Jumpers vs. 40k IC1: Worst. Isekai. Ever.

[Lord Raziere]

It is the 41st millennium. For more than hundred centuries
has the God Emperor of Mankind sat upon his golden thro-

No no no, stop. Stop!

None of that. We don't need to trod out that opening crawl again. What is this, some war of the stars? Let me summarize: The Emperor sits on his throne keeping the space lighthouse on, he has a bunch of toy soldiers and various other overgrown military organizations protecting mankind from the spooky things in the dark, talk of “only war” this and “laughter of thirsting gods” that, all is hopeless, grimdark rubbish, its quite dreadful, I assure you. Why don't you instead, kick back, relax and have nice warm cup of tea? I have it on good word Yorkshire Tea is the best brand if you don't have any idea of what to pick.

Oh fine, fine, I'll get on with it. Don't worry, this story will be Perfectly Balanced as all things should be, like the mercantile strength of Rogue Trader Dynasties, the punching strength of Space Marines compared to the average man or Alpha Plus Psykers. I'm sure nothing exciting at all will happen. This universe has been on a downward spiral for a long time now, though one can argue when that started, whether it was ten thousand years ago with at Horus Humbuggery, the Birth of Slaanesh before that, or all the way back with the War In Heaven. Anything anyone can do is probably too late to fix anything.
But come let on lets see what these fanatical zealots are up to this time. Probably killing some aliens or blowing up a planet, or killing some insane humans with a different religion and blowing up a planet.
Nothing ever changes around here, except when it gets worse.

Segmentum Obscurus, Calixis Sector
Planet Scintilla, Hive Sibellus
990.M41

It is a “good” morning on Hive Sibellus. Amid its various jumbled skyscraper architecture, nobles fight each other in completely legal duels to the death to prove their innocence or another's guilt. Middehivers trudge out of their improvised structures built in the ruins of mansions through streets formed by fallen statues to work themselves to the bone all day. Underhivers are too busy having violent gang wars over their supply of rats to eat to know what a morning is, because they are not aware a city is above them at all.

We will of course be focusing on an Inquisitorial team of Acolytes recently-
SPANG!
What was that? Never mind the Acolytes, it seems three strange people, oddly brightly colored compared to the world around them, have suddenly appeared in the Plaza of Saint Drusus, built in honor of Drusus's completion of the Angevin Crusade, complete with a statue in his honor for making Sibellus this sector's capital. Specifically they have appeared in its fountain, their clothes wet. Ensara swears
“Soldammit! My clothes are wet!”
She steps out, looking frustrated, red and pink robes straight out of some martial arts setting dripping wet, her medium length red hair, clinging to her sides.
“And where the Malfeas am I? Aquila.....skull decorations in unnecessary places....a prayer to a god-emperor on that plaque....dammit, I'm in Warhammer 40,000. I was in the middle of learning Gunhell and Cosmos as well, and I wanted to get find a teacher for A’arab Zaraq and other styles to. And now I'm suddenly here? What happened!?”
She turns around as if just noticing the others.
“And who are you people? Name's Ensara. I'm not from around here and guessing from how you look...neither are you.”
Its kinda obvious. I mean even if changed the clothes you have this unmistakable...brightness about you compared to your surroundings. As if you come from someplace that has actual hope or at least are drawn in a less dingy art style. Well this is at least potentially more interesting than those Acolytes.

[Rater202]

Alexandra is seemingly the youngest of you, physically thirteen, She dressed in... Have you ever seen Xena? Imagine that, but adjusted to be somewhat more modest, change the color to red, put a green flame emblem over the sternum, make the skirt a little more spinny, and make it look like it's made from highly advanced modern materials.

She hakes the water from herself, her outfit drying rather quickly, and mutters "Where in Hades—wait? did you just... Mention Warhammer by name...? This, this isn't... Are you... A Jumper?"

The girl immediately starts checking herself over, putting a key from her a hidden pocket. "Okay, I still have my warehouse key... Still have my powers, so this isn't a gauntlet... Why didn't... Oh, my Benefactor is probably laughing her ass off at this."

The girl does not even remotely act her actual age.

[Gold Leaf]

Ezekiel, on the other hand, is probably the oldest, physically about 49. He's wearing a (currently dripping wet) white labcoat, under which he wears a light, futuristic military reinforced pressure suit with armoured pads on shins, knees, crotch and shoulders. In his hands, he clutches a white and navy-blue double-barreled shotgun.

He steps out, a perturbed look on his dark, lightly wrinkled face, and looks around, his greying dreads moving from side to side as he does so. "Warhammer? That's not one I've heard of."

He turns to Alexandra and Ensara to address them properly.
"You girls are Jumpers too, aren't you? My name is Ezekiel Olde, but you can just call me Ezekiel." Ezekiel smiles dryly. Since this is the first time he's introducing himself, his Borderlands-style subtitle shows up next to him, introducing him as EZEKIEL OLDE - OLDE HABITS DIE HARD.

