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[DH PBP] Welcome to Sibellus!

IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
edited March 2012 in Critical Failures
UQgP7.jpg
Hive Sibellus from Scintilla orbit

Scintilla's most important features are its two hives: immense, multi-levelled cities that house billions of citizens. Both hives on Scintilla are largely independent, ruled by councils drawn from the nobles of the spire. The majority of the inhabitants are middle hivers, the labouring classes, without whom the planet's manufactories and trade houses would cease to function. Almost all middle hivers are owned or indentured to nobles from the great sector-wide families or from Scintilla's own lesser houses. The poorest and most neglected areas are the underhives: polluted, crime-ridden places where life is cheap and brutal gangs struggle for supremacy before violent death inevitably claims them. As long as the violence does not spill into the middle hives, the authorities are happy to let the gangs murder each other in the cesspits of the underhive. Scintilla's two great hives have always compared with one another for prestige and influence, but no rational observer could fail to acknowledge Hive Sibellus's dominance. Geographically the larger of the two hives, it is often referred to as "the Capital" or the "ruling hive", and is both the seat of political and administrative power, and the centre of the planet's manufacturing might. Hive Tarsus functions as a dark, shadowy twin, popularly referred to, by Sibellians, as the “Other Place". Hive Tarsus is a mercantile hive and controls all off world trade and commerce. Neither hive could function without the other, a fact celebrated in Scintillan proverbs and myths. However, neither great hive would openly admit to the importance of the "offspring" communities, Ambulon and Gunmetal City, both of which wield considerable influences of their own.

Sibellus:
Population: Estimated 16,500,000,000
Area: 15,928 sq. miles
Principle Exports: Manufactured goods, ship-drive components and weaponry. It is also an important source of manpower with a huge underhive population which makes for an excellent Imperial Guard recruit source.
----

After being singled out and inducted into the service of the Inquisition, things have not gone as you have imagined them. Removed from your past life, you have been tested and measured, questioned and interrogated. But aside from a few lectures given in darkened chambers that left you sick to your stomach and a seemingly endless stream of codes and ciphers given to you to memorize and destroy, you have been left largely to your own devices. Lodging under a false name in an anonymous habblock in upper Hive Sibellus with many of the Administratum workers, you have been left waiting for weeks from a call from your masters for an assignment, or at least a verdict on your service.

The habitation is a step down for some of you, with a scant two rooms, spartan furnishing, and a few basic amenities. For some others, it may as well be a piece of Holy Terra, with clean running water, free electricity, three square, and privacy.

But, at last, the call has come. A blank eyed courier delivers to you a note featuring the cipher of the Holy Ordos. The message was simple and perfunctory, containing a time, a date, and a location. The instruction to come prepared and expect company is signed off with a simple epithet - The Emperor Protects.

The location is one of many similar buildings clumped together in the Administratum district of the hive, and it's through the bustling masses that you make your way to it, the only entrance unguarded. Inside is a simple waiting room, sterile and largely featureless, save for a single man, clearly modified, seated at a desk by a large, sealed door. He works quietly with an autoquill, ignoring you for the moment.

OBLz1.png

Please head each post with the name of your character in bold. OOC notes, such as wanting to roll certain skills, drop in italics. Please link to your sheets on your first posts, also.

Icerimp on
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Posts

  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    The weeks waiting for the call had passed almost without notice, lost in the streams of data and research results such as Xanthis was. There were always new discoveries being made, and while the Imperium never sleeps lamentably Xanthis had not yet reached sufficiently high levels of devotion to be able to say the same of himself. The day would come, and in the meantime the potential promise of further discoveries offered by his new benefactor would keep him content.

    The arrival of the courier had almost gone unnoticed. A chance break for sustenance and the couriers insistence had been the only things that prevented Xanthis continuing to pore over the reports. While the temptation to go back to the reports had been great, the need for preparedness and the importance of punctuality had won out in the end. Gathering his tools and equipment into the myriad pockets and pouches afforded by the Mechanicus robes and his pack.

