RT2.0 Playtest IC - Team Villainy

[Toxic Mind]

"Lady-Captain is customary," she says with the look of long suffering. "I will take the crystal to the Navigator - perhaps she can decipher it."

[dojango]

"Excellent, excellent. And, as an aside, it was very unsporting of those bastards to use stun grenades on us. I've sent my manservant to pick some up from the station's armory. Two can play at that game, plebian as it may be."

Spoiler: Acquisition rolls

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(1d100)[38] v. 90: Stun Grenades

[Sinewmire]

As the other start to leave, Matthias takes that as his cue.
"Well then, Lady Captain. If I've time before we slip grav-anchor, with your permission I'll see what I can find out about anti-psyker warfare, in case we end up against Lady in Red or her ilk again. You didn't 'appen to pick up anything of that nature in the Convent-fortress by any chance?"

Matthias takes whatever his Captain says on board, clicks his heels and makes the sign of the Aquila in salute and exits.

There is one organisation he *knows* will know how to combat psykers, but he's loathe to come to their attention if it's not absolutely necessary, so he'll seek out Bounty Hunters, fixers who might have dealt with Wyrds, ecclesiarch witch-hunters and other grubby types who might have fought the witch-kind before, and won. I'll do some shopping to provide me with a cover story.

Before he leaves, he'll spend some time on his Calculance Array. Matthias' pride and joy, the finance engine takes up a brushed steel cabinet. Edged in brass and filled with gut-like cables and whirring cogs, it is enough to make a enginseer drool and a banker sweat. If I swap these holdings here and change the currency from Gudrun scrip to Hydraphur Adamant Coin... maybe I can squeeze a few thousand more out of Bellington the currency agent on this station...

Spoiler: Activity!

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Inquiry to find out about anti-Psyker measures from ne'er do wells and desperadoes and maybe even naughty minor heretics!
(1d100)[77] vs (63)
Common Lore : Underworld if it helps
(1d100)[27] vs (42)

Aquiring:

Spoiler: Visor

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Good Quality Photo-visor, to help avoid being stunned!
Commerce: (1d100)[47] vs (73) 53 Fel, +10 Skill, +10 Calc. Array) - Opposed
Profit Factor roll (1d100)[34] vs 60* (40 PF +0 Scarce, -10 Quality, +30 Negligible Scale, +/- * depending on Commerce)

Spoiler: Armour

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Enforcer Light Carapace - I got shot today and I didn't care for it
Commerce: (1d100)[84] vs (73) 53 Fel, +10 Skill, +10 Calc. Array) - Opposed
Profit Factor roll (1d100)[27] vs (60) (40 PF +0 Scarce, -10 Good Quality, +30 Negligible Scale, +/- * depending on Commerce)

Spoiler: Gift for the Captain

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Book of Puritan Ecclesiarchical Sermons for the captain (inspirational reading)
Commerce: (1d100)[3] vs (73) 53 Fel, +10 Skill, +10 Calc. Array) - Opposed
Profit Factor roll (1d100)[59] vs (70) (40 PF +30 Plentiful, -30 Best Quality, +30 Negligible Scale, +/- * depending on Commerce)

Spoiler: Bonding Material for Ronaldo

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Bottle of Coriolis ploin-juice infused amasec (great booze)
Commerce: (1d100)[90] vs (73) 53 Fel, +10 Skill, +10 Calc. Array) - Opposed
Profit Factor roll (1d100)[54] vs (40) (40 PF +0 Scarce, -30 Quality, +30 Negligible Scale, +/- * depending on Commerce)

Spoiler: Something to keep Romulos from asking about the accent

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Self-extruding fractal steel rosebush (mechanical sculpture)
Commerce: (1d100)[50] vs (73) 53 Fel, +10 Skill, +10 Calc. Array) - Opposed
Profit Factor roll (1d100)[22] vs (40) (40 PF -20 Very rare, -10 Quality, +30 Negligible Scale, +/- * depending on Commerce)

[Toxic Mind]

"No, but I do have some contacts. I will see what I can find." Kalisa knew that something like a null rod, or the armaments used on the Black Ships was unlikely to be found here, but if witchery was involved, she just might be able to find someone to inscribe sigils of warding on her armor. With faith and fury in equal parts, they would go a long way in keeping her safe.

