Black Crusade IC

[Henry the 57th]

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[roll0] And actually I can. It's the benefit of remaining Unaligned.

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This is corruption for a failing, which cannot be modified. But you don't have enough to mutate more in any case. Also, you gain 2, not 3 (I kinda rolled for you. Your unconcious body is now with your friends.

[watupwithdat]

"The galaxy is not a 'pretty' place, no, Katria. But you have known that all along, have you not? Your grandfather must have told or showed you that, at least." He paused. "And if we do as you suggest and just leave this place, we would have to make it past the Word Bearers who would shoot anyone who tried to run away. To not mention the only vehicles to leave the planet are controlled by the same Word Bearers." He assumed the futility of her suggestion would reach her, by now.

"Our best chance is actually succeeding in this task, so we can leave. The sooner the better, would you not think? And I am sure you were offered some kind of reward, along with your late grandfather, too." Setesh looked over at the body of the Night Lord, who must have run into quite some trouble, considering the shape he was in. "But I suppose I can tend to him, like I did you, yes, as that would make our task easier and faster.

Setesh walked over to the tattered Night Lord and laid his hand on his bloodied head, and tried to manifested his healing powers to heal him, without success. Maybe interacting with the warp energies which had changed Katria just now when he healed her, had affected him some how. He attempted to manifest his powers another time, this time without anything interfering.

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Half Action, Fettered, Unnatural Healing, +0 Willpower Focus Power test: (1d100)[97] vs 90 (success on <91)
(1d10+2)[9] wounds healed on success.

Another try in OOC.

[Donan]

"Oh, I think I know how we can.." Katria had been searching her clothes and then sighed, shaking her head. "Naturally. They've taken those damned codes." She glances at Verateka and then the shard she was holding. "Can I have that back?"

[Lucretia]

"Codes?" Verateka asked, the utility mechadendrite holding the Frozen Shard closer to her now, the handle almost touching Katria's arm. "Setesh said nothing had been taken from you, but clearly he was mistaken."

[watupwithdat]

"I have those. One of the Word Bearers came with the intent of finding something on your body specifically. I assumed it was the code cylinder and took it before they had a chance of searching you." Setesh wondered how much Katria knew about the codes and who were after them. Did she knew it was probably the Alpha Legion, working within the Word Bearers? "Nevertheless, it would be the most prudent to finish this. Rooting out the leader of the splintered Word Bearers and slaying him would be a lesser task than trying to hijack their command vessel -- a vessel which will not leave this planet until the task is completed in any case."

[Donan]

"Thanks." Katria takes the shard, tucking it back into its sheath. "Can you show them to Verateka? The Alpha Legion and numerous Word Bearers have been chasing my behind to try and get them back, so whatever's there is damned important."

She looks to the heretek. "But we've not been able to get into them until now, and I want to know what's so interesting to all this lot." A light grin. "Obivously, what benefits us, benefits you right now."

[Lucretia]

"I am capable of deciphering most technological codes, yes. If you would like me to attempt to ascertain what is on the cylinders, I wouldn't be opposed to the attempt."

[Elurindel]

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This is corruption for a failing, which cannot be modified. But you don't have enough to mutate more in any case. Also, you gain 2, not 3 (I kinda rolled for you. Your unconcious body is now with your friends.

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Unaligned can add their Infamy bonus regardless of Failure or rewards, and can roll twice and pick the more favourable result. It's the trade-off for not getting access to cool rewards like those who align themselves to one of the big four.

Slathissin wakes up with a groan. This experience had been humbling and enraging in equal measure. He had only gotten to leave his mark on one of the mortals, but those cowardly Word Bearer scum had insisted upon attacking in numbers. Perhaps next time he would be better prepared.
"Where are we?"

[watupwithdat]

So Katria knew about the Alpha Legion. That meant Zasz had too. Setesh took out the code cylinder hidden inside a bundled up camo cloak he had found on a dead Word Bearer's dead body along with a prestine amulet with a tiny chaos star on it, which he assumed was a potent force field -- a suspicion he had plenty of time to figure out later if that was indeed the case -- and handed the code cylinder to the heretek. "Here." He did not particularly like the idea of handing it over and sharing whatever it contained, but at the same time he wanted to know what it contained -- and he had no way to access the code cylinder at the moment.

[Lucretia]

Undoing the arm of her armour, and then opening the compartment in her left arm, Verateka slid the code cylinder in. "Give me a moment while I access the information," she said, closing her arm and returning the armour to it.

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Was it a -40 test? Or -20?

[Henry the 57th]

Verateka's internal processor click and whirl as they attempt to break through the expert encryption on the cylinder. The process takes several minutes.

Finally, the she cracks the code. Inside are... more codes. Word Bearer identity codes, to be specific. Codes could allow one to indentify oneself as almost any rank in the Legion. There are even codes for two member of the Dark Council, the ruling body of the Word Bearers. One could electronically impersonate just about anyone in the entire XVII Legion.

[Elurindel]

The Night Lord looks about the group. "So, it looks like our party composition has changed somewhat. Lost to the first push, I suppose?"