    Arriving with a couple of minutes to spare, Xanthis waits in silence. He is still early, and what will happen will happen when the appointed time arrives and the sender of the message is ready.

    Char Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvKm1TV9y-ikdHBZY1FreDI1ZUF3cXdJdHBzY1hvUFE
    Leaving the Metal Staff at home, because with a WS of 16 I'm not going to hit a damned thing with it. And it's heavy.

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    Tyrus laid all of his gear out on his bed before taking final inventory and packing everything up. He slung his shotgun over his shoulder and left the room that had been his home for the last few weeks. Most likely he would never be able to claim another lodging as nice as the one he had just left. And he knew it. But still he had never felt quite right there. There was too much room, too many luxuries making him weaker by the day.

    Not to mention that it had been weeks since he had done any real work. He was beginning to go crazy noticing the little things that never seemed to bother him at home, likely because he had always been preoccupied with real crime. Now his mind registered every misdemeanor punishable in the codex. Citizen jaywalking; Citizen unable to furnish proper ID; Construction work not up to Hive Code; Minor domestic altercation disturbing neighbors; Loitering...Holy Terra, the loiterers were unbearable. But he was under strict orders to not act as an Arbitrator while waiting on the call. This was a stupid policy. The area immediately surrounding his apartment could have easily benefited from someone actually enforcing some laws. Maybe the Inquisition did not want the headache of handling the paperwork involved when a loiterer is split in half by an Arbitrators scatter gun. Understandable.

    Lost in a daydream about clubbing a nearby youth that was listening to music at excessive volume across the jaw with his riot baton, Tyrus nearly missed the destination. He walked in and surveyed the surroundings. Realizing he was not the first to arrive irked him some, but he swallowed the self-loathing and grunted an introduction. "Tyrus, trooper of the Adeptus Arbites." Out of habit he showed his ID badge to the tech-priest that was waiting silently. "What do you make of that guy?" Tyrus jerks his thumb at the desk, who has ignored their presence.

    Character Sheet: Here

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    Xanthis inclines his head to regard the new arrival. Offering a slight bow, he states dryly "Xanthis, Adeptus Mechanicus liason. It is not yet time for events to proceed, so he continues his work. When it is time he will notify us."

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Ezekiel Tyber:

    Ezekiel arrives early, gauged carefully by his wrist chronometer, so as to give himself what he judges to be adequate time to observe the location and early comers from a distance. He hated nearly everything about this planet, its hives, its crowds, its corruption.

    Yet here he had found purpose; purging the underhives with word and the cleansing flame. The past few weeks, while devoid of word from the Ecclesiastical hierarchy, had been rife with work in name of the Emperor.

    Foot crosses threshold precisely on time, so as not to appear either eager or disinterested.

    Char Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Agik1LLCQjH5dExOUXg0NVBxY3pDQWNmTnRxeWhyTUE#gid=0
    Ezekiel is packed and ready to a full. He is Tall and Large, with fine set of Ecclesiastical Robes under a white breastplate emblazoned with the unmistakable black Symbol of the Adeptus Ministorum. (See http://studiozion.com/images/sketchbook/anastasia_progress_0004_exsmall.jpg, except make it a Large, well-built male and change to the breastplate). He is not trying to hide while observing the meeting location, merely allowing the mass crowds to hide him. Though depending, he could stick out.

    Snowdown on
  • ExtreaminatusExtreaminatus Go forth and amplify, the Noise Marines are here!Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Errol Cain

    Errol had not known what to make of the last few weeks. The mid-hive accommodations were far more luxurious than he was accustomed to. He had a real bed for the first time he could remember, and space. The space was terrifying to him, life aboard one of the space-faring vessels of the Imperium left little room for luxuries like personal space and the cell he was assigned during his sanctioning even less. As such, he kept his personal belongings in a tight area in a corner of the room, rarely leaving the comforts of his self-assigned boundaries.

