First amongst the Fallen IC.

[Grailkeeper]

You are able to walk down the mountain side and after a journey of several hours make it to the city uneventfully. The sound of gun fire ends long before you arrive at the city.

You reach the city's defences and you can see that a hard battle was fought here in the recent past. The bunkers stand empty and all show sign of severe battle damage- with large chunks torn out at the gun slits and the doors blown open. The ground is torn up. Someone has tidied up after the battle, there are no bodies or discarded weapons lying around. The bunkers have been stripped of equipment and lie empty

Pushing on through you get to a breach in the city- you can see that the battle carried on here. There is not much sign of the civilian population but you can see a number of soldiers sheltering in the buildings. The were grey uniforms and appear to have gas masks welded to their faces. Your target designators mark them as friendlies.

[Henry the 57th]

Polthrox walks carefully up to the soldiers, keeping a sharp eye out for enemies.

"State your name and regiment," he says when he finally reaches one.

[Grailkeeper]

The troopers don't open fire. In fact they seem positively relieved to see you. They don't approach however and keep a respectful distance until you approach them. Any civilians you see seem to be grudgingly under their control. The troopers are all sticking indoors for the mean time. Their presence is thickest near the city walls and then closer to the basilica.

The soldier you approach kneels respectfully, He doesn't say anything but communicates with his collegue through a series of rapid complicated hand movements. This continues for some time and ends with the unit pointing as one at the basilica. Not one member says a word.

[Henry the 57th]

"Can you speak? Shake your head if no."

[Grailkeeper]

The unit all shake their heads.

[Henry the 57th]

"Then find me someone who can. Shake your heads if there is no one in the entire army group that can speak."

[watupwithdat]

"Did something scare you mute? Haha!" Korofos started laughing, as he pointed his khopesh at the soldier. This was obviously some kind of wyrd sorceries, he was sure of it.

[Grailkeeper]

They continue gesturing in the same direction. One then leads you to the Basillica, running beside walls to avoid potential sniper fire, only straying into the middle of the street at intersections so as to avoid hidden explosives.

The Basilica is the largest building in the settlement, imposing it's will on the city. One wall, several stories tall, has been blown out by high explosives, but the building still stands.

Inside you see several more of the enemy troopers carrying equipment and busying themselves. The air is more busy military camp than defiled sanctuary. There are a number of other types of soldier and mutant- all busy at their work.

Towards to your left, at what was once the entrance sit several Cadians troopers. They are chained together with the chains hammered into the ground. A number of larger troopers in stolen carapace armour watch over them.

To your right is the alter. A number of imperial priests have been crucified above the alter. They look like they have been there for a while. Four Large Gene-bred Ogryn ized mutants carry a palanquin. They are naked from the waste up apart from large black executioners hoods. On the Palanquin a human baby lies twisting and crying, below a number of humans in blue robes appear to be communing with one another.

Before them stand three individuals. One is another of the robed humans, wearing slightly more ornate robes. Another is another astarte-. From this distance all you can see is that he wears Iron Warriors colours, but his right shoulder has been painted black as a sign of his allegiance to Abaddon. Between them stands what appears to be a normal human. He wears similar combat fatigues to the troopers but wears no gasmask. . His face is very round and totally bald- if you get closer to him you'll notice his mouth is made of rows and rows of sharp teeth- like a sharks. Strangely he appears to be in charge, not the Iron Warrior.

[Henry the 57th]

Polthrox gives the one whom seems to be in charge a nod. "Greetings. I am Polthrox. What is the situation here?"

[Grailkeeper]

Hello Polthrox. My friends and I were wondering how long it would take you to get here. The Warborn was as precise as ever it seems.

[Henry the 57th]

"You mean that thing?" Polthrox indicates the baby. "Were you responsible for our drop pod malfunction? And I repeat: what is the situation?"

[Grailkeeper]

That "Thing" is the warborn, and is worth infinitely more than you are, even in your suit. It is only here temporarily but unfortunately a situation has arisen which needs your help. Taking this city with the aid of the iron warriors was easy, but keeping it now the main battle group has moved on is rather more difficult.

[Henry the 57th]

Polthrox gestures to the citadel and the enemies within. The city doesn't look very taken to me."

[DrK]

The Sorcerer looks about. Sensations reaching out to feel the rippling skeins of the warp around the fallen city...

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Psyniscience (1d100)[56] TN ~45

As he glances over the Cadians he muses over whether they are needed anymore. Wandering over to one before looking down at the pathetic battered human. "What city is this. Where is the capital. Do you feel the crushing failure of your inedaquacy."

Glancing around at the others he calls over to the creatures beside the foetus. We need a vehicle. A fast and well armoured one. Now."

[Grailkeeper]

Psyneceince

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You detect you are in the presence of powerful pyschic energy.

