Welcome to the OOC thread for the Arbites task force! Please include your character sheet with your first post in this thread and, if desired, choose a speech colour.
The Rules
Activity
The expected post rate is no less than one post every two days. If you do not meet this, I will autopilot your character as necessary.
If you don't post for a week and haven't given any reason, I reserve the right to kill off your character.
Going on hiatus and giving a reason for it is totally fine, as long as you let me know and give me a good idea how long you'll be gone for. In this case, I'll autopilot your character until you return.
Posting
It's not necessary for you to colour your speech, but you're free to do so if you want to.
As a minor note, I will tend to write in the past tense, but you can go with past or present as you prefer.
Good spelling and grammar is somewhere between highly appreciated and necessary.
Dice rolls
All rolls should be made with the forum dice roller, either in a spoiler in the IC thread or in a separate post in this thread.
You're free to, and indeed encouraged to, make most of any necessary rolls yourself. The exception is that if your character shouldn't know whether they've succeeded or failed - leave those to me and I'll roll in secret.
Psychic Phenomena and Perils of the Warp are always a secret roll.
Combat
When combat starts, I will roll everybody's initiative (if I remember to), so that we can jump to the action faster.
You can post out of initiative order. Please do! Once everyone has posted their actions for a round, I will resolve it in the correct order with an IC post and an OOC explanation. Such posts by me signify that one round has ended and another has begun.
I'd really appreciate it if you could try to post at least once per day when we're in combat time.
Spoilers
If a spoiler in either this or the IC thread is marked X or X only, in general please do not read it if you are not X. If it's not clear from context, I'll be specific about when the information contained is meant to be secret.
I figure this is the best place to actually let you know the setting. The Arbites task force begins the game arriving to Lo, a nominal Hive World in the Drusus Marches. If your character has heard of it before, they've probably done so in the context of the Loi Metalworks Armoury; the Drusus Marches have a number of war worlds and frontier worlds, and Lo is both a regional hub and an important supplier of weapons to the rest of the subsector. It's only a "nominal" hive world because it doesn't sport the average super-dense hive, due to unfavourable seismic activity making such megastructures even less safe than normal; rather, its megacity is a sprawling metropolis covering over a hundred thousand square kilometres.
Your transport to Lo was courtesy of the Adeptus Arbites. Your characters were approached, requested, or perhaps simply instructed to take part in an unusual Arbites mission, but I leave the details of how they ended up on the team up to you. What you do know is that you're now part of something called an Arbites Task Force (Xenos), with effect as mentioned in the OOC thread: the members of the task force treat Forbidden Lore (Xenos) as a basic skill and get a +10 bonus on Tech-Use tests to identify alien technology.. Maybe you already had some slightly heretical knowledge concerning the Imperium's alien enemies, or maybe you were given a crash-course in transit - again, that's up to you. You're still waiting to be briefed in full as to what this operation involves.
So, feel free to incorporate any of this into your character's immediate past as you see fit; once everyone's happy we'll probably start the IC thread with your naive minionsvaluable servants of the Adeptus Arbites being brought together after arriving on Lo and being briefed properly.
Wounds: 12
Fate: 2/3
Divination: "In the Darkness, Follow the Light of Terra"
Insanity Points: 0
Corruption Points: 0
Trained Skills
Spoiler
Speak Language (Low Gothic)
Speak Language (Metallican Dialect)
Barter
Evaluate
Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites)
Common Lore (Imperium)
Inquiry
Literacy
Tech Use (+5 with Firearms)
Trade (Prospector)
Talents
Spoiler
Basic Weapon Training (SP)
Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)
Pistol Training (SP)
Quick Draw
Traits
Spoiler
Caves of Steel
Hivebound
Hive Operator
Packing Iron
Wary
Way of the Gun
Task Force: Xenos
Equipment
Spoiler
Westingkrup Scalptaker Stub Revolver with 6 Dum-Dum Bullets
Westingkrup Carnodon Hand Cannon with Red-Dot Laser Sight and 16 Manstopper Bullets
Flak Cloak
Uniform (A long coat and cowboy hat, incorporating his Flak Cloak)
Arbitrator ID
5 Thrones
Experience Points (0 left/200 spent):
Spoiler
Sibellus Hive Scrounger: -200 from starting total
Ballistic Skill +5: 100
Intelligence +5: 100
Background
Spoiler
Officer Jim Mustang is typical Gunmetal City. A dirty gunslingin' lawman. He chews tobacco and spits it at those he's about to riddle wi' steel, boy.