    Weeks of testing, lectures and interrogations passed by slowly, as he relished the new experience. He could tell he was being selected for something important, and he threw himself into memorizing the materials he was given. When not memorizing or being lectured, he passed the time by timidly tracing the edges of his room, reaching out to touch the various objects and surfaces available to him. Each felt different, not only to his mundane senses, but also to his psychic ones. The metal of walls, for instance, were cold on his fingers but to his mind, he got a sense of stubbornness and resolve that he drank in like fine wine. When the call finally came and the letter the courier delivered was in his hands, he could feel a weight to it beyond the physical, like a change in pressure when walking through a poorly maintained section of a ship. He read the letter, gathered his meager belongings and set out to the destination set forth in the letter.

    As he arrived at the address detailed in his letter, Errol saw a large armored man enter. He double-checked the address to make sure he was at the right building and summoned his courage. He had never been a people person, a psyker is never expected to be, and he had hoped to arrive first. He took another deep breath and entered.

    He was surprised to see so many already inside. He took stock of the four men inside, instantly wary of the man with the Ecclisarchial symbol on his armor (as he could never tell if one wearing such a symbol would condemn him on sight or not). He touched the wall behind him, assuring himself that he would not be lost in the space they occupied and introduced himself as confidently as he could.

    "H-hello. I'm Errol. Er-E-Errol C-Cain. Did y-you receive a le-letter as well?"


    Character Sheet:Here

    Errol is a tall, gangly man in his 30's with flowing black hair and violet eyes. He is wearing tattered robes over a dingy quilted vest. It appears that these are the only clothes he's ever worn. He has a brand the right side of his neck, marking him as a sanctioned psyker. His laspistol is holstered just under his outer robe in a shoulder holster, his sword sheathed at his hip and his mercy knife is sheathed openly across his chest. He clings white-knuckled to his staff as his eyes jump from person to person.

    Extreaminatus on
  • NealnealNealneal Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Archibald Finial

    Coming from a small agri-planet college to the capitol had shaken Archibald's faith in himself. At school, he was a bright star mixed in with a dim collection of nitwits and pretenders. Here though, everyone seemed to be so smart and so cosmopolitan. Of course, with a population 30 times larger than his own home, that was probably to be expected.

    He'd learned so much about the Imperium and its component parts in the last few weeks that he thought his head would explode. He sits staring at the grey walls, like a prison cell in the big starport back home, and he thinks back to how things lead him here. He never suspected his obsession with the biology of the xenos would attract attention. Afterall, hadn't he been encouraged to perform the dissections on those eldar raiders by his professor? The authorities had busted in while he was in the middle of figuring out some very interesting things about the physiology of the pirate. Now he sits in a Hive city apartment waiting for a call from the Inquisition.

    Once word arrives that he is to meet his contact, Archibald begins to prepare himself by packing all of his important equipment into his backpack. He puts on his father's old PDF flak coat and checks his father's old stub revolver to make sure it's loaded.

    The city is so huge and the people are so unfriendly. I takes him much longer than he'd anticipated to navigate the crowds and byways to his destination. When he arrives, he scans the room and sees the others already waiting.

    "My apologies for my tardiness gentles. If I were to be honest, I'd have to say that I am a little overwhelmed at the sheer scale of this manificent city. How much time do you think went into adding the gargoyle details to every street sign?"

    "I'm Archibald Finial, and I hope I'm in the right place."

    Character Sheet

    Archiald Finial is a fit, if thin young man. Fairly bursting with excitement, fear, and wonder in equal parts. He is wearing basic Administratum robes under an old battered PDF flak coat. He has an aquila tattoo on the back of his right hand. You can tell by the way he sits that he's carrying a pistol underneath the jacket.