She adjourns the meeting and heads to the Navis' quarters. Relations with the Navigator were always a bit tense - both knew that the other did not particularly enjoy their company, but each was necessary in their own way. She greets the two House Guard. "Is the Lady Navis available?" It was her ship, she could force the issue, but there were some things you did not wish to interrupt, and a great many of them came from Navigators and their strange rituals.

Spoiler: Acquisition

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(1d100)[98] vs 40
Hexagrammatic Warding: Ex Rare (-30) Single (+30) Base PF: 40

Spoiler: Statline

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Wounds: 9/9
Fate: 4/5
Rosarius: 5/5

[The Glyphstone]

One of the guards protecting the Navigatrix's quarters bows and goes inside, returning a moment later. "Lady Zayth will see you, Lady-Captain." He holds the door for her, passing her through into the suite beyond.

The Navigatrix is waiting, giving a polite nod of greeting. "Lady-Captain ben Ersatz, a pleasure to have your company. Would you care for tea?" If Kalisa accepts, she summons one of the attendant-servitors to bring a platter of tea and small cakes to the sitting room, but is not otherwise discomfited by a refusal. She is dressed as customary in her usual floor-length dark silks, with the only spot of brilliant color being the gemstone on her headband - emerald green today, though as always cut to resemble a stylized staring eye.

Once they are both seated, she looks at Kalisa. "May I ask what brings you to visit today, Lady-Captain?"

[Toxic Mind]

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Whatever else, Zayth did have the best tea. Kalisa sits down, straightening her clothing almost absentmindedly, uncomfortable out of her armor. She reaches into one of the pockets and produces the crystal. "I was hoping you could decipher this, or at least point me in the direction of someone who could. I have good reason to believe it is a map of some kind, and if it proves so, our next destination." She proffers the crystal to the other woman.

[The Glyphstone]

Zayth leans forward slightly, and Kalisa gets the faint uncomfortable feeling the other woman is studying the crystal with more than just her normal vision.

"Why, that's a memnolith. Haven't seen one of those in quite a while. If it has our next port of call encoded in it, that's a welcome sight - but you're in the wrong place to read it, I'm afraid. Astropaths use them to record messages, but any psyker with a bit of training can read whatever's stored inside it at a touch. You'd want the Choir chambers to decipher the map, if that's what you think it has inside it."

[Toxic Mind]

"..." There is a long pause as Kalisa processes. "Zayth, do you know if a psyker could read a memnolith through a familiar?"

[The Glyphstone]

Zayth frowns, uncertain. "I wouldn't want to say for certain either way; I know a little bit about psychic phenomena, but it's not really my field the way it would be for a Sanctionite. That disclaimer aside, I would not be surprised if they could - strong psykers and their familiars can be so closely linked it's like watching one person in two bodies. Honestly a bit creepy if you've ever seen them in action."

[Toxic Mind]

"Your help, as always, has been invaluable." Kalisa says, taking care to keep her voice calm and even. "Please prepare to depart - I will vox with coordinates soon, and we will leave as soon as we have them." Kalisa stands, nods respectfully, and walks towards the door. "The tea was lovely, as always." She leaves, shutting the door behind her. The tea cup sits, cooling and untouched.

Kalisa's stride lengthens as soon as she exits the door, and she keys the vox to her command crew. "I'm on my way to the choir to decipher the coordinates. They know where we are going already - we're already behind. Prepare to set sail immediately. Any man or woman not at their station by the time I reach the helm is to be flogged for slothful behavior." Kalisa moves to the grav-lifts quickly, and makes for the Choir Chambers with all haste.

Spoiler: Ship Things

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I assume we have a small choir. If not, Kalisa will gather her command crew to go to the station's choir.

[optimumsquare]

Hearing the captains words, Romulos makes his way to the enginarium and prepares the rituals necessary to make the ship ready for warp travel.