He was originally a poor boy working in the factories, though. Grubbin' around, fetchin' spare rounds for pa, a respected, if impoverished, smithy type in the Westingkrup Fane. He learned to maintain arms from his ol' boy, an' learned respect for his elders. After all, it was yer elders and the law that kept the Imperium together, lad. That and lead. Hot, Gunmetal City, lead. Blam!
So yeah, it was lookin' like boyo would end up makin' the guns like daddy. Well, fate always has her say, and, surprise-surprise, a shoot-out with some no-good goons at the saloon left young Jimmy an orphan.
Now, considerin' the ol' boy got shot helpin' out the local Enforcer types against some recidivist whatchacallems, the lad got taken in, a bit old, y'see, to the nearest Schola Progenium. Taught him to read they did, but he got to leave early, seein' as he could already shoot better than the instructors.
Straight to the Adeptus Arbites, he went, gunslingin' his way across the galaxy, I hear. He still wears that stupid-ass hat, too, eh? Either that or he's a bounty hunter on Malfi. Yeah, but he does have that hat, and some old-school Westingkrup iron.
Anyway, there's a lesson in this here story, kid, but you know it already... uh... where's my moonshine?
Yeah, uh, the lesson? Guns are cool.
Last edited by bluntpencil : 11-16-2012 at 03:05 PM.
Sebastian Yorke, Scion of the House of Yorkes, of Malfian nobility, Verispex Adept of the Adeptus Arbites
Character Sheet
Spoiler
Name: Sebastian Yorke
Age: 30
Career: Adept / Verispex
Current rank: Archivist / Verispex Adept (1)
Homeworld: Tainted Blood of Malfi [Noble Born alternate, Radical's Handbook, pg. 34]
Hair colour: Black
Eye colour: Blue
Skin: Fair
Height: 1,95 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Quirk: Electoo
Divination: "A suspicious mind is a healthy mind". [Perception +3]
Wounds: 12
Fate points: 2
Corruption points: 4
Insanity points: 5
Characteristics
Characteristic
Score
Advances
WS
26
BS
37
S
21
T
29
Ag
29
Int
46
+10 from Homeworld, +3 from background package
Per
31
+3 from Divination
WP
32
+5 simple advance
Fel
34
Homeworld Traits
The Tainted Blood of Malfi
Fiendish Mind: Increase Int +10.
Gain: Talented (Deceive) [Fel], Resistance (Fear)
Monstrous Lineage: Start the game with 5 Insanity Points and 4 Corruption Points.
Supremely connected: Peer (Nobility), Peer (Government)
Vendetta: House Belasco
Wealth: 220 thrones (double starting wealth)
The Past - Lineage of Renown: Commanders of Mankind
Background package Scholar of the Colleges Hetaireia Lexis (Inquisitor's handbook pg.27) [cost 100 xp]
Appearance
Sebastian is a tall, slender young man, with the looks of a learned individual and the apparent scholarly attire of an ornate and expensive robe. He is usually carrying a fine backpack, to store his various equiment and a data-slate or leather-bound book in his hands, for quick reference on matters concerning his expertise. He is clean shaven and properly groomed at most times, maintaining an appearance worthy of his noble lineage. When travelling or participating in a mission, scientific or other, that involves risk, he dons his flak cloak above his robes and carries his heirloom "fate-bringer" pistol in a sturdy holster made of fine leather, on his belt. From his neck hangs a pendant with Noble House Yorke's seal, which Sebastian has the habit of touching absently while thinking or undergoing stress.
Purchased gear
Flak Cloak (3 AP to all locations) [bought for 80 thrones]
Respirator [bought for 25 thrones]
Lamp pack [bought for 15 thrones]
Red-dot laser sight for stub revolver [bought for 50 thrones]
Man-stopper bullets for stub revolver [bought 24 for 20 thrones]
Bullets for stub revolver [bought 100 for 5 thrones]
Available funds: 220 thrones
Spent: 195 thrones
Left: 25 thrones
Background History of Sebastian Yorke, scion of the noble family of Yorkes, aristocrat of Malfi, graduate and scholar of the vaunted Colleges of Hetaireia Lexis, esteemed Xenologist of the Calixis sector and special advisor to the Adeptus Arbites.