[Lord Raziere]

Ensara:
"Whoa. Cool intro, Ezekiel" she comments, drying herself off with blue mana magic
Suddenly Ezekiel Olde sees a borderlands style intro for Ensara: ENSARA- HITS LIKE HELL.
She turns to Alexandra
"Looks like we all are Jumpers. But...Benefactor? you had one? Though....guess all those magical messages popping up to to give me options to move to another world had to come from somewhere. Anyways, I only know enough to recognize the universe we're in. Never was interested enough to learn more. No martial arts to learn, Lets see if I can't-"
She tries to planeswalk away, disappearing for a moment then reappears.
"What the Malfeas? My planeswalking doesn't work. The jumpchain said I'd be able to jump through the wider multiverse if I completed it! I'm being locked out my ability to get out. Whoever put me here, they want me to stay. Its like if I fell into that stupid Immortal Sun trap but a world that makes Ixalan look like a paradise. Lets see if I can't do some magic to at least-"
"Oi! You there!"
"Soldammit."
Two Enforcers come walking up to you- to your unfamiliar eyes, they look like people in blue flak armor with clubs in their hands and shotgun strapped to their back.
"You are in the fountain! Its against Scintillan law to be in the fountain. That'll be ten lashings for the each of you." the first one says
"Unless you bribe us, then we'll overlook it." the second one offers.
"Aw come on mate, the pays higher than the extortion outfit we had in the Wilderness, we don't need to risk some Arbitrator coming down on us for taking bribes. C'mon, be cooperative ten lashings it'll only take a few minutes outta yer day and the Ministorum says suffering is holy and brings ya closer to the Emperor roight?"
"They're dressed kinda strange don't you think though?"
"So they're outworlders, y'know what our superiors say, laws the law, no matter who it is. I'm not paid to care where they're from. and they're breaking the law, probably."
"But what if they're nobles though?"
"Rubbish, no noble dresses like them. You know the look, all Imperial Navy-like coats and fancy golden lining and rogue trader nonsense. None of this looks like that."
"Yeah, they don't have that air of looking down on us like we're human waste either. No arrogant disdain at all."
Ensara looks at Alexandra and Ezekiel
"I think they're getting less convincing the more they open their mouths. Either of you want to do something about them or can I...?"
"Hey! don't ignore us!" the first one swings his club at Ensara who catches it easily with her right palm. She doesn't even look away from you while she does this, her hand just reacted and now the enforcer is struggling to try and get the club free from her grip to no success.

[Rater202]

Alexadra raises her hand...

And a bolt of lighting out of a clear sky strikes right next to but does not hit either enforcer.

"As you can plainly see, I don't need to be any closer to the Emperor. We're in a pretty good place in our relationship right now. Why don't you run along before he gets mad at you for harassing me."

[Gold Leaf]

"Likewise. 'Hits like hell'... pretty good."

Ezekiel frowns slightly when magic is mentioned. Magic? That's for kids and Sirens. When real men want something done, they use technology to do it.

That club catch was pretty sweet, though. He could probably do the same thanks to his Pilot training, but it would still take a lot more focus and probably both hands.

"It wouldn't be hard to muster at least a little disdain for you. I'm doing it right now." Ezekiel mutters under his breath in response to the two Enfircers' chatter.

Ezekiel has no clue who the Emperor is, but he might as well assist with the threat. "If you need a boost..." Ezekiel says quietly, loading his shotgun slowly for effect and keeping his eyes on the two Enforcers the entire time, "I have a perfectly serviceable starter pistol sitting in my hands."

[Lord Raziere]

Lives, spared:

Ezekiel frowns slightly when magic is mentioned. Magic? That's for kids and Sirens. When real men want something done, they use technology to do it.

Ezekiel: you receive a notification when you think this: Khorne will remember this. Tzeentch will remember this.
"Heh, hits like hell....fitting."
she comments

And a bolt of lighting out of a clear sky strikes right next to but does not hit either enforcer.

They jump at this. They are suddenly seized with a sudden deep fear. "Ps-s-s-Psykers!" and they go running off, forgetting the club.

But Alexandra, you also gain a notification: Good Karma: You Saved My Life.
Reward: A new ally approaches.

"Pst!! Hey" says a girl, about five feet tall, wrapped in oddly concealing rags suddenly steps out behind one of the statues "You unsanctioned? Come on, I know a way into the underhive. If you stand around lollygagging the Black Ships or the Inquisitors are going to come and get ya."
Ensara turns to see this girl- she is probably late teens? and sees that this girl has three eyes, but the third isn't on her forehead- its on her left cheek.
"What happens when they get us?"
"You having a laugh mate? They take you away and if you come back, you won't be the same. Everyone knows that. They don't search the underhive often, c'mon your all being awfully relaxed about this."
The three-eyed girl is beckoning you to follow her.

[Rater202]

"I prefer the term independant, but yeah."

The notification thing is weird. Must be one of Ezekiel's perks.

"You can call me Alexandra by the way. Or Starheart, if you prefer."

Starheart: Won The Genetic Lottery.

[Lord Raziere]

Notification to Alexandra:
Another one pops up. Its seems nothing like Ezekiel's notifications:
Apologies. A different entity has been chosen to manage the Jumps for the duration of your stay for the sake of fairness, and didn't want you to be confused as to the implementation of your perk. This entity is known as The Process, and only cares about representing how things happen, as well as the probabilities of them happening accurately and fairly, with no concern as to why or what the results will be. Would you like to turn off notifications for Perk: You Saved my Life?

Yes/No

[Gold Leaf]

That's weird. Who are those two, and why would they remember something Ezekiel didn't even say out loud?