    Nealneal on
  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Ezekiel Tyber
    As the digits of his chrono strike the predetermined meeting time Ezekiel enters confidently; one perfectly shined boot clicking loudly on the tiled floor.

    He gives a cursory glance and nod to the two men who arrived before him, already having taken in their details as he observed them enter from a distance. Of particular interest is their obvious charge, deep in thought at his writing desk, autoquill flying furiously. Ezekiel surreptitiously attempts to follow the quill, his copyist instincts attempting to decipher the work it set to as he absently introduces himself, "Ezekiel Tyber, son to Cardinal Gabriel Tyber".

    His lineage would obviously be lost on these two, and with the large symbol emblazoned on his breastplate, there was little need to state his affiliation.

    As the final two of their number enter he observes them carefully, taking in every detail of their make and stature. The psyker is eyed with extra caution, though carefully, to keep any sort of disdain from the examination. He will likely have to work with this one, and there is no reason in beginning things in bad blood.

    However, sanctioned or not, all who touch the warp on a regular basis are loaded Mercy Killers, waiting to explode on their owner. Tthis one's stutter suggests his mind is already corrupted by the taint that thrives within the Aether.

    Trying to use my trade as a copyist to get an idea of what the (tech priest?) is working on. Trying to follow his quill to make out the words Roll: 87, not a chance http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3438038/

    Snowdown on
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    The heavy doors leading to outside do a fine job of muffling the throngs of passing people, and the sterile waiting room is mostly silent save for the quiet snippets of conversation between the acolytes, the soft breathing of the worker, and the always active air circulators.

    A scant few seconds after the last of the five enters, the man looks up from the desk, his eye lens stretching and twisting more to keep it focused down on the work. He doesn't cease writing as he gives each a careful look over, and not a word is said as he finally looks back down to his task. With a loud thud, the heavy door next to him slides open, revealing the entrance to an elevator equipped with an inbuilt servitor which waits quietly, regarding you all expectantly.

  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    After their brief introductions, Tyrus files away his mental notes:
    1) The tech-priest seems harmless enough, a little unsettling maybe.
    2&3) The cleric and the psyker are eyeing each other. Could get ugly, need to keep abreast of the tensions there.
    4) The last one is a rube. Just don't get anyone killed.

    Seeing the elevator open, and realizing that the man at the desk had no intention of explaining himself, Tyrus started, "Better get a move on. Whatever they called us for, its obviously not in this waiting room." As the arbitrator walked to the elevator he was careful not to look over at the man at the desk, showing the same amount of cordiality that the man had shown the Inquisitors.

    Forgot the description in my first post. Tyrus is a little on the short side, but thickly built. He has a large stylized aquila tattoo under on the left side of his face, the wings curving around his left eye and nearly to the bridge of his nose. His hair is permanently dyed bright red, cropped short and brushed forward. The tattoo was originally a gang affiliation that Tyrus had altered when he was accepted into the Adeptus Arbites. The hair and tattoo were necessary where he grew up, they signified that his family was under the protection of a particular hive gang, and afforded some measure of insurance against random violence. While his appearance is considered fairly tame in the volg hive, and the lower tiers of most hive cities, Tyrus is acutely aware of the looks he gets in higher social orders. He just doesn't care. He wears dark blue riot gear, which offers little more than reinforced padding for his arms and legs. He also wears mesh vest over the riot gear, and a plain black waist-length jacket. His riot baton is hooked onto the side of his belt, and his shotgun is over his back with a thick strap.

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    Xanthis could barely contain his excitement. A real life psyker. This would be an amazing opportunity to witness a psyker at work. Although the presence of the ministorum operative may put a dampener on things. But if things get out of hand, and one does hear stories about psykers, having someone on hand who wouldn't hesitate to deal with the problem would be a boon. Archibald looks a little out of place though.

    With Tyrus' words, Xanthis gives a nod. No nonsense, seems reliable. Certainly well equipped. Without a word he joins the Arbitrator in the elevator.