By order of his eminence Lord Constantius Yorke of the Malfian sub-sector aristocracy and ruling nobility, I the trusted scribe and chronicler of the noble Yorke family, Scipio Novus, commited to paper this recollection of events, memories and observations that constitute the life and works of his son, the noble Sebastian, a prodigy in the realm of the mind and now a vaunted scholar of Calixis sector.
The family of the Yorkes is ranked high in Calixis sector’s noble family hierarchy and is stationed in the iron spires dwarfing the rest of the hive in planet Malfi. They came to power early after Angevin’s crusade and the creation of the Sector and have remained strong and cunning political players ever since, despite the occasional setbacks and misfortunes. Their coveted position in the ruling aristocracy of Calixis Sector, relies as much on their political status and heritage, as in their masterfully cultivated and expertly maintained connections with the Priesthood of Mars, the magos and tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus whose contribution to the Sector’s security and stability is paramount.
Near Malfi, as is known and evident by any sector chart, lie a cluster of forge worlds, planets entirely under the sovereignty and command of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the vaunted “Lathe worlds”. Their connections with the ruling body of these forge worlds run deep and as a result, their mediation and expert representation is asked whenever issues and situations arise concerning their relationship with the Sector Government and the other Adepta. It must be noted however, that always has the House Yorke «bloomed in adversity» as his founder had once told, and this is as true on present day as it was back then. As is known to those familiar with Malfi’s troubled history and the interaction of its noble houses, the relationships between the various nobles are always more than they seem, every action and display of power or interest shrouded by mystery. Their motives carefully hidden, their agendas shifting endlessly, their true purposes rarely unveiled, the noble houses of Malfi wage a covert, internal war.
House Yorke is no exception to that and there is a standing vendetta with another of the noble houses [some of the most esteemed private investigators that have delved into the subject, suspect an interference from the infamous House Belasco, who’d create any sort of quarrels in other Houses in order to find potential customers and buyers for its exceptionally manufactured weaponry and its «special» services (involving the employment of a larger than it’s healthy assassination cadre)]. Over the years, many incidents have occurred which have costed both families their fair share of representatives, trade envoys, emmisaries, scions and trade deals. This has of course never deterred any of them from continuing with an even greater thirst their quest of glory, success and supremacy. Now add to this, the centuries long grudge, which the Malfian nobility and all of its citizenry hold against settling the Court and epicenter of Sector’s imperial authority in Scintilla, despite Malfi’s prominence and you will have a most precise picture of the reality in which the latest scion of the Yorke family, Sebastian, was born, 30 standard imperial years ago.
A quiet and physically weak child, Sebastian was named after his maternal grandfather, as the second child of the family. His birth was received quite well from his family, his father viewing the coming of a second son as a blessing. As he grew up, it became quite apparent that he’d never be one to join the Emperor’s glorious Army and make a high profile career there or serve with distinction in the Imperial Navy, as his older brother, whose name was becoming a byword for discipline and good conduct in Battlefleet Calixis. Instead, young Sebastian seemed to exhibit a prodigious capacity to absorb and remember all kinds of information from dozens of scientific and other subjects as well as a keen intellect to analyze, categorize and utilize them in the most imaginative and creative way possible. This was fine by his father as well, since his son’s capabilities could be dramatically enhanced given the family’s resources and systematically put to good use, contributing as a major factor to the family’s welfare.
After long deliberations with his brother and some older relatives, Constantius Yorke decided to enroll his son in one of the most prestigious learning facilities of the Calixis sector, famous not only for the quantity of knowledge and the quality of teachers available but also for its unique teaching methods and aspiration to produce educated and highly intelligent graduates who will also be free-thinkers and masters of their own faculties both in the learning field and in their application in Imperial Society. Of course, being a free-thinker and an educated, well-informed individual in the oppressive imperial society is a precarious position but one that the Yorke family could afford for one of their scions. Besides, young Sebastian was already demonstrating a most inquisitive spirit and an insatiable hunger for knowledge, questioning even long established traditions and searching for the origins of obscure customs and tales.