Ezekiel gives a nod of acknowledgement when he sees Starheart's intro. "Nice to meet you."

Ezekiel then turns to Alexandra and Ensara. "Well, it doesn't look like we have anything to lose. I say we trust her. What do you two think?"

[Rater202]

Notification to Alexandra:
Another one pops up. Its seems nothing like Ezekiel's notifications:
Apologies. A different entity has been chosen to manage the Jumps for the duration of your stay for the sake of fairness, and didn't want you to be confused as to the implementation of your perk. This entity is known as The Process, and only cares about representing how things happen, as well as the probabilities of them happening accurately and fairly, with no concern as to why or what the results will be. Would you like to turn off notifications for Perk: You Saved my Life?

Yes/No

There's no need to turn them off, now that there's an explination.

That's weird. Who are those two, and why would they remember something Ezekiel didn't even say out loud?

Ezekiel gives a nod of acknowledgement when he sees Starheart's intro. "Nice to meet you."

Ezekiel then turns to Alexandra and Ensara. "Well, it doesn't look like we have anything to lose. I say we trust her. What do you two think?"

"It isn't like we are particularly spoiled for choice."

[Lord Raziere]

Ensara:
She focuses her eyes upon the girl intensely for a moment then says
"....She doesn't mean us harm. From what can tell of her body language, she is actually thankful that you scared off those enforcers, from which I can deduce...they were after you first? And not just because your carrying something you shouldn't, but because of the long robes covering your body...your trying to hide what is underneath, you keep pulling your hood to hide the third eye on your cheek and stealing fearful glances at the people around you whom from what I tell have better made clothes you, which I can tell are roughly middle class wear for this society compared to yours which I'd say are lower class. So at a guess: your not supposed to be up here, beyond the underhive you called it?"
The girl is taken aback at this sudden deduction.
"Yes....thats....correct. how did you know?"
Ensara smiles to the side.
"By the power of Exaltation, Chosen of the Yozis, I have incredibly good insight into people and how their social mores work. But I've forgotten my manners, what is your name? My name is Ensara."
"Manyclops. Whats an Exaltation?"
"Perhaps I'll tell you as long as you keep what it is, and what just happened here, our little secret, just as what you are and what your doing will be our little secret between us in return, is that agreeable?"
"Y-yes, of course. Our Little secret." Manyclops says, finding herself agreeing easily to this. "C'mon, its not safe to say anymore here."
You all follow her from the plaza into an alley then into a tunnel that leads downwards into the underhive, a cavern of metal containing ramshackle rusting old buildings, the endless city scape extending down even here, but the structures here are not well maintained, they are either falling apart or if the person cares, are kept together with patch jobs. You pass by people who look straight out of mad max- if mad max had more skull decorations, cybernetics and mutations because while some of them are normal humans, others are warped and not in pretty ways: some scarred or deformed, some look bestial, one of them has just too much muscle and not in a good way. One has tentacles for arms, another three arms and three legs, and third has a worm tail instead of legs, just a variety of mutations with no rhyme or reason to them. They all look they're wearing gang colors, every single one of them has some form of weapon on them whether it be a gun or knife, some of them are wearing chain shirts for armor despite the modern or higher tech around them, others are just wearing scraps of metal...there is just something oddly post-apocalyptic or anachronistic about all this. These gangs eye you suspiciously but don't make any moves just watching you go through but recognizing Manyclops.
She goes past one buidling with a guard out front and hands a bag to the guard
"Here's your bosses lasgun charges."
"Roight, heres your Thrones." he hands her back some gold coins.
Then she leads to this shack, its not much, and says
"well, here's me...home I guess. Its a place to sleep at least. Don't worry the nobles don't send armed forces down here unless they think they can find some antique." She takes off the robe to reveal shes wearing similar outfits to the people around here, but without the gang colors, but that isn't what catches your eye: its the fact that scattered all over her body are extra eyes, that she just has in random places. She is a mutant as well.
"So wots you unsanctioned psykers doing surface-side?"
"What is an unsanctioned psyker?"
She looks at Ensara weirdly.
"You having a laugh at me again mate?"
"No. Now that we can talk, I'd like to say that we're....new around here. We'd like to ask a few questions. Assume we're completely ignorant of this city and the world, even the most basic of things."
Manyclops looks at Ensara weirdly- with ALL of her eyes.
"Um, Okay....what questions do you have?"
"Where are we?"
"Um....well your in the underhive of Hive Sibellus."
"Which is on what planet?"
"Scintilla. How'd you get here without knowing what planet yer on? If yer from the void then surely you already knew where you arrived."
"Oh? Would know anything about void travel?"
"No, not really. Lived my entire life in Hive Sibellus. Traveling through the void is for nobles, imperial guard and adeptas. They go somewheres, I don't know where and they often don't come back. They could be eaten by a giant void rat for all I know."
"What was all that about? the guards, the taking the charges to that gang, you hiding your form and such?"
"Ah well, I thought'd be obvious? I'm a mutant. Many of us are down here. People don't like us mutants, priests say our forms are corrupted by....the Archenemy."
"The Archenemy? what Archenemy?"
"....The Archenemy. The priests don't specify anything more. They say our forms are an impurity of the human form just like the witches are an impurity of the human soul. That our very existence is heresy for not having enough faith in the Emperor. That mutants and witches like us should be abhorred and cleansed for the Imperium."
"....I see." Ensara says with an edge of anger in her voice. "and who is this Emperor?"
"Is....this a serious question? everyone knows who the Emperor is."
"It is."
"The God-Emperor of Mankind, y'know, big golden armored bloke, savior of us all, watches over us from his throne on Terra, guiding us with his light? Made the entire Imperium of Man?"
She sees your faces and says
"By the Emperor, you really don't know anything do you? Priests would love you lot, they say ignorance is its own reward."