[Grailkeeper]

I'm sure you do. Everyone needs a lot of things. I need the Imperial resistance broken. I'm sure you've heard that preacher on your radio's. If I can have him crucified on my wall here I'll provide whatever help I can.

[Henry the 57th]

"I want a more detailed situation report. What has been going on here? What are enemy numbers? What kind of weapons and vehicular support do they have?"

[DrK]

I'm sure you do. Everyone needs a lot of things. I need the Imperial resistance broken. I'm sure you've heard that preacher on your radio's. If I can have him crucified on my wall here I'll provide whatever help I can.

Sorcerer Malich looks at the heretic with interest. "A preacher. A tastier sacrifice is hard to find. Do you have clues as to where he and his resistance cell may be hiding. I'm sure we could help."

He looks around at the rest of his associates. "What say you. Shall we hunt the the fallen of the Imperium?"

[Fearan]

I'm intrigued - Isidoros answered. - That preacher is probably hiding behind the meatshields and insulting our cause from what he thinks as safety. His screams of despair, as he would realise, that no meatwall will shield him from our wrath would surely be...wonderful. - other than that, Isidoros was interested in this "warborn" thing. Whatever gift of the Gods it was, it was hard to ignore. And of course, they were in need for minions, that would sacrifice themselfes. And that meant, he had to act "on their behalf"

[Grailkeeper]

The warborn predicted you would have questions relating to your mission. It truely is a remarkable creature- It or at least those who interpret it, is a tacitical genius- a 100 lead by it will decimate a thousand others. If you do as I ask I will answer any questions you have. Nothing comes for free and knowledge is power.

[DrK]

Malich looks again at the strange foetus. "What nature of creature is this. And I have said that I would assist in hunting down this preacher. Do not ake me repeat my words. My patience is already short. "

[Grailkeeper]

It is human, although even at this stage it's abilities to channel the warp are staggering. Those underneath it interpret it's cries and pass them on through the speaker of the warbornb- standing next to me. The warborn are generally born about once a century following all kinds of mystical signs and portents I'm sure. I'm told if one grew to adulthood he would one day rule the universe. Probably why most of them get assassinated before adolesence. I don't know if what I'm told is true or not- it could just be the speakers making up any old nonsense- but everything I've seen so far has been proven right. Armies directed by this thing win.

[Henry the 57th]

"If it is so capable, then why is it not with the honored Warmaster? Surely such a creature could be of far greater use on the front lines than it is here. And I shall aid you in purging this place, I suppose."

[rb780nm]

"If the warborn will aid in the long war against the pretenders, I will aid it in this action," the jump-pack clad warrior - silent until now - agreed.

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SOrry about the delay, on track now. I assume you wanted to retcon me as being with the party all along. Also, I'll find a Black Legion appropriate name when I post my sheet presently.

[watupwithdat]

Korofos wasn't in the least interested in all this nonsense. A little baby directing armies? Ha! He'd not even be able to wield an axe! This whole situation and place rubbed him the wrong way. He felt uncomfortable there. He instead wanted to reach the enemy and butcher them on the battlefield. "Get on with it. I don't have time for fairy tales. Take me to the enemy so they may die!" he snarled at the human, not caring much for his companions' questions.

[Grailkeeper]

The man then makes a number of sharp gestures at one of the troopers.

This man will lead you to the location believed to be the rebel hold-out. It was either overlooked in the taking of the city or was repaired after the main body of our forces moved on.

AS you leave you overhear the Iron warrior laugh mirthlessly.

You follow the trooper to the twisting streets- cadian towns and villages are designed to be a maze on order to trap unwary invaders. Eventually you come to a hab square. The doors- are three stories tall and made of a dull metal. On either side at the second floor plasma cannons poke out of sally-points. They appear to the untrained eye to be unmanned- you suspect otherwise.

[DrK]

Lurking in the shadows of the corner Malich surveys the decript hab building across the street looking for any sign of life behind the watchful plasma cannons..

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Awareness (1d100)[88] TN 65
How far away is the nearest door?

He glances back at the heavily armed Nurglite. "my plauge ridden brother in arms. Can you hit those weapon emplacements from here?"

[rb780nm]

"If you keep their heads down, I can jump there and silence the guns for good,"

[Grailkeeper]

The fortified habblock looks like this

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OOC

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I'm not a great artist.

All the other buildings nearby are of the same design although are abandoned or in ruins. This one was either overlooked when the city was taken or was rapidly repaired. more likely the former. No one inside can see you guys yet- if they could you'd probably be trying to breath plasma.

[Henry the 57th]

"I do believe so, yes." says Polthrox, backing up.

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My autocannon has double the range of those plasma cannons. I just back up to max distance and fire at the cannons until they're scrap or something else happens.