Thus, he was inducted in an intistute of learning, under the Aegis of the so-called Colleges of the Hetaireia Lexis, a sector-spanning network of Collegia, established by Caracalla, a former Lord-Sector, and began his extensive studies there. The period spent in the various institutions of the Colleges, both in Malfi and elsewhere, was in a single world enlightnening. His interest, as became apparent in the long years of his training, was focused on the study of the various forms of alien life forms. In an effort to understand their peculiar nature and strange biology, Sebastian studied extensively any relevant written account of such creatures, and tried to procure any pertinent source of information. Being a noble certainly had its perks in this case, since the wealth and connections his family provided him with made sure that he found what he searched for, while ensuring a certain measure of anonymity and relative safety.
Sebastian Yorke will speak in Dark Red.
__________________
Arbitrator Reinhart avatar, courtesy of LCP.
My other avatars.
Spoiler
Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, courtesy of Araveugnitsuga.
Warden of Divisio Immoralis, courtesy of The_Architect.
WotS group by LCP
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daisuke1133
Calimos, I wish I had even half your talent for verbosity.
Sword, Knife, 12 Shells, Armsman-10 & 60 Bullets, Armageddon Autogun (/w Fire Selector) & 180 bullets, Guardsman Flak, Uniform (Common Quality Clothing), Micro-bead, Corpse Starch Rations (1 Week), Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer, Combat Webbing, Dog Tags, Field Sack
Background
Spoiler
Castus was born to a pair of officers of his homeworld's PDF. At the age of five years, a populist uprising claimed the lives of his parents and saw young Castus spirited off to the Schola Progenium after an incredibly swift and brutal suppression of the rebellion by loyalist forces.
As a student of the Schola, Castus grew under the stern tutelage of the instructors and Drill Abbots. Among other students with pasts such as his own, the seed of hatred against the enemies of Man was nurtured and grew strong, just as the Imperium would have it. With his aptitude for martial pursuits, Castus would certainly have taken up a position in the Guard, had the Emperor not had other plans for him...
In a monumental display of bureaucratic incompetence, an administrator of the Schola mixed up the files of Castus with those of an Enforcer candidate. After his graduation, Castus was shipped off to a world on the Imperium's frontier. His duties there consisted mostly of breaking up civil disturbances in taverns and driving indigenous wildlife away from the Imperial settlements. This unfulfilling life continued until just a few months prior when an Arbites Task Force came looking for some fresh blood. Castus was nearly ready to embrace the Arbitrator who chose to recruit him.
Whilst in transit, it was explained that this task force would be dealing with crimes involving Xenos and their foul and perverse technology. Castus was reluctant for the first time at hearing this news, but like any Progena he adapted to serve the Imperium's needs. And for now, the Imperium called for him to learn and utilize this dangerous knowledge.
Last edited by Daisuke1133 : 11-23-2012 at 10:25 AM.
Gallus Drake - Seventh Scion, Reluctant Arbitrator, Glad to be getting out of that stuffy precinct barracks.
I'll pick Deep Sky Blue for dialog.
Spoiler
Possible Final Revision:
Spoiler
Appearance:
Gender: Male
Build: Well-Built (1.8 m, 85 kg)
Age: 22
Skin: Swarthy
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Quirk: House Drake Tattoo - A drake coiled around a compass.
XP: 400 (400 Spent)
Wounds: 11
Fate Points: 2
Insanity: 1
Corruption: 0
Divination: "Die if you must, but not with your spirit broken." Increase Willpower by +3.
Talents: Basic Weapon Training (SP), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Rapid Reload
Traits:
Etiquette
Supremely Connected
Vendetta
Wealthy
Lineage - Rogue's Fortune: Your family possesses an ancient Rogue Trader charter and their fortunes have been forged by boldness an daring in the darkness between distant stars. Although accepted by your noble peers, they might consider your clan eccentric or dangerous -and not without reason!