[Rater202]

Alexandra thinks to herself that she should introduce Manyclops to Pamela, they'd have much to talk about.

"So, just to clear the air, I'm not a psyker. Well, kinda, I guess you could say I'm similar, but my powers don't work the way theirs do. I guess you could say that, I'm also a mutant. Just a differant kind."

[Gold Leaf]

Ezekiel looks around at the denizens of the underhive. Damn... these guys are worse off than in the Borderlands.

He listens attentively to the string of questions and answers. When Ensara's done, he has just one question of his own: "You wouldn't happen to know a Khorne and/or Tzeentch, would you?"

[Lord Raziere]

Manyclops:
She shakes her head at Ezekiel's question.
"Sorry mate, I don't know who either of those are. You could ask around, or try to get an Adept of the Administratum to tell you or look it up, they got records on everyone. Those twiggy blokes, they read more books in a week than I've seen in me life. Not that they'd ever tell an 'abhorred' mutant like me anything. You on the other hand, you seem pure human, they might tell you something...if it isn't forbidden knowledge."
"What knowledge is forbidden?" Ensara says
"I dunno. I'm forbidden to know that." she says. "Kinda the point innit? To quote them priests again: Blind faith is a just cause. Don't know where your from, but thats what the Ministorum teaches us here. We go pokin' around for things we aren't supposed to know, you get purged. Inquisition.....Ministorum or I should say Ecclesiarchy....well a lot of authorities, don't like it when you stick your nose where you shouldn't. They get burny and shout stuff like "kill the heretic!" and whatnot."
"But wait, how your supposed to know what to avoid then?"
"....Ah hm, well....ya don't. You must mostly just keep your head down and not do anything to go against the Emperor or the Imperium. Thats usually the safe bet."

She answers Alexandra:
"Call yourself whatever you like, but....Psyker's a Psyker. It's not something you identify as, its something the Inquisition uses to say what you are so they know what to do about you, so thats what you are. You look pure human so yer not anything people would say is a mutant. Don't know what backwards planet yer from, even outworlders know what these terms mean."
She thinks about this.
"...You lot from some world outside the Imperium? Priests always say its Mankind's destiny to bring all humans under the Imperium's rule and that anyone who rejects it is a heretic. Were you like, recently conquered? I don't know much about the void, but maybe....are you lot from the Koronus Expanse? Last I heard the Rogue Traders are still expanding the borders there."
"...Whats the Koronus Expanse?"
"Not much of a clue, myself. The people working for Rogue Traders over by the shuttleport keeping talking about it when they dock however so it'd seem to be nearby, to the what was it called again, the Calixis Sector, which Scintillas the capital of? But you lot are really strange. Imperium doesn't like strange. Wonder how you survived so far."
Manyclops doesn't even seem to consider the possibility that your from outside the universe as a possibility. She just seems to be regarding some of the stranger stuff you say as weird customs or term from some foreign planet and doesn't question any of it, which is not technically wrong, and given the Imperium's seeming focus on keeping people to be ignorant, she doesn't pry into any of it considering none of it her business.
"Why did you warn us about the black ships and take us down here?"
"Well I saw Alexandra there make lightning crack to scare them enforcers off. They were pursuing me because of the lasgun charges I had illegally bought on the behalf of one of the gangs, got to replenish ammo somehow for their constant gang wars and the only way you get ammo for any gun is from the manufactorums which primarily produce stuff like weapons to give to the Imperial Guard to fight some distant war thats always going for one reason or another. I felt thankful and I know what happens when a new psyker is spotted: they either kill you for being a witch, or they take and hold you until the black ships arrive once every year, then your taken away to become sanctioned, safe to serve the Imperium. Whatever that means. I didn't want it to happen to you, because of many of them don't come back."
"Why do they do this?"
"Well, they say psykers are dangerous. Once knew a psyker before they got taken. strange things happened around them, because of them. Had moments where he saw....things. Things no one else saw. He'd constantly mutter and have nightmares in his sleep. Sometimes the faucets would pour blood instead of water. Sometimes something he touched would become twisted and warped like someone messed with it like clay. sometimes his eyes would glow and he'd say prophecies of doom. Sometimes buildings would catch on fire, or someone would die from him screaming at them. Never meant any of it, he did. Guy was afraid of himself just as much as everyone else was. I was still sad when he got taken though, never saw him again. Didn't seem like he deserved his lot in life."

[Rater202]

"See, that would be why I'm not a psyker. Everything I do? Under my exact control with the finest precision."

"Of course, it's a moot point. Nobody here will believe any differant: That's the thing with people like that. they believe what they want to believe... Or make up things that they want you to believe so they can control you. If it would be more convenient for them to believe that I'm a psyker they'll say I'm a psyker even if I have hard proof that I'm not."