    Neglected a description. Xanthis is 2.1m tall, although doesn't stand quite that high as he is commonly stooped due to the mechanicus implants and habitual adjustment to smaller spaces. He is also rake thin, but again the mechanicus implants bulk him out. He's wearing a flak vest and helmet under his oil-stained and pocket festooned red robes. A Las-carbine is slung over his right shoulder. His eyes are still natural, and a vivid green which contrasts starkly with the sickly, pallid skin you can make out under the robes.

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • ExtreaminatusExtreaminatus Go forth and amplify, the Noise Marines are here!Registered User regular
    Errol

    Errol jumps as the fifth enters the room, not expecting another to arrive.

    "My apologies for my tardiness gentles. If I were to be honest, I'd have to say that I am a little overwhelmed at the sheer scale of this manificent city. How much time do you think went into adding the gargoyle details to every street sign?"

    "I'm Archibald Finial, and I hope I'm in the right place."

    Errol, still with a hand to the wall, "Hello. I'm Errol Cain. I t-think we are ind-deed in the right p-place."

    He was kicking himself for stuttering. The sheer number of people outside was pressing in on his mind and speaking was difficult. Knowing that there so many souls were out there, even if he could not tell exactly how many or where they were or what they were thinking, threatened to overwhelm him. He was used to his Rogue Trader's ship, and while that was packed with people on a regular basis, he was able to concentrate on the void outside the ship to calm him while not in the empyrean. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking about the black void that this planet floated through. Calm again, he opened his eyes.

    The bright-haired man with the eagle tattoo and shotgun started to the elevator, "Better get a move on. Whatever they called us for, its obviously not in this waiting room."

    Errol silently agreed, anxious to see what waited for them. He followed the tattooed man and Tech-Priest to the elevator, keeping a repectful distance from him and the others. He took a spot in the far corner of the elevator, trying to place the bright-haired man between him and the man bearing the symbol of the Ecclisiarchy.

    He looks at the tech-priest, "You know, magos, my sister is a priest of the Machine God as well. It will be an honor working with another of the Machine God's servants."

  • NealnealNealneal Registered User regular
    Archibald Finial

    "Thank you Messer Cain."

    When the attendant opens the elevator the imposing looking Arbitor barks "Better get a move on. Whatever they called us for, its obviously not in this waiting room."

    Archibald follows the group into the elevator, taking note of the aged details all around him. Taking a place near the Ecclesiarch, he settles in for the ride.

    "I am pleased that you seem to be with us Father. It makes me feel better knowing a true servant of the God-Emperor is along to protect our souls."

  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    Ezekiel Tyber

    Ezekiel uses the trek across the room to look down at the document that their "host" is working on. He steps into the Elevator last, to ensure that he is the first out at their destination.

    As the idle chatter continues in the elevator, he speaks up. "I still have a brother thanks to the machinations of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The awakening of his machine spirit guided him into the arms of Thule. He is more machine than man now, but he can still serve the Emperor."

    He nods in acknowledgement to Archibald, and raises his voice a little so that it can be heard clearly in the other corner of the elevator over the din of its machinery. "The emperor protects those who serve with true faith."

  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    The servitor, likewise more machine than man, watches the five closely, and once they're past the threshold of the doors, closes them swiftly with a chime of activation. "Down," it intones simply, mechanically, through a vox serving as its mouth, perhaps for their benefit, and the elevator lurches before plunging swiftly.

    The elevator has doors on all sides, and after descending for a distance difficult to determine, the elevator lurches to a stop, and one of those doors open, closest to the nervous Psyker.

    "We have arrived," intones the servitor, before it deactivates, slumping slightly and falling silent.

    bVFys.jpg

    The elevator exits into a wide grey corridor, though only the immediate area is visible, illuminated by pale lumen globes in the shape of cherubs holding torches. Every 20 feet or so, the corridor hosts matching doors on both sides, though all seem to be sealed. Basreliefs of skulls, draped urns, and other symbols of death decorate higher along the walls of the corridor, vanishing into the darkness further along.