[Lucretia]

"This is interesting... the data is encrypted by a hidden subgroup problem. Standard quantum fourier analysis cannot be used to identify and break it. Whoever created this cylinder is remarkably paranoid." She moved over to Slathissin. "I don't believe we've met -- I'm Verateka. You must be the other Astartes connected to this internal vox channel."

[Elurindel]

He nods. "Slathissin, formally of the Night Lords. Have we a plan for pushing forwards?"

[Lucretia]

"First would be to find your helmet. If you've misplaced it, we have several from these dead Astartes."

[Elurindel]

He tilts his head. "I prefer not to wear my helmet. It leaves me free to spit acid in the faces of my foes, and let my face be the last thing they see before they perish."

[Lucretia]

If Verateka had been organic she might have made some confused stuttering over the statement Slathissin had just made. But she wasn't. "That is highly inefficient. You should reconsider that. Your survival is not worth your pride -- and the last thing anything sees before it dies is no more important than the ninth thing. Or the fiftieth. Death is death. Now, the warband has moved up since we took this short rest. If we can determine how many of the bastions remain along the route to the temple, we can begin with the second wave of this assault."

[Donan]

Katria nods, looking to Verateka. "You can't get into it then? Then we'll have to worry about it later." She glances out towards the tank. "At least we have that to help."

[Elurindel]

"You underestimate the importance of terror in the eyes of mortals. But regardless, some rest is greatly appreciated. Are you any manner of medicae, by chance? My last encounter left me in need of attention."

[watupwithdat]

Setesh listened to the heretek's tech-talk, which he made little sense of. "Then what would break the encryption?" he asked. She had not indicated that she had been unable to decrypt it, like he had, as far as he could tell.

He ignored the discussion regarding the Night Lord's foolish disregard for safety. Setesh had mended some of his wounds, atleast allowing his body to function, but if he was suicidal it was not worth the sorcerer's time.

[Lucretia]

"I am not familiar with the medical arts, no. That subroutine appears to be missing... I will endeavor to reconstruct it," she said simply. "Until then, you may wish to protect yourself from additional harm by not indulging in the Lord of Blood's worship."

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Medicae is on my list for next week. Sorry!

To Setesh's question, she turned to look at him. "You would need to have access to a Machine Spirit or cogitator bank capable of breaking through such an encryption, obviously."

Flanked by her dog and her manservant, Verateka investigated the nearby buildings. If either were particularly tall, she'd send them up to have them survey the battlefield and determine their next move. The two hours must have given the warband ample time to break through. If there was fighting still going on, she'd be extremely impressed.

[watupwithdat]

"And you have no access to whatever is needed to be able to break the encryption?" Setesh's curiousness was rattling around in his head, scratching at the walls of his mind. He needed to know what was in those codes.

[Lucretia]

"If we were not on this planet, I could most likely find a cogitator bank, yes."

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What're the building heights here, Henry?

[Donan]

Katria settled next to Verateka, nodding. "And the tank? Either way, there's nothing to wait here for any longer." She glanced at the Night Lord. "Or do you need more rest?" Her now, ugly face shifted into a challenging grin.

[Henry the 57th]

The minions report that the fighting has moved to the base of the hill that the temple stands on. The enemy has currently brought the area to stalemate, and their resistance shows no sign of abating.

The resistance between the party's current location has also been prodigious. Thousands of corpses - human, Astartes, mutant, and daemon - and burnt out vehicle hulks litter the ground in the relatively short distance between here and there.

[Elurindel]

"Would a scrapcode generator enable you to break the codes more easily?" the Night Lord asks.

[Lucretia]

Summoning back her minions, Verateka shook her head. "I have access to such a generator. I don't believe it would function on this cylinder."

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Which is true, although I admit I hadn't considered using it!

"There is a great battle at the base of the temple hill now. Also, there may yet be resistance along this path. We could move down through this path and face resistance, or circle around and follow through the wreckage wrought by one of the other warbands. The choice is yours."

[watupwithdat]

"And a Machine Spirit to break it then? I still do not know if you failed to break the encryption or not." Setesh had noticed the heretek avoided to straight up say she was unable to penetrate the encryption just now. Only that something more than a 'standard' thing was needed.

"We still have to eliminate the resistance's bastions on this flank before we can reliably approach the temple in the center of this area. Moving through the way cut by a warband could help us better flank their positions, though."

[Elurindel]

"I would suggest moving through the wreckage. My stealth may be put to best use there, and there is little benefit to a direct assault, and I am too heavily wounded to survive another such assault. Setesh, do your sorcerous powers extend to such things?." Slathissin asks.

[Lucretia]

"I do not believe I possess a Machine Spirit which could break the encryptions, no. I have not been able to breach the codes at this time, however. Now, I hope you have exhausted your curiosity to that effect? If so, we can continue on. As for the tank, Katria, there was some organic tendril within that attempted to stop me from leaving the cabin. I presume there is some manner of daemon within it. That makes the Russ far less appealing."

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Deceive. (1d100)[91] v. 95, using my second Infamy Point of the day.