[Gold Leaf]

"I'm beginning to like these priests less and less every second. They're so in support of everything scientists like myself are working against, that it's almost personally offensive."

It's a terrible thing, keeping knowledge locked away and teaching society to never ask questions. George Orwell might have something to say about that.

"Oh, almost forgot: where would I find this Administratum, or an Adept? I hold a lot of respect for 'twiggy blokes' who can find the time to finish a good book every so often."

Ezekiel can't help but notice how oddly familiar Manyclops' manner of speaking is. Where's he heard that before..? That's right, it's a British accent, just like everyone had back in the IMC! But... is Britain real here?

"Forgive me for asking, but... where are you from? Your accent's quite familiar."

[Lord Raziere]

Manyclops:
She says to Alexandra:
"Okay, yer making me head hurt, cause you just said to me what I was trying to say to you kind of as if I wasn't, so lets just drop it"
She says to Ezekiel.
"I'm from here. Hive Sibellus, Scintilla, I already told you that mate. Also what is a scientist? I'm speaking plain Low Gothic here, but I guess have an underhive accent to it."
"Low gothic? is there some other kind of Gothic?"
"Yeh. High Gothic, the language the authorities use to sound fancy, important and ancient, I can't speak it but I do recall a few phrases I heard on voxcast:"
She clears her throat and speaks faux-latin in a high class british accent:
"Mens aperta est quasi munimentum portae sua reserata et incustodita. Inanis mens fidelis est. Laus Imperatori. Analysis est perniciosa opinione. Argumentum logicum absoluta persuasione dimittendum est! Haereticum combure! Mutant occide! Expurgate immundos!"
She then shakes her head.
"I have no idea what I just said. But I do know most if not all branches of government are named in high gothic: Adeptus Administratum are the administrators, they are bureaucrats and such, adepts. Adeptus Astartes are space marines. Adepta Sororitas are the Sisters of Battle. Adeptus Custodes are the legendary custodians who guard the Emperor on Holy Terra. Adeptus Arbites are the Arbitrators who makes sure the planets pay their taxes to Terra. Departmento Munitorum handles Imperial Guard logistics, Adeptus Ministorum are the normal priests, Adeptus Mechanicus are the tech priests, Imperial Guard and Navy I'm pretty sure have fancy high gothic names but everyone just calls them what they are. I know there is more, but I can't keep all of them straight because there is so many and a lot of them aren't relevant to me or aren't the famous ones that get all the stories of Imperial victory written about 'em."
"Wait a minute, back up, there are two kinds of priests?" Ensara says, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah? Ministorum priests who preach about the Emperor and whatnot, and the tech priests who keep all the machine spirits happy while keeping everyone else from angering them. the tech priests don't do much preaching, they just smugly do their rituals knowing that everyone needs them for everythin' or nothing works. the two cults kinda don't like each other."
"Why don't they like each other?"
"The normal priests hate the tech priests for defiling their pure human form with cybernetics, while the tech priests hate the normal priests for relying on weak flesh when they think tech is stronger. Again they just kinda leer in mutual hate knowing they can't get rid of each other."
"Sprawling bureaucracy, lots of flowery named branches of government, factions in it that engage in politicking for control, a religion that makes people hate things that are different, a military conquering regions to expand....its like the Realm all over again but ridiculously worse. At least the Scarlet Empress built a society that was capable of making happy functional communities and self-correct its corruption to some degree."
"Scarlet Empress? was that the ruler of the planet you come from?"
"....Y'know what, sure lets go with that. She was probably the closest thing to it at any rate."
If you ignored the Unconquered Sun being the King of Yu-Shan, which ruled the rest of Creation's gods, but technically they weren't allowed to rule over mortals.

[Gold Leaf]

Well, Ezekiel guesses it makes sense that for every culturally obvious thing he doesn't know, there has to be one common knowledge thing they don't know. Still...

"No scientists? It's that bad, hm? A scientist is somebody who studies and runs tests on things to solve problems and learn new information about the world around them. Not the kind of information we've been asking you for, mind you. Scientists answer questions like 'Why does water turn to steam after you heat it?' or 'What brings us back down to the planet after we jump?' or 'How do you create an explosion large enough to level a medium sized city?' "

[Rater202]

"I get the distinct feeling that scientists would be branded as Heretics and burned at the stake here, friend. If technological maintenance is handled by priests who worship machine spirits, this society must be rather backwards in terms of academic understanding."

[Gold Leaf]

"Oh. Well, that's... disconcerting."

A beat.

"I'm not going to drop the lab coat, though."