Skills: Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites) (Int), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Inquiry (Fel), Literacy (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Peer(Nobility), Peer (Mercantile)
--The below can be modified to have an arbitrator background, either for the inquisition (include the narrative in spoilers), or for the special Arbites team (omit the spoiler, add in a little fluff about investigation) --
Gallus Drake is the youngest of seven sons. With most honors and stations occupied by elder siblings, Gallus has been volunteered to head the Talons, the House Drake official guard and internal investigative/watchdog group. The talons handle physical security on all household properties and ships, as well as acting as MP and internal affairs when necessary. Although Gallus feels like the assignment is below his status, he doesn't have much choice in the matter. His father pulled some strings, and Gallus was enrolled with the planetary Arbites for a several year term of service, to sharpen soft edges and to gain some practical experience. Gallus, again, was not consulted.
Gallus found life in the Arbites barracks to be rougher than he was accustomed to, and his perceived wealth and softness did nothing to endear him to his new peers, or his station commandant. In fact, there was a simmering resentment of Gallus by Commandant Plavix, for treating the noble profession of the Adeptus Arbites as a simple training ground for some private flunkie (as he put it). Plavix was glad for the opportunity to get rid of Gallus when the special assignment came up. He was asked to chip in one man for a 'volunteers only, extremely dangerous' mission that might take a few years. Without hesitation, Gallus' name was submitted, and the wheels of bureaucracy were set in motion.
Gallus was not consulted.
Defunct:
Spoiler
Gallus walked toward the inferno, squinting against the heat. Despite the forty yards between the Enforcer and the burning courthouse, the flames were hot enough to be painful. The six other enforcers flanking him similarly turned away or shielded their faces. Gallus stood, surveying the empty street in the twilight. The rioting had started earlier in the day, and been raging since. He wasn't sure what had sparked it - if anyone knew, they weren't telling him - but it had apparently tapered off in the waning hours of the day, leaving him utterly exhausted. The Adeptus Arbites outpost had done well enough in keeping its immediate area clear - the judges were better equipped and much better disciplined than the scum he worked with in the Enforcers - but the rest of the city had been left to whatever looting and burning he and his precinct couldn't prevent. However, it was apparent that something had changed: the courthouse was only a block from the Arbites HQ, and now it was rapidly progressing toward cinders and not one judge was to be seen.
Gallus turned his face away and progressed up the road at a somewhat oblique angle, to avoid the worst of the heat, trying to make his way past the courthouse to find out what was happening. What he found was unnerving: several more important building ablaze, and, again, deserted streets. The blaze eliminated all but the darkest shadows in the causeway, and these appeared to dance in rhythm.
With a sense of mounting dread, Gallus keyed the comm unit on the shoulder of his flak jacket. He began informing his dispatcher of the situation, but the unit blatted static back at him, leaving him wondering whether his words had reached anyone.
Over the roaring flames, he began to perceive gunshots in the air, originating up ahead near the Arbites precinct. He broke into a run - well, a spirited jog - ok, maybe a limping shuffle, he was tired, damnit! - toward the precinct walls, but as he approached, the gunfire tapered and died.
Gallus' heart thudded in his chest, from exertion and not terror, certainly, as he pressed himself to the wall outside the open gates. He steeled himself, and swung around the corner, shotgun aimed and ready. Entering the compound was like walking into a warp-blighted slaughterhouse. His shotgun muzzle began to droop as he surveyed... all of the... blood. There were pieces and bits of Abritrators strewn about the courtyard, and every surface was awash in gore. The ones who had helped with the ... redecoration ... appeared to have been blasted apart by some explosion, but other around the edges appeared to have been shot, stabbed, eviscerated... Gallus heard retching noises behind him, and spun to see Dret on his knees, vomiting out his breakfast... tinged with a little bit of blood? Well, things had gotten pretty rough earlier, and some of his nastier bumps were starting to really throb, he thought.
He helped Dret back to his feet and moved on, swallowing his own soured spit and walking toward the door to the barracks and offices. It must have been a standard design, he thought, reflecting that the Adeptus Arbites structure looked exactly like his own Enforcer's station compound. Inside, the similarities continued, with the exception of the dead Arbitrators strewn about.
Gallus stopped cold with realization - there were dead friendlies, but no dead enemies. What the **** was going on?
He gripped his shotgun tighter, with his breath coming in quick gasps, and headed for the commandant's office. As he passed the demolished security door leading down to the jail and evidence rooms, he caught a flash of noise or movement or... something which caused him to investigate. He broke the mounting silence with a whisper of, "Careful. Cover me, " to his squadmates, and headed off again.