    Icerimp on
  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    Dim lighting and narrow corridors are a familiar sight to Xanthis. Mechanicus temples aren't known for their spacious arrangements after all. Pausing only slightly to let his eyes adjust he begins to stride down the corridor, taking brief glances at the doorways he passes.

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    Without saying a word, Tyrus follows the tech-priest out of the elevator and down the hallway. He trusted the Inquisition enough, but his Arbites training wouldn't let him walk down a dimly lit hallway without keeping one hand on his riot baton...just in case.

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • NealnealNealneal Registered User regular
    Archibald

    Following the Tech priest and Arbitor out of the elevator, Archibald warily makes his way down the hallway.

  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    Ezekiel

    Once the jam of people in front of him in the elevator cleared out, Ezekiel followed coolly. His hand resting casually on the grip of his autopistol.

  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    More of the lumen globes light as the group draws near, keeping them in the pale illumination, though they likewise extinguish once left far enough behind. They've been walking for nearly five minutes walk down that seemingly endless corridor, somewhere in the bowels of the government district, before one of the doors abruptly unseals with a hiss of pressurized air and a loud grinding of heavy gears.

    The smell of disinfectant washes out over the group as the door is opened, the interior looking to be a cross between an operating room and laboratory. A tall, nearly chest height table is in the middle of the room covered with a mottled grey sheet, the shape underneath quite clearly human. Multiple servoskulls float above the table, equipped with a variety of brass instruments and needles, hovering expectantly. Machines of various sorts line the far wall, counter tops and storage cabinets lining the one to the right, while a large desk has been set up for work on the third to the left.

    Rising from a chair at said desk is a tall, gaunt man wearing white medicae robes and, rather garishly, a red leather coat thrown over his shoulders. He turns to the group, not hesitating to begin speaking.

    "Greeting Acolytes. I am Medicae-Interrogator Sand, and you are the new blood, hm? Worthy additions to our holy war? Well, we shall see. Far be it for me to doubt the judgement of my betters, eh? To the matter at hand, I represent the Holy Ordos of the Imperial Inquisition that we all serve. Our masters have called you here to assist us in the investigation of a matter of interest that has recently and unexpectedly come to light."

    The man pauses and moves towards the table. "Oh, yes, for your information, we are now in the depths of the Templum Mori, the house of the dead where the Lords Prefecta Mortem hold court and the fallen and the lost of the great city are named and counted. It will not surprise you then to know you are here to view a corpse. I doubt it will be your first, but it is, shall we say, quite singular!"

    Reaching to that mottled sheet, he draws it down the body, gathering the cloth at its feet, revealing a dissected and eviscerated body of an adult human male. He waves everyone in closer to gather around.

    "Now, if you will kindly attend and pay heed, I will take questions afterward. The body has been positively identified as that of one Saul Arbest, male, 23 years of age, hiver worker, unskilled laborer certified. Formerly of the Tantalus Indenture. Registered habitation is chamber 6/23 stack 717# Coscarla Divison, southern zone, Hive Sibelius."

    "The subject was found dead on the midhive transit rail three days ago as the car returned to the main depot. Preliminary examination at the scene suggested death by drug overdose. Post mortem performed by the biologis forensic, however, revealed certain anomalies that necessitated our involvement."

    "The cause of death was in fact total systemic failure brought on by tissue rejection of an implanted synthetic graft organ. Said organ destroyed his central nervous system while attempting to overcome the immune response. Basically, this..."


    One of the servo skulls flit away and floats back holding a sample jar, containing a ten cm long whitish cord of waving, glassy tendrils, still in motion.

    "...crushed the life out of him inside. What's it for? We don't know, but my opinion would be, in a word, 'control'. Neural and synaptic override, perhaps worse."