[Lord Raziere]

Manyclops:
"....Huh, why DOES that all happen? Never thought about it much before. But anyways, what your talking sounds like tech-heresy, yeah. not exactly, but a lot like it. Call them hereteks, tech priests don't like when you modify or fiddle with technology from their "holy" standard designs. Luckily for you, the underhive needs hereteks like everyone else needs the tech priests. Gangs love their weapon modifications, cybernetics, running water and lights being on. I know a guy, Iota-Phi 34. He can tell you more about tech heresy and the Mechanicus than I ever could. The more I hear you speak, the more I get the feeling that you lots entire existence is some form of heresy....so really you should fit right in with everyone else down here."
"Heresy is only a word for the powerful to oppress and control their lessers while eliminating their enemies. By limiting what you accept, they prevent you from opening your mind to what can save you."
"Yeah, thats exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know why I'm helping you since your probably going to end up dead sooner rather than later, but you don't seem to be bad folk....strange and begging for the Inquisition to kill ya, but not bad."
"Don't worry." Ensara says with a confident smile "I can take on anything this Inquisition can throw at me. I'm Exalted and many other things besides."
"Doesn't matter what you are, the Inquisition does anything to eliminate a threat. Anything."
"What is the Inquisition?"
"The authority second only in political power to the High Lords of Terra themselves, who have ruled since the Emperor ascended to the Golden Throne. They are answerable to no one, watch over everyone, with minds of steel and hearts cold as the lowest depths of Hive Tarsus. They are composed of the Imperium's most elite agents who strike fear in all mankind with the mere rumor of their interest!" Manyclops says fearfully.

Meanwhile The "Elite" Agents:
Five Inquisitorial Acolytes look around the Plaza of St. Drusus, not sure what they're looking for. Their motley fledgling crew of lowly grunts consisted of an adept scribe named Clovis Edmigove, a tech priest Grant Nabek, an arbitrator named Maiya Maghildr, Cyniss Darkhame, sanctioned psyker and a scum by the name Mattius Shamblebat. These acolytes wished they had more firepower, but they were chosen by their Inquisitor a month ago for their investigative skills rather than their ability to fight. She had said that their job was more "figuring out where to point our guns" than actually doing the firing themselves. They had received a report that a psyker had made a lightning strike in the area to scare off two Enforcers, and was sent to investigate. They were going to be sent to Planet Malfi because that was hotbed of heresy but apparently a potential unsanctioned psyker right here in the capital of the entire sector took priority.
"I'm just saying, we should be off rooting out a conspiracy on a hive world known for its jealousy of Scintilla taking the capital spot since the founding of the sector, not wandering around looking for some unsanctioned psyker just because two enforcers got spooked." Maiya says with a frown.
"A single psyker could unleash horrors no one wants to imagine. Malfi is eight hundred standard days from here, I don't relish the journey that'll require, and who knows? the psykers might be Malfi heretics sent here." Grant says back
"But then why would they give themselves away like that? Doesn't seem to make sense." Mattius says, thinking
"Maybe they panicked at the enforcers prodding and wanted the enforcers scared off quick." Maiya says back
"But why were they in the fountain though? Why would Malfi heretic psykers sent to invade or destroy Scintilla, take a dip like that? It seems...illogical" says Grant, the tech priest tilting his head.
"Well its a fountain to honor Saint Drusus right? Then they'd hate Drusus for founding the capital here, and thus want to defile the fountain by splashing around in it. Shrine defilement is a known behavior of heretics." says Clovis.
".....I guess that makes sense, but what are we looking for to get their trail?" Grant questions.
"How...how about I investigate for leftover traces of them, using me.. psyker powers?" Cyniss says nervously.
They all look at each other. There is always a risk to using psyker powers, but Rhiannon assured them when its done carefully, the chances of....mishaps....is minimized.
"As long as you don't push it." Maiya says
She nods and focuses her psychic might upon detecting traces of psychic power through her staff, traces of it being used that she could find a trail....and the psychic technique fails to manifest. They all let out a breath of relief. It wasn't ideal, but it neither was something more dangerous. It was always a gamble with psykers.
"Sorry, it didn't work..." Cyniss says
"Thats okay, as long nothing bad happens, we're good." Maiya says back
"Okay, but here is the real question: do we do normal legwork or should she try again?" asks Clovis.

[Rater202]

"Let me tell you something, Manyclops... On my home planet, there was a man called Doctor Doomsday. He was a genius, with the greatest knowledge of science and technology of anyone on the planet. And he was what you'd call a psyker, except with full control of his powers like I have. And, a mutant. Every time he was injured he'd heal so that whatever weapon hard hurt him couldn't again and if he was killed he'd come back to life far more powerful. If he was so inclined, he could have ruled the planet with an iron fist, or just blown the damn thing up."

"And he absolutely hated me. I never learned why... And yet, I'm still here. I won. More than once. And he wasn't even the worst thing I faced back home. That would have been the Super-Soldier after he was driven mad by the Anti-Life Gospel."

"Let the Inquisition come. I'll give them a chance to back off, to rethink their lives and see the error of their ways. And if they don't, then I will shine my light upon them, and evil things cannot bear the light of the Starheart."

[Gold Leaf]

"As for me? My Titan is an 8 meter tall giant mech with cluster missiles, homing missiles and a shotgun the size of a semi truck. I've gunned down hordes of men before, whether via Titan or on foot. I even had a Psyker - I mean, a Siren hunt me down and try to kill me. Sirens have full, fine control over powerful magic too, but my trigger discipline was stronger.

"So yes, let them come. Whereas her light turns people good or something, mine is just a simple firelight. And fire kills.

[Rater202]

"As for me? My Titan is an 8 meter tall giant mech with cluster missiles, homing missiles and a shotgun the size of a semi truck. I've gunned down hordes of men before, whether via Titan or on foot. I even had a Psyker - I mean, a Siren hunt me down and try to kill me. Sirens have full, fine control over powerful magic too, but my trigger discipline was stronger.