A shadowed man stood before him, appearing as if from nothing. Gallus recoiled in shock, his instinctive shotgun blast going into the ceiling, and then he was overcome with emotion. Dread. Hopelessness. Self-Loathing. All of these warred for primacy within him. One by one, he and his squad dropped to their knees before the dark man. With the overwhelming desire to end it all, Gallus began fumbling to turn his own shotgun on himself. He struggled with the real need to do it, to die now, to end permanently. Gunshots reported around him, followed by thuds, but still he did not pull the trigger. The man smiled, his mouth seeming to emit light between his blackened teeth, and tore the shotgun out of Gallus' grasp.
"Ah, you need assistance. How refreshing," he said, in a grating voice, reaching forward to wrap his fingers around Gallus' neck. "A rare pleasure."
As Gallus' air was choked off, he began to mentally thrash, even though his limbs would not respond. Something his eldest brother, Gaius, had said came back to him. At the time, it had seemed like brave nonsense, but now it was a rallying cry: "Die if you must, but not with your spirit broken."
Gallus gritted his teeth, and forced his limbs to respond, reaching to the small of his back. He whipped out the small autopistol that that same brother had given him as a souvenir of his travels. Pressing it to the sternum of the dark man, whose eyes opened wide in shock.
Gallus' grunted, "NO!" was lost in the rapid-fire blat of the pistol.
The piece of junk jammed after 5 or 6 shots were expended, but it was more than enough. The darkness left the strange man, leaving a grimy, wasted corpse in its place. Gallus collapsed to the floor, his chest heaving, as boots rang down the corridor. He turned to face the business end of several mean-looking carbines held by armored but decidedly normal-looking men, and collapsed back to the floor, exhausted, with his hands outstretched and open.
The soldiers stormed up and covered him, while the leader checked the vitals of the psyker. He touched his helmet and spoke, "Milady, the subject is terminated ... No, milady ... It looks like a local Enforcer ... yes, milady, I'm pretty sure ... yes milady."
The man stood, removed his helmet, and offered his hand to Gallus. When he gripped it, the soldier said, "On your feet. The boss wants to meet you."
Last edited by LTSearchEngine : 10-17-2012 at 10:35 AM.
Wounds: 13
Fate: 2/2
Movement: 3/6/9/18
Divination: There Is No Substitute For Zeal (+2 to T and WP)
Current Rank: Technographer (1)
Thrones: 158
Homeworld: Acreage (Feudal World)
Build: Fit (1.75m/70kg)
Age: 45
Skin: Ruddy
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Quirk: Pierced Ears (nestled among all the tubes and circuits...)
Right-Handed
Traits: Blessed Ignorance (-5 to Forbidden Lore tests), Hagiography (Common Lore (Imperial Creed), (Imperium), and (War) count as basic skills), Liturgical Familiarity (Literacy and Speak Language (High Gothic) count as basic skills), Superior Origins (WP goes up by 3), Mechanicus Implants
Gear: Metal staff, las pistol with 1 pack, las carbine with 1 pack, knife, flak vest, glow lamp, data-slate, robes and vestments, 2 spare parts, vial of Sacred Machine Oil
Updated Background
Spoiler
Most feudal worlds typically have little call for a standing population of the Cult Mechanicus, other than perhaps a few rusting and forgotten individuals in the larger population centers. Gareth was born among the oft-neglected caste dedicated to the maintenance of Emperor's Island, one of Acreage's few spaceports. The virtues of hard work and obedience were drilled into him early on. His was not to question why; his was but to ensure the third-level power coils stayed dry and operational (a task to which he set about with both will and enthusiasm).
So the years passed. Gareth whiled away the few hours not spent in essential and holy toil in contemplation among the heating ducts, or more infrequently in conversation with offworld mercenaries and tradesmen, although never for very long. Gareth considered himself a human cog in the machine that was the spaceport; not particularly important, but useful and able to help it keep moving smoothly. The Machine God had placed him here for a purpose, and that was all there was to it. He enjoyed the company of the less enlightened, but ultimately they were of little use in performing his appointed duty.