[dojango]

Ronaldo had been attending the services for the fallen armsmen. It was held in the barracks chapel, which also doubled as a firing range and mess hall B. The men's bodies had been committed to the recycling tanks, and the lay deacon was just beginning the homily, equating death and service in the name of one's lawful superiors to be death and service in the emperor's name. When the merry jingle of the commbead went off, the deacon glared angrily, before realizing it was Ronaldo's. Ronaldo answered it, "Hello? Yes. OK. Meet her at the choir? Duty Stations. Flogging. Got it. OK." He put away the commbead and got up to leave. "Wrap it up quickly," he whispered in the ear of the deacon as he left the room, heading for the choir chambers.

[The Glyphstone]

As Kalisa nears the door to the Choir chamber, it opens from the other side to reveal the diminutive form of the ship's Astropath-Transcendant Mordicai. Barely taller than the average Ratling, and frail enough to seemingly be blown away by a stiff breeze, the psyker looks up at her with empty eyes hidden behind a star-studded black blindfold.

"Excellent, please let me see it and I will attempt to read its contents." A moment passes, then Mordecai twitches and looks embarassed.

"...My humble apologies, Lady Captain. I should answer your question after you ask it, not before. I forget which order to do it in sometimes."

[Sinewmire]

Matthias frowned at the provisioner. The woman's upper-class shop was so high caste there was no indication that it was a shop, instead it just appeared to be a gilded lounge. The green stuff in the little sandwiches was probably some luxurious high provender, but it just tasted cold to him.

"True, the vintage is unusual, and I am very cognisant of the difficulties of transporting the case through the Empyrean, but I also-"
The com-bead chirps in his ear in the sequence indicating the Captain's personal cypher.
"Sorry, I have to take this."
Matthias turns his back on the woman's outraged expression and listens with horror to the Captain's message.

"I'm on my way to the choir to decipher the coordinates. They know where we are going already - we're already behind. Prepare to set sail immediately. Any man or woman not at their station by the time I reach the helm is to be flogged for slothful behavior."

Frack.
"Another time, got to go, so lovely, we must again sometime, goodbye!"
Matthias grabs his escorts and dashes for the ship. So much for that new chestplate! At least he'd only put down a small deposit...

=\2/=

Arriving back at the [Redacted] at a canter, Matthias runs past vast umbilical cabling being disconnected and crew-serfs being herded back from their station-leave. Making sure his new purchases are seen to his quarters, Matthias heads straight for the heavyily guarded arterial passageways that will lead him towards the voidship's critical systems. In this case, the bridge.

Matthias doesn't have a specific station on the bridge - he is no master gunner or pilot. Usually he moves about to oversee the Captain's orders are being carried out, though his natural sneakiness means that he has a nominal place near the auspex relay readouts. Slinking onto the bridge under the fearsome gaze of De Marchant, the Captain's rockrete solid Master of Armsmen, Matthias carefully watches the controlled anarchy of a Voidship preparing to make way.

The Captain does not appear to be on the bridge yet, which is a huge relief.

[Toxic Mind]

"Either my Regicide face is slipping, or you've forgotten what happened to the last psyker who tried to help himself to my thoughts." Kalisa says, her voice deadpan. Her eyes tell another story. "Still, expediency becomes us enough... for now." She hands the memnolith over.

[The Glyphstone]

"I didn't read your mind, Lady-Captain, I read your future. Except then you changed that future before it become your present, so it's past instead of future that might have been present except it's neither and oh it's just too confusing to explain properly..."

Mordechai reaches up and takes the stone, holding it in two wizened fingers for several seconds. The muscles around his eye sockets twitch, reflexively attempting to move eyes that have long ceased to occupy them, before his trance breaks.

"Interesting...it's very old, this stone. I saw a star - a pulsar, the last stuttering gasps of a dying sun on the edges of a nebula. I saw a planet, its life scorched away by the heat and radiation. Something left on that planet, built long ago by a people long dead - some sort of titanic xenos telescope, aimed at the star's cometary halo."

He offers the stone back to her. "The you-that-wasn't didn't explain why you wanted me to read it. Will the you-that-is share why those images are important?"

[Toxic Mind]

"It came with a message, a message that claimed this crystal would lead us to a myth," Kalisa says. She doesn't much care for prophecy or destiny, and never has. She does, however, care for her crew, in her own way. "And a great deal of profit, hopefully. Do you recognize this place?"