"So yes, let them come. Whereas her light turns people good or something, mine is just a simple firelight. And fire kills.

"Uh, uh, no... If they don't back down I was just gonna kill them. Or at least beat them up. The whole thing was meant to be poetic and... Maybe a little bit of a reference to the last guy who had some of my powers."

[Lord Raziere]

Manyclops:
"and I am Ensara, Nadir Caste of the Infernal Exalted, Planeswalker, Artificer, Adamant Circle Sorcerer, Master of Six Martial Art Styles of Creation and one of Gaia, Master of Nemesis Abilities, She Who Knows Eight Ars Magnus Techniques. I have slayed spirits and champions chosen by gods, bound demons to my service, toppled empires, overthrown tyrants, and outwitted the ancient dragon god Nicol Bolas himself. This Inquisition will be nothing that the Immaculate Order or the Gaian Church hasn't already thrown at me."
"I.....you......this....either your all crazy, or have stolen from the Collegia Titanica and think having one Titan is enough to beat all of them, or are some new fresh kind of heresy that I can't even begin to understand and probably shouldn't try. Whatever. Try to do the impossible for all I care. I'll be here waiting to mourn you. Nothing ever changes around here, except when it gets worse. But hey as long we're entertaining unbelievable insanities..."
She goes outside and points at a certain ramshackle building
"That building there is Iota-Phi 34's house. He's the Heretek I talked about, does a lot of local tech and chem work, if you want more information about tech heresy and the mechanicus he's the bloke. Whenever you come to your senses you can come back and talk to me so I can recommend which gang you work for or tell you more about stuff that...honestly I'm not sure how you don't already know. Otherwise, yer on your own. Honestly, I don't know why I don't just kick you out for the nonsense yer spoutin', I'm such a bleeding heart..."

Rhiannon's Acolytes:
"I say she try again" says Mattius
"Of course criminal Scum like you would say that." Maiya says back
"Look, Miss By-The-Book Arbitrator, sometimes you got to accept some risks on the job, roight? Whatever our psyker does to find the bigger more threatening psyker, has to cost less than letting the enemy do whatever scary ritual to summon something big and nasty. Any sacrifice for the Emperor and Mankind roight? this is just a small taste of what we're supposed to do when we become Inquisitors."
"Inquisitor Rhiannon emphasizes caution though. These powers are unsafe to tamper with."
"and do you think she got to where she is by not doing what needs to be done?" Mattius asks "Cyniss. Do it, but try harder this time."
Cyniss tries again, drawing more power and focusing harder, psychic sparks crackling around her to try and find a trace of psychic energy to follow....and still nothing happens.
"Hah. Sorry I was really I really did try harder but....I still can't get the technique to work."
"Wot!? Rubbish. Do it again and trying pushing it this time!"
"Mattius" Maiya warns "this is dangerous. If this turns out badly...."
"Then its the psyker's fault for her mind not being strong enough. Do it!"
Cyniss focuses harder now, even more psychic energy dancing and roiling around her as she tries to find any traces of psychic residue to track, while suddenly Cyniss rises into the air, her eyes shining with light as a sudden gale from nowhere blows out of her, knock Clovis to the ground but everyone manages to stand their ground against the sudden wind. They had been lucky again that the mishap was as harmless as this.

But while the technique works, this doesn't answer the important question: does Alexandra even leave behind any trace of energy that can be picked up? After all, these are two different universes powers and run on different rules. If Alexandra's powers aren't compatible with psyker ones or whatever, this doesn't tell Cyniss anything even if it works

So, are her powers compatible with this universes psychic rules?

[Rater202]

Alexandra's Powers come from several sources.

The first are her inborn traits as an Amazon, an eternally youthful human with superhuman speed and strength due to divine blessings from the Gods of Olympus.

The second are her inborn traits as a metamutant. General physical enhancements that significantly boost her preexisting base form are present... But the majority of them are psionic in nature.

And one... Alexandra is, like The Human Lantern before her, a channel for the Starheart, a superweapon crated by the Guardians by combining the Green Light of Will with a variety of chaotic magical energies. She is a living font of cosmic and mystical powers.

She was trained in sorcery in order to best use said abilities, particularly in a form of Alchemy that lets her combine them...

And finally, upon defeating The Super-Soldier, Dark Klaw, Spider-Boy, Skulk, and Power-Borg after they'd been zombified and devoured Galactiac, she'd been imbued with The Power Cosmic, a fundamental force of life and creation.

So, Alexandra's powers are an electric combination of both her own innate and external divine, cosmic, mystic, and psionic energies.

It would feel like "Psyker" energy, which is essentially the local version of all the above, it is reasonable to be registered as such... But it's not going to feel like any psyker anyone in this world has ever encountered before.

It is known that particularly powerful Psykers need not draw upon the Warp to use their abilities but fuel them solely with their own power, it is highly likely that Alexandra would be confused for one of those.

...Or confused for some kind of Daemon in human form.

---

"I'm more of a leader than a follower... Which reminds me, is there somewhere I can go where I won't be disturbed for a few minutes? I have some people I need to make contact with."

[Gold Leaf]

"...Oh. Yeah, that works, too."

"They have Titans here, too? How interesting. Mechanical as well, I'm assuming."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to go see if I can't strike up a conversation with this Iota-Phi character." With that, Ezekiel will go over to the ramshackle building and knock on the door.