It was during one such rare excursion that he encountered a merchant purporting to be in possession of weapons designed by long-dead artificers, the trick of their making lost forever in the troubled millennia following the Dark Age of Technology. He proudly displayed them to a fascinated Gareth; unfortunately for the merchant, the man he had purchased them from had not been entirely honest. Gareth's studies and conversations with hard-bitten travelers had shown him how to identify the perfidious weapons of the enemy. Recognizing the artifacts as battle-damaged Eldar sidearms, the horrified tech-priest reported the merchant to the skeletal Arbites garrison deployed to police Emperor's Island. The swift and brutal justice that followed served as an object lesson to any who would flout the Emperor's holy laws...and brought Gareth to the attention of ranking off-world Arbites. Yes, he had done no more than his duty - but loyalty combined with knowledge could be a very useful tool indeed.
His recent involvement with the task force on Lo , while unlikely, has done little to shake the man's worldview. Obviously, it is time for this particular cog to join a new machine - for whatever purpose it deems necessary.
Great! If it's okay with you guys, we'll wait until the Inquisition team has also assembled in their own thread - I figure it makes sense to start both IC threads at roughly the same time, since we're going to have to keep their internal passage of time at roughly the same rate.
I'm glad to see so much eagerness from both parties, but I'm afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news. Before the forum outage, dhenn and I were waiting for both teams to assemble before kicking off either of the in-character threads. Unfortunately, I have not heard back from dhenn since then. I note he hasn't been online here in over a week, and I haven't noticed him on Gchat or accessing the Google Docs we've been using to collaborate about the plot and setting information. I don't want to be the one to give up hope, or to overrule his position as a GM, but I think that as the other GM I have to say that it's looking increasingly unlikely that the game will start as planned.
I'm not quite sure what I ought to do next. Ideally, I would be happy to try to kick off the Inquisitorial team's thread myself and hope that dhenn returns, but I'm afraid that I just don't have the time to (effectively) GM two new games right now. The way I see it, there are two options: try to recruit a second GM to replace dhenn, or simply ditch the Inquisitorial team and run the game only for the Arbites team.
Neither of these possibilities make me all that happy. As I mentioned, I am loath to launch a coup, as it were, to oust dhenn and bring in another GM; after all, this was his idea in the first place, and since rather a large proportion of the plot and background ideas were his, I'm not sure somebody else could pick them up comfortably. Similarly, ditching half of you seems pretty unfair - although the team allocations were made as impartially as possible, it seems a little callous to drop the Inquisitorial half after the fact, when the team lists had already been drawn up.
That's where we stand. I'd appreciate your input, and I'll try to reach a decision swiftly as to what to do. In the event that this entire grand ambition of a two-party game has to be ditched, let me say that I am still eager to run a Dark Heresy game in the future, and am open to porting over the characters you guys generated for this game - possibly with some sort of completely random method of whittling down the numbers if everybody leaps at the call.
I'm cross-posting this to the other OOC thread as well. For the sake of keeping things concise, I'd appreciate if everybody replied in the Arbites OOC thread.
My suggestion (somewhat self-serving) would be to kick off the arbites campaign and to keep the inquisitorial campaign in a holding pattern. I would imagine that both teams could come back to synchronization after dhenn returns or another DM is found.
I guess I just don't see the advantage in scrapping both sides of the campaign because one side can't kick off (yet), unless somehow the inquisitorial team and arbites team will be codependent.
I wouldn't necessarily panic yet - the forums were off for a long time, and then they came back and then went down again. Its possible that dhenn will check in sometime soon, since the forums haven't really been reliably up for a day yet.
An option which requires a heftier initial input from you, thrag, would be to run both campaigns during kickoff, until dhenn gets back or another DM is found. I don't know whether you could handle that in the short term, though we know you can't take it on for the long term.
My suggestion (somewhat self-serving) would be to kick off the arbites campaign and to keep the inquisitorial campaign in a holding pattern. I would imagine that both teams could come back to synchronization after dhenn returns or another DM is found.
I guess I just don't see the advantage in scrapping both sides of the campaign because one side can't kick off (yet), unless somehow the inquisitorial team and arbites team will be codependent.
I wouldn't necessarily panic yet - the forums were off for a long time, and then they came back and then went down again. Its possible that dhenn will check in sometime soon, since the forums haven't really been reliably up for a day yet.
An option which requires a heftier initial input from you, thrag, would be to run both campaigns during kickoff, until dhenn gets back or another DM is found. I don't know whether you could handle that in the short term, though we know you can't take it on for the long term.