[The Glyphstone]

"The nebula looked like part of the Halo Stars. So wherever this mythical treasure is, it must be in the Koronus Expanse across the Maw, and very close to the edge at that. I'm not familiar with the astrography of the Expanse, but pulsars are very rare phenomena. There can't be many of them to pick from. The Navy might have maps of the region, or I'm sure there are private cartographers on the station. Barring all else, Port Wander must have many veteran voidfarers who have seen the Expanse and returned; some of them might even know what a pulsar is."

[dojango]

Ronaldo saunters up to the choir chamber and leans idly against the wall as the astropath "reads" the stone. He frowns at the mention of xenos ruins. "That ain't a xeno stone, is it? Or is it human-made?"

[The Glyphstone]

"Oh, this one is human. I've heard of xenos artifacts that perform a similar function of recording psychic resonances though."

[Toxic Mind]

"Then our destination is the Expanse." Kalisa states with somber finality. "Let us not tarry further."

With those words, she makes her way to the bridge, to begin the process of their journey.

[dojango]

As Lady ban Ersatz headed to the bridge, Ronaldo stopped a few minutes to think. A few of his old school chums, minor nobles and second sons from his homeworld had gone into the navy. Shouldn't be too hard to track one of them down... Unfortunately, the Proud Mary, a fine ship with a friendly officer's mess, had headed back up the warp-stream towards Nova Memfis, while the New New Carissa, where one of Ronaldo's old flames served as a junior commander, had left for points unknown. The officer's bars and dining rooms of Port Wander were looking a little sparse, as Ronaldo drifted between them, staring past the unfamiliar faces of the naval stations. Finally, he ended up at the Golden Hook, musing over a glass of mediocre Malfian sherry. He was just about to give up and head back to the [REDACTED], when a familiar face was making a beeline for him. "Sandro?, said Ronaldo. "What're ye doing here?"

The man grinned. Ronaldo hadn't seen him since their old employer's unfortunate demise. Sandro Marasabessy had been one of the senior officers on the ship. The new heir had fired most of the senior staff, of course, to bring on her own loyalists, and Sandro had been drifting for a few years since. Unwilling to take a demotion in rank, and having a dislike for the strict rules of the Navy had made it hard for him, as far as Ronaldo knew. He was debating offering to put in a good word for Sandro with the Lady ban Ersatz, but Sandro pre-empted him by offering Ronaldo a job. "You're a keen shot, and we could use a fine gunner..." Sandro had said. "Sorry mate, working on something right now. Say, you know where I could score some charts of the expanse? Plottin' an expedition out there." Sandro laughed at that, and made a crude joke about the Navigators. Sandro and Ronaldo toasted 'new ventures' and 'old friends for a drink or three', before Ronaldo weaved his way back to the ship. No luck on the charts, but it was good to see an old friend again.

Spoiler

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(1d100)[48] v. 35

[Sinewmire]

Matthias drums his fingers on the plastek cowl of an Auspex relay. Well, the Captain doesn't usually overstate urgency, but if she's not here yet...

"They know where we are going already - we're already behind."

Matthias walks briskly to the vox alcove, where half a dozen translation-adepts and scribes are going through the usual permissions to break hard-seal with Port Wander.

"Joviax, give me the master-vox and get me a line to the port control, would you?"

The harassed vox-operator winces microscopically, but then does as he's told. Kalisa runs a tight ship.

"Port Wander, this is the [REDACTED], we're clearing for departure and we're late for our rendezvous. Can you tell me if the... Esquil... Equisel... Eks... can you tell me which voidships have departed in the last 24 hours? Believe me, you do not want to be on Lady Trader Ersatz's bad side."

Spoiler: Deceive

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(1d100)[17] vs 63
Would Total Recall help me remember what ships were in dock when we got in? Might be worth a +10?

Likely it would have been an Astropathic message rather than the Red Lady's own ship, but it would be good to rule out one possibility.
Throne of Earth, I'm standing on a voidship right now.

Holding his hand over the reciever of the vox-horn, Matthias orders an auspex sweep of the system. What could be more natural for a vessel about to take leave?

