like your friends... THen me and my friends start on you and we'll take a long time.... both scribes weeping openly, robes stained with their own filth and fear.

[Tome]

"So, how do we do this dance Sally?" Sid whispers conspiratorially, a lazy grin plastered over his face, "Like, do we just stroll in and be all peace and love - I know it's your favourite way to play, but maybe these dudes are kinda gross for that? - with our fellow scum of the underdecks? Or are we gonna be all about dealing with the competition, maybe looking like saviours to the paper-jockeys until I can pick their brains? 'Cause I reckon we might wanna know what they know, you know?".

"Cause like, I've got a sweet plan for both, all kinds of miracles ready to happen".

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Sid's preparations when they stopped at the lair would have been nothing more than activating his Telekinetic Shield power and keeping it Sustained. No sense going into danger with your defences down, eh? Since we've skipped over that scene, I'll roll it here.

Telekinetic Shield, Psy Rating 4 (Unfettered)
Focus Power 104 (Willpower 64 + Psy Rating 20 + Psy Focus 10 + Difficultly 10) VS (1d100)[39]

[Starbin]

Salome glanced at Bral, then back to Sid. "Oh, I was simply going to watch these dreadfully forward men work their magic on our poor lost brothers, taking the lessons they learned with us. But given your propensity for coaxing the right information forward, perhaps your suggestion is best - reduction of our competition by selective culling of the underdeck genepool may be best.

I recommend a brutal approach - fast, hard and painful ... just like I like it on Tuesdays!" Given the context, her smile was positively chilling ... but her comrades had seen it before.

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Okay, so blood for the blood god has it moments. The plan should be elegantly simple.

Kill them all.

If possible, Salome will aim for a full round at the one holding the gun to the adept's head. Presuming surprise (+30), aim bonuses (+20), accuracy (+10), red dot (+10), range (+10), and perhaps a size bonus (x?), TN will be at least 95 (max bonus of +60 for BC, too, right?) of felling (4) shot. Let me know if we're doing something else ... Bral will simply stand ready to charge in and lay some dual chainsword smack-down on them.

[Tome]

"What the lady wants..." Sid acquiesces cheerfully with a mock bow of his head.

He leans out over the ledge and fixes the lead renegade, the one currently holding his pistol to the head of one of the scribes, with a stare so intense that it seems as if he's staring into the man's soul. Which, funnily enough, he is. The Wyrd's will smashes into the the renegade's mind, forcing it down and out as Sid puppeteers his body for a moment.

With the scribes momentarily freed, and the renegades hopefully distracted by the apparent betrayal of one of their own, he sends an idle thought towards the scribes. 'You're safe now dudes. Take cover while we deal with the big uglies, 'kay?'. No use having them caught in the crossfire - it's hard to steal secrets from the minds of the dead, after all.

"I've told the ink-fingers to take cover and all, but hows about we give them some covering fire too".

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Using Compel to force the lead renegade to 'Let the scribe go and attack your allies to the best of your ability instead. Say something about wanting their share as well whilst you're at it'.

Psy Rating 4 (Unfettered)
Focus Power 71 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 20 + Psy Focus 10 - Difficulty 10) VS (1d100)[74]

Also using Thought Sending on the scribes as a Free Action.

Psy Rating 2 (Fettered)
Focus Power 111 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10 + Difficulty 40) VS (1d100)[15]

EDIT Spending an Infamy point to re-roll Compel.

[Caimheul]

From beneath his voluminous robes Gregor pulls a pistol, wires training from the butt to connect somewhere within the folds of his clothing, firing at the most heavily armed mutant.

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(1d100)[58] TN 54/64 (34 +10 Single shot +10 Short Range +10 Size (or was hulking just a poetic descriptor?)
Damage: (1d10+5)[6] OR (1d10+5)[9]

Falk is going to retreat down the corridor to the nearest full cover, making sure we don't get attacked from the rear. (1d100)[60] TN 30 Per

[DrK]

Even as the heretek peer down at the scene beneath the skein of the warp swirl around the psyker as suddenly the massive brute raises his boltpistol and without pause shoots his friend point blank in the chest. A pair of bolt shells blowing the mutant off his feet and leaving him in a bleeding heap on the ground

Gregor fires next - the round just clipping the still standing other mutant even as the mutant looks up at the ceiling vent where he can see Salome's rifle barrel staring down at him!