A very reasonable suggestion. I'd be happy to kick off the Arbites side of things, and wait and see when dhenn gets back to us; however, I'm concerned I wouldn't even be able to begin to run both teams at once. Nonetheless, I'm open to trying it.
Oh goodness, I've finally found these threads again! Teaches me to bookmark things. In any case, I'm very sorry that we're losing ground. I'm always interested in continuing, whatever the situation. The suggestion of running the
Arbites team while waiting for Dhenn is not a poor one, however, and kicking off the Inquisition side of things would be welcomed as well.
I'm happy enough for you guys to go on without us. I would however appreciate a PM when the inquisition squad gets going, to save me pining over the thread.
Respectfully, I disagree. Based on experience, if a group, an individual, a game, or whatsoever endeavour loses its steam and its momentum... it becomes difficult to get it going again. Therefore, I volunteer to be "Regent/Steward GM" until Dhenn returns. And yes, indeed, for the greater good, if we're lagging, well, go on without us, we'll catch up. Eheheh, call it some turbulence in the Warp, eh?
PMs will be sent to Donan, Kiranvonstrom, LeSwordfish... and Urist, since they were the ones out of our group, excluding yours truly, who seem to have survived the recent renovation of our beloved GITPForums. If I have a majority or a consensus of affirmative confirmations, then we shall go ahead with DH: The Ceremony of Innocence: Inquisition [IC].
And chief Thragka, as well--- Sir, it will be appreciated if you forward to me whatever you and chief Dhenn had already worked on. Out of respect to your efforts as well as Dhenn's original concept/s, of course.
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I would have no problem at all, either with waiting for the game to start or with starting it now, Thragka. Forum absences do happen and the extended period that the server was down might have played a role at this, but I'll be fine with any way you finally decide to handle the situation.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daisuke1133
Calimos, I wish I had even half your talent for verbosity.
Based on experience, if a group, an individual, a game, or whatsoever endeavour loses its steam and its momentum... it becomes difficult to get it going again.
I must admit that this is my chief worry; however, I'm not entirely willing to give up on dhenn yet. I would prefer to try to hold off appointing a second GM, both so that we're not cutting dhenn out of the game over a temporary lack of online-time, and also so that you get to enjoy it in the manner you expected as a player, rather than a co-GM.
I will kick off the Arbites side of things later today, since everybody seems pretty happy with that. I will also endeavour to start the Inquisitorial thread, but if we can't get in touch with dhenn by, say, Sunday, I would be willing to hand the reins over to Nexus, as long as the rest of the Inq. team finds that acceptable.
I must admit that this is my chief worry; however, I'm not entirely willing to give up on dhenn yet. I would prefer to try to hold off appointing a second GM, both so that we're not cutting dhenn out of the game over a temporary lack of online-time, and also so that you get to enjoy it in the manner you expected as a player, rather than a co-GM.
I will kick off the Arbites side of things later today, since everybody seems pretty happy with that. I will also endeavour to start the Inquisitorial thread, but if we can't get in touch with dhenn by, say, Sunday, I would be willing to hand the reins over to Nexus, as long as the rest of the Inq. team finds that acceptable.
Precisely why in the previous post I said "respectfully" and "Regent/Steward" instead of "Substitute". That is also why I had asked for the plans that had already been worked on--- so that in case chief Dhenn returns, well, I could simply turn the reins back over to her.
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IC thread is up; I'll put up an Inquisitorial thread as well.
Nexus, since dhenn did share with me his draft for a first post on the Inquisitorial side of things, I'll give it another few days - I can handle running both of the introductions where everybody gets to know each other and their orders, but as I said if I don't hear back from dhenn by the end of the week I'll share everything with you then. Does that sound okay?
Acknowledged, well-understood, chief. As I said, stewardship, not a coup d'etat. Unless circumstances force one's hand. Which, we hope, don't. Of course. For the record, your honour, neither malice nor inappropriate ambitions intended.
Thanks for lookin' out, man. Hope y'all have a good run of it.
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Q: What's the best way to start a Dark Heresy game?
A: WP test to avoid gaining an Insanity Point, of course! The pictures of Vulpis Ward are pretty grim, and that wall of text from me certainly doesn't help.
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