[The Glyphstone]

The port authority is initially hesitant, but apparently decides that the request is not unreasonable enough to warrant potentially generating bad blood with a Rogue Trader, and obligingly reads off a dozen names with their weight classes thrown in as an apparent freebie. Two are a pair of Imperial Navy destroyers; six others are chartist bulk transports. Of the last four, the Glory of Quinalt is an Orion fast transport; St. Daphne The Martyr and The Black Trident are both Havoc-class heavy raiders; Third To Arrive is a Sword-class frigate.

To the best of Matthias's memory, all of them were already docked when their ship arrived in port.

[Sinewmire]

"L'tenant Shrubb, would you run an auspex scan of the system? Best to 'ave the information for when the Captain is ready rather than scrambling to when she asks, right? No, I'd use the theta band for scanning in that frequency."

Spoiler: Auspex Scan

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(1d100)[64] vs 66 (Scrutiny 53 + Detection 13)

[The Glyphstone]

With a bit of finesse, the auspex bands easily highlight the faint dots of light that mark the plasma exhaust of six voidships, all making for the system's Mandeville point at various distances. Transponder beacons identify them as the previously mentioned Navy destroyers, two of the chartist haulers, the Glory of Quinalt, and the Third To Arrive - the frigate is the closest, but still several hours out; the star clipper's notoriously overpowered engines shine brighter despite it being further away than the larger ship.

[dojango]

ATTN ARMSMEN:

Tomorrow is the 'secret tithe' for Emperormas. Participation is entirely voluntary, of course. Those armsmen not wishing to participate may submit a signed statement to the ship's confessor detailing why they do not partake in this joyous celebration. The gift limit is twenty thrones for ratings, two hundred thrones for officers. ABSOLUTELY NO EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. We will not have a repeat of last year's unpleasantness. All armsmen will be given an additional thirty minutes break-time to exchange gifts and partake in their bonus grog ration. I have also distributed meal-tickets to each armsman allowing them to receive an additional 2 cookies or biscuits from the ship's mess. May the Emperor's blessings shine upon us this year, as they did the last.

Your esteemed leader,
Sir Ronaldo Augustus von Drakkan de Vieques, St. C, Esq., Col (PDF-ret)

[Toxic Mind]

Even as the auspex scan pings across the system, a sonorous bell tolls across the vox-speakers of the ship. Across the ship, heads turn towards the speakers, as all know the tone - a warning and a pledge, that once again they will venture to the stars. On the bridge, Kalisa stands armed and armored, as is her tradition. "Take us to the Madeville Point, helmsmen. From there - the Expanse."

[optimumsquare]

Never one to let go of an idea, Romulos scavenges the ship for anything that can be used to fire proof his armor. He can be seen in various parts of the ship removing bulkheads, floor paneling and wall sections.

Spoiler: Tech Use

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(1d100)[15] vs 79 (tech use +20 Master Enginseer +10)

Trailing Romulos are some of the ships junior magos, frantically trying to repair the damage as fast as Romulos can apply it.

[The Glyphstone]

The various other ships ahead of the vessel have all vanished into the Warp by the time they reach the Mandeville Point. After several hours of repetitive chanting, percussive maintenance rituals, and similar preparations - the immense warp engines flare and breach a hole in reality to grant passage into the Warp.

No journey in the Immaterium is safe or calm, but this one seems slightly above average. For several days, the worst that occurs is a somewhat harrowing few hours as Lady Zayth - ensconced in her protective chamber at the heart of the bridge - dictates a zig-zagging course between a set of previously nonexistent or uncharted warp reefs. On day four of the voyage, though, they drop out as planned at the halfway point of the Koronus Passage. This is the Battleground, an empty starless void of space where dozens if not hundreds of shattered hulks and ships have drifted free of the Warp's tides. A stable region, it is a useful waypoint for ships traveling the Passage to get their bearings and receive a period of respite from the stress of warp travel.

Shortly afterwards, the vox operator reports an incoming distress signal - the automated salvation-beacon of a ship identifying to be a pilgrim transport called the Pentinent Traveller. No direct communication is evident from the clustered debris fields where the beacon pulses originate, nor do the augurs detect any signs of active ship activity.