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Starbin fire when ready

THe two adepts, terrified and literally peeing themselves with fear dive to the deck, one cuddling and the fallen one. Both are too scared to flee much further. Both hosting a glimmer of hope that their saviours are friendly...

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If starbin's guy survives then I'll roll for the bad guys.

[Starbin]

Salome inhaled, the sounds of screams like a concerto to her senses. Gazing at the mutants below, she whispered, sensually, "She who Thirsts, give me sight beyond sight ..." Her eyes shifted into another spectrum, viewing the doomed souls below in the wavering dual image of warpsight, the diseased and decayed forms of the mutants standing out to her.

When one of the mutants looked up, eyes widening in surprise, she smiled. "Hello, my sweet ... "

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Called shot to the head, TN 95: (1d100)[34]
Damage: (1d10+3)[4] = 11E, Pen 1, Felling (4), Silenced, to the head
Accuracy damage: (2d10)[6][1](7)

[DrK]

The second mutant drops silently and bonelessly as the round slams into his head snapping it back with a long streak of virulent green blood that burns and etches the deck as it hisses and burns.

THe leader stands for a moment looking confused still by the thoughts clouding his mind...

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The compel action should have been on hs turn so sadly he misses his go

You may kill him

[Tome]

"Oh no you don't man, we still have all kinds of questions for you" Sid comments happily, sweeping his staff towards the confused renegade. Subtle vectors of invisible force sweep at the man's arms and legs, rooting him to the spot and binding his hands across his chest. Man, 'vector'. That's a funny word, he grins to himself. "So you can just be hanging around for now".

"You two okay down there?" he yells down to the two scribes they saved, "you're lucky we found you guys when we did. Man, what are you even doing down here and all?". Pinning the heretic in place with nothing but his will and talking with the two rescuees (however temporary) at the same time? Most minds would bulk at trying to handle a third task, but Sid's mind is already far too fractured to even notice. Like, is he really doing all those things? Or is he just imagining them? Maybe he's just imagining this one, but that'd be a totally boring thing to imagine - no three-breasted demon-whores or anything.

He sends a sliver of thought to his allies - gotta be getting his coordinate on, make sure everyone's screaming from the same page of the same blasphemous tome of eldritch lore, right?

'I figure Greg'll wanna have one of his chats with this dude, right? 'Till then, might be useful and all to be making the two inkies all starry-eyed for their righteous saviours I'm thinking'.

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Precision Telekinesis, Psy Rating 4 (Unfettered)
Focus Power 91 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 20 + Psy Focus 10) VS (1d100)[63]

Grapple (Via Precision Telekinesis)
Focus Power 91 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 20 + Psy Focus 10) VS (1d100)[64]

Thought Sending, Psy Rating 2 (Fettered)
Focus Power 121 (Willpower 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10 + Difficulty 40) VS (1d100)[34]

[rb780nm]

The fight appears to be over before Myrwenna even bothers to unholster her pistols. Nevertheless, she draws them both and moves to cover the mutant struggling against the wyrd's invisble grip.

[Starbin]

With everyone dead except the two adepts and the confused mutie, Salome started to send Bral in to 'indulge' himself. However, the tendril of thought from Sid gave her pause. She looked over and pouted a bit. "Awww, and here I thought Bral would have an opportunity to exercise ...you know how important a good work-out regime is in deep space! But, if you have the situation under 'control' then ..."

Holstering her rifle, she motioned for Bral to keep to the shadows while she slipped out from the shadows and approached the adepts. She waved them over, away from the mutant. "Come, come, my dears! We have the monstrosity at a disadvantage currently, but you do not wish to be nearby if he manages to regain his focus!" Once the two men moved away to a safe distance, she turned on the full charm.

"You two gentlemen are quite the lucky ones, are you not? Had we not been on a special mission to secure areas in the nether regions of the ship, you might very well have been killed! And how could you continue your service to Him, if you were splattered to pieces? What, pray tell my sweets, were you doing in this awful place?"

Salome's smile is gentle and friendly, and her very presense is soothing and intoxicating.