[Lord Raziere]

Manyclops:
She thinks then responds to Alexandra
"Well....its probably a bit ironic but we got a little shrine to the Emperor we have down here that the smarter gangs maintain but no one goes to. Remnant of a Ministorum cathedral built like what, few centuries or millennia go? I don't remember. Mostly maintain it so that whenever one of the more gullible priests wander down here being preachy and trying to "save" us from ourselves, we act all pious, smile and nod at whatever nonsense he's babbling about, and we show him the shrine and go "see? we loves the Emperor look at this cute lil' shrine here we haves to him" and he's like "oh maybe these mutant scum aren't as bad as I thought" and we bilk outta his money by convincing him to donate to make the shrine better then pocket it for useful stuff and he goes off happy until he dies of some other stupid reason down here. Not like the Ecclesiarchy really cares they're gone though, no one ever searches for them going missing. Other than that, its underground, its dark, there is a tons of places to go off to be alone, the trick is getting back instead of getting lost and finding whatever beastie wants to get you or underhivers who'd rather shoot you and loot the body than talk....if they're not just hungry."
She calls to Ezekiel as he goes
"Titans are a Mechanicus adjacent thing to, you'll get more out of Iota about them than me."
Ensara says
"I'll come along with you Ezekiel, I'm always up to learn more, and its probably a good idea to learn why they have the attitude towards technology that they have."

Iota-Phi 34:
Ezekiel and Ensara walk in and its like a workshop on one end and a chemistry lab on the other end: there are various tools either on some table or other, the ones not in use are lined up neatly while the ones that seem recently used are scattered haphazardly. There are piles of scrap of various bits and odds and ends, cybernetic limbs that seem cobbled together from what could be found hanging around seemingly just waiting to be used for implantation, a few guns some labeled "autogun" or "stub revolver" that look like modern firearms while others are labeled "lasgun" or "laspistol". The chemistry end has beakers and such of various drugs and compounds with unfamiliar names such as "obscura", "frenzon" or "lho-stick filling", but the big barrels labeled "amasec" is so similar to alcoholic drinks that it couldn't possibly anything else. The person in here in his black robes seems however to be facing away from you, tinkering with something while writing things down on parchment until he hears you and turns around, his voice has a distinct mechanical timbre to it.
"How anomalous, you don't look like the usual scum that comes into my workshop. A little old, many tend to die before they get to your age. Such is the weakness of flesh."
His face, seems entirely mechanical with glowing three yellow camera-like or goggle-like eyes having replaced his human ones long ago, and speaking through this mechanical voice synthesizer implant, he has two extra limbs built on his back but not human like at all, completely mechanical tools for doing work, and his actual hands are metal as well.
"But very well, Greetings I am designated Iota-Phi 34. Do you need modification for your weapon? Repair your vox? Your pict-recorder? If your data slate has froze up, have you tried the Ritual of Deactivation and Reactivation? If your hoping to replace your flesh with metal to avert your decay, I'd warn you that my cybernetic works are of low quality-you'd be better off devoting yourself to the Machine God in full to receive the Omnissiah's blessings to transcend your cage than relying on a heretek like me. The drugs meanwhile to pleasure your crude organic systems will be ready when they are ready, they are still brewing."
Doesn't seem real good at socializing.

Rhiannon's Acolytes:
Cyniss falls back to the ground and says, shakily
"I...I found something."
"Well what is it?" Mattius questions
"Its bad. Psychic energy like I've never seen before, unique like its energy not from the Warp. Only something very strong could do this. Its either an Alpha-plus Pskyer.....or a Daemon. and I don't know which one is worse."
Clovis, Mattius and Grant go wide eyed in some form of fear, Grant trying to convince himself that he is blessed by the Omnissiah to be above emotions and that the wind just lowered the temperature of his systems.
Maiya clenches her fists and keeps her stoic. She needed to be strong. She Is The Law.
"That...is very bad. This is no longer a "search and capture" mission for some random psyker to take to the Black Ships. If your correct about what you just picked up, then dealing with this is above our pay grade. I'm kicking this problem upstairs, I'm sure there is other actual Inquisitors at the Calixian Conclave more competent and able in either the Ordo Hereticus or Ordo Malleus to take care of this."
Classic skills of working in an organization: knowing when something isn't your problem and how to justify it being someone elses problem. Maiya will call Inquisitor Rhiannon on her vox-caster to report this.

[Gold Leaf]

Ezekiel seems to be mostly interested in the chemistry side of the building.

"Well, what do we have here? I feel almost like I jumped right into Breaking Bad. Chemistry isn't my field, but if it was I wouldn't mind having a setup like this in my warehouse."

"Ah yes, well, if I was simply one of the many, maybe I wouldn't have survived this long. But as you can see, I'm a little above the average. For example, an average man of my age would have taken offense to the fact that you opened a conversation by calling him old, but I appreciate it as a compliment."

From the mechanical face to the extra arms, Ezekiel thinks that Iota-Phi bears a striking resemblance to a pilot Simulacrum, except less advanced.

"My name is Ezekiel. No no, I'm not here for any of that. No, if I wanted to become a Simulacrum, I would have done that years ago. And I don't really do drugs... not the ones that are cooked in a lab, anyways. No, I simply wanted to have a chat, scientist to scientist.