    Icerimp on
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    The servo skulls begin to gather more jars, containing removed organs and other samples taken from the body, displaying them in the air above the corpse for inspection. Sand's eyes drift over them as he continues.

    "There were other grafts and surgery of a less singular kind also; one lung replaced by a concealed storage cavity, possibly for his use as a courier. Also, one optic nerve removed. Skin was flayed from his stomach, though I have no idea why. His system's awash with alchemic traces, clotting agents, panimmune and the like."

    "The surgery was expert, but by the lesions and tissue stresses, I doubt any care was given to whether or not it was painless. In fact, by the damage to his vocal cords, my guess was that he probably screamed as long as he was able to."


    Again, he looks to the whitish cord, and then to Xanthis and Tyrus, seeming to address them specifically. "But...this little monster is what concerns us. Oh, you don't need to know the genelore or the Omnissian edict, just that this is not only illegal, it is heresy. Merely tampering with this kind of dark tech is enough to warrant a death sentence from the Holy Ordos, the Arbites, or the Mechanicus. And I'm sure that you, as well as I, am wondering how such a rare and vile thing ended up wrapped around the spine of some anonymous habprole from the dusty end of the stacks."

    "The man has no prior criminal record, he was rendered invalud by indenture - laid off, if you will, some sixty days ago now, and was reported missing thirty two days ago by his sister, one Lily Arbest, resident of the same habstack. More than enough time to get himself into all sorts of trouble, I'm sure you'll agree. These grafts are no more than eight or ten days old at most. We have nothing else on him."


    The interrogator straightens, folding his hands behind his back as he wanders back towards the desk. "This is to be a shadow investigation. No open official involvement and no notification of the local authorities. And no one knows he's here either. Coscarla's down hive, so a covert approach will draw far less attention than a boot through the door, and be far less likely to kill any leads to our heretic."

    He drops back down into his chair, stretching out and turning around in it to regard the Acolytes intently. "Find out why and where if you can. Better yet, find out how. Best of all, find out who is responsible. Oh...and additional samples would be a blessing if you can procure them."

    He finally falls quiet, regarding the group expectantly.

    Icerimp on
  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    This new assignment was looking more and more interesting by the minute. Tech-heresy in the capital hive? The local temple would quite predictably take a dim view of this if they knew. Especially control implants. But it would appear that they can't know yet. Tech-heresy of this kind tends to warrant a rather unsubtle albeit thorough response.

    "Are there records of other events similar to the current occurring?"

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Sand

    Sand regards Xanthis, shaking his head slightly. "There are rather frequent disappearances and murders downhive. More so the further you descend. But something like this? No, there haven't been reports of anything of this nature."

    Icerimp on
  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    Being advised not to put a foot through anyone's door put a damper on Tyrus' normal investigative techniques, but he would have to adapt. He may not have understood all the medical and mechanical details of what he had just been told, but he understand "illegal" and "heresy" well enough.

    "Do we know which hab chamber Lily lives in? We should start with her."

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • NealnealNealneal Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Archibald

    Archibald could barely contain his excitement. this was a fantastic facility. He takes a couple moments to take in the sights, scents, and sounds of the room.

    Can I make a Perception Check to gather some info on the room?

    A little too excitedly, he asks, "Could that graft be of xenos origin or do you suspect that it was manufactured by someone here in the city?"

    Nealneal on
  • ExtreaminatusExtreaminatus Go forth and amplify, the Noise Marines are here!Registered User regular
    Errol

    Errol looks around the room, a bit unsettled by the strange whitish cord in the jar, moving on it's accord. The body did not bother him so much, several years spent aboard a rogue trader vessel assured that he had seen plenty of bodies before. However, he understood very little of what the man in front of him was saying, and he was more than a little intimidated by being told that there was to be an investigation into this matter. He wondered how he was going to be able to aid this investigation as a psyker, but he knew that his talents may come to use eventually.