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Radiant Presence - (should "put them at ease, blur their minds, and draw their focus like moths to a flame.")
Charm, if necessary (TN 54): (1d100)[89]
Inquiry (TN 64): (1d100)[70]

EDIT: Of course ... I'd use infamy to reroll, but I'm guessing that with the Mind-Sifter over there, I probably don't need to waste it ...

[DrK]

Seeing Salome in her disguised imperial uniform tears burst from both the adepts faces as they hurl themselves at her feet kissing and cuddling them. The sensations still enhanced by the craich she had imbibed making it a strange sesation.

"Emperor's blessing upon you. We had thought we would die down here. Killed by the unwashed."

THe other still bent double over the body their friend looks at the confused mutant with hatred in his bleary eyes. "What are you waiting for? Kill it!"

The first one is still more shocked sobbing... "We were snatched from our offfices by them. THey came through the vents and dragged us away!"

[Caimheul]

Gregor's mental "voice" has a mechanical tinge to it in reflection of his physical auditory transmissions. Yes... He may even surprise himself with how much he knows. And such a sturdy individual would make for a useful test subject... he thinks as he looks with scorn upon the bowing and scraping adepts.

[Starbin]

Salome almost laughed aloud at how quickly the most non-combative of the servants of the False Emperor could be brought to the baser lusts. She covered her mouth, however, and raised her eyebrows. "But then how would we find out what he knows, my poor dears! He must be fully interrogated, least your companions suffer a similar fate! There are nails to be pulled, tendons to be stretched, muscles to be torn ever so delicately, bones to be broken and reset ... no, my dears, we cannot simply 'kill him.' To do so before we strip every piece of intelligence from this brute would be a disservice to our masters, and significantly hamper our mission." Her eyes took on a glow as she spoke ferverently, gazing at the confused mutant, before she returned her stare to the two men.

Crouching down, Salome leaned close to one fo the men, placing a hand on his thigh as she looked into his eyes. Her face was so innocent looking, so naive - the men might have wanted to protect her. Of course, the warmth of her palm was noticeable to all but the most mechanically endowed (such as Gregor), and would be having the appropriate affect on these simple adepts. Hell, it was affecting her, as she felt her own body hardening in spots, and moistening in others, in response to the subtle promises she seemed to be offering.

"So that we might ensure that your fellow workers are safe from further intrusions, tell me ... where do you two work? Surely you must wish to return to the glory of toiling in His name?"

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Let Sid work the mind games while she distracts the two loyal servants. Shouldn't take too long to break these guys down and get what we want. Inquiry (TN 64): (1d100)[40]

[DrK]

At mention of the torture and interrogating the two adepts seem surprised and thrown off balance. But any momentary suspicion is desroyed by the sensual touch of Salome's hands. The two adepts unused to any female attention, whatsoever, ever...

The more pathetic of the two looks up at Salome - eyes shining with newly discovered lust and a strange excitiment at the risky nature of where they are. "We work in Lord Theocles private archives. We see things no-one else is allowed to see." the desperate attempt to impress laughable in its patheticness.

The other, still staring balefully at the mutant does still welcome Salome's touch but is still far more wary of the party. "Who are you Lt...? the question obvious in his voice. "And your collegues?" the question a good one as the heretek, Morwenna and Sid still lurk upstairs. He also looks at his friend sharply. "We are adepts in the Librarium. We are scrivners and copyists for our Great Lord." Though he seems to be possibly playing it down as much as his friend is playing it up.

[Starbin]

Salome nodded solemnly. "Nay, good scriveners, do not reveal too much of what secret toils you perform in the name of Lord Theocles." Lowering her voice and glancing around, "The eyes and ears of the enemy are ever present, even on a vessel such as this." She nodded towards the mutant knowingly, then stood up and help the two men to their feet.

"As for my name, you should know better than that, my dear Adept! In telling you we were on a special mission in this section would typically be enough to guarantee your death, the Powers that Be ensuring that none but the authorize are privy to their plans and machinations. And as they say, loose lips sink ships." As se spoke, she licked her lips slowly, as if in thought about how to proceed.

"Fortunately for you, I am a forgiving sort, who is more than willing to ignore such a minor, unintended indiscretion. Can we agree that in return for saving your lives from these brutes and allowing you to live with the knowledge of our presence, that we can agree to leave this encouter between us and the underdecks?"

Reaching out, she placed a hand on the shoulder blades of both men, and inhaled expectantly, waiting for their answer.

Mentally, she 'spoke' with Sid. My dear Sid, if you are not gleaning every bit of information from these two, I will be extremely disappointed. Additionally, I would like you to help 'erase' our presense, as well as planting a suggestion in the helpful adept's brain that he would have a better chance of bedding me if his friend were ... indisposed.

We have two potential avenues into learning what is within Theocles' vaults ... but it would be a shame not to offer this poor adept an opportunity to walk the shadowed path to true salvation."

[Tome]

Sid recognises that look. It's the look Sally-girl always gets when she's all up and asking him to do things he just ain't capable of. He's been all sorts of telling her that he can't be tinkering with memories or stuff, and he's betting that that's just what she's trying to ask him to do.

'You do know that I, like, can't hear your thoughts from this far away, right Sally-girl? 'Cause I just know you're asking for like, ten impossible things right now, and I can only do like two of them or something.'

He glances at the rest of their little group of heretics, shrugs, and descends the ladder, flinging a telepathic message as he goes. Hold on dudes, Sally-girl's trying to talk to me. Someone mind grabbing that dude and carting him off for the Gregster to play with?

"Sorry gents, I'm all knowing folks aren't so keen on talking to a psyker like me" he says by way of introduction. "Between that and keeping this big guy all nice and still, I figured I'd be hanging around up there. Don't mind me". All Sid needs is for the Scribes to buy it and go back to concentrating on Sally-girl, and he'll be able to get close enough to have a poke around inside their heads. Not that he's leaving things to chance, of course. A small nudge here, and he seems a whole lot less important to the guy he's walking towards. Surely a fine, upstanding sanctionite like himself is nothing to worry about.

'So Sals, if you're all hoping I'll be lifting anything from their heads? Might want to get to restraining that ugly bugger with something a bit more wordly and all whilst I get my righteous little read on.'

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Mindlink is definitely on the top of Sid's list of things to take next time we get xp.

But yeah, Sid can't read minds from that far away, as DrK's pointed out, nor can he edit memories or plant suggestions.

Anyway, Focus Power tests for Thought Sending, times three. It's a Free action and Sid succeeds on anything but a roll of 100 even when fettered.
(1d100)[86]
(1d100)[55]
(1d100)[22]

And for making himself seem completely innocuous. Delude's a Half Action, so he can use it while he maintains his TK grapple on the renegade.
Delude 81 (Base 61 + Psy Rating 10 + Psy Focus 10) VS (1d100)[29]
Deceive 69 (Base 34 + Unremarkable 20 + Armour 5 + Delude 10) VS (1d100)[44]

[Starbin]

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I guess I thought you were closer than that ... sorry. And I guess the way I read your use of compel before, it looks like you were planting a suggestion, vice forcing him to do what you wanted. My bad ...

Salome sighed, glancing over at the brute. So, you cannot learn anything from the mutant? I would hate to have to put him down before we know more about about what faction these beasts were working for ...

Aloud, she tried to manuever the adepts away from the mutant. Over her shoulder, she called out, "Bral, dear, please restraint the mutant."

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Move these guys around the corner, so the sight of Salome's minion doesn't spook them more. Bral will move forward and try to restrain the mutant with whatever things are available. If there are no materials to 'tie' him up, then Bral will cut the mutant's hamstrings and tendons in his arms ... that should limit his movement ...

[Caimheul]

Gregor descends to get a better look at the mutant, in an effort to ascertain the best way to secure him for transport, his robes the blood red of the Adeptus Mechanicus. <I should be better able to secure him than your body guard ma'am. Especially as we are likely to be better served having them alert for threats in this area of the ship.> Gregor says feigning respect as he examines the mutant.

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Medicae check for how to best restrain the mutant given the tools at Gregor's/the party's disposal which on Gregor's end include various blades, and a staple gun... (1d100)[67] TN 69
Falk is scanning the mutant for any abnormalities/ a bonus to medicae? (1d100)[48] TN 25