    Can I make a Forbidden Lore (Warp) or Psyniscience check?

    He looked at the cord and cocked his head to the side, "Is- is it a-alive?"

  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    Ezekiel

    Ezekiel nodded as the Medicae-Interrogator spoke, listening intently.

    He walked close to the jar containing the whitish tendriled synthetic graft, examining it closely with whatever magnifying instruments seemed to be at his disposal, taking note of its construct and movement. He also inspected the body closely to see if the Medicae-Interrogators description of "crushing" the life out of the man was literal, or figurative.

    "Medicae-Interrogator Sand, where was the point of entry for the Synthetic Graft? Are there lesions from its implantation against the spine on the subject's back, or was entry through the front?
    If the grafts are no older than 8-10 days old, we can begin our assumption that if this is indeed a control device, control or death are achieved in 5-7 days based on when the corpse was found."

    He turns to Tyrus, "We'll have to be careful if we interview the subject's sister, as she does not know of his discovery and current predicament."

    Can I use my knowledge of nobility to remember anything about the hive worker's previous indention? Who/What are the Tantalus Indenture?

  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Sand

    Sand begins to answer each question in turn, seeming rather patient and non rushed.

    The interrogator shakes his head faintly to Tyrus. "No records on the specifics of Lily's residence, aside from being in the same stack."

    Next, to Archibald. "I can't say if it is, or derived from, xenotech or not, though if you turn up confirming evidence, it makes this matter much more serious, I think you would agree. Needless to say, find any contacts or just where they're getting the tech from if that is the case."

    The psyker's halting manner of speech and the question draws something resembling a smile to Sand's face. "It is biological, yes. Though obviously not a natural thing. Or, at least, naturally occurring in anything good and right."

    Ezekiel's question draws the doctor back to his feet, and he returns to Saul's cadaver. He picks up a nearby tool, gesturing to points on the remains. "Though he was a mess of surgical scars, I believe implantation was done through the back, about here..." He traces a line down Saul's chest, indicating the area on his back. Replacing the tool, he returns to the desk, opening one of the drawers and drawing out a data slate, presenting it to the cleric. "You suspect correctly, as for the periods of time involved. Here. I did some basic investigation into Coscarla and the Tantalus Combine. I haven't yet seen what the situation is on the ground, there, but this may help."

    Roll away, guys. If you want to try skill checks, just go ahead. I'll prompt you all otherwise if I need you to check for something. Just give me details on if you're looking for general info, or something more specific, when you roll it.

    Icerimp on
  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    Tyrus sizes up Sand as he answers the questions. He always got the impression that these Inquisition higher-ups knew more than they let on. It was usually that way, though. The marshals of the Arbites never told the troopers when a mission had a particularly high mortality estimate.

    Assessing Sand's and Ezekial's responses to his Lily inquiry, "It's fine, I'm sure I can talk to the low-hivers and find out where Lily lives. They generally recognize their own. And when we get to her, Ezekial, we'll find out exactly what she does know. If she knows that her brother was mixed up with people he shouldn't have been, we need to know who. To her, it'll look like an Arbitrator investigating some minor infraction. Assuming of course she isn't spooked by a cleric, a psyker and a tech-priest tagging along."

    Rolling a Scrutiny check to see if this Sand guy is holding back on us. Scrutiny(Per) = 81; Spectacular failure. Wow, once you enter in that roll, you see how tough skill checks are in this game.

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    Most intriguing. A biological entity of unknown origin. Obviously a skilled surgeon, and possibly genetor, involved here. If a genetor is involved, this heresy will need to be most thoroughly cleansed.

    Catching the tail end of Ezekial and Tyrus' conversation, Xanthis comments "An Arbitrator wishing to talk is likely to be sufficiently offputting that the additional presence of the remainder of us is unlikely to further damage her state of mind. You are presumably the expert on interrogation among us however, and as such I will defer to your expertise."

    While we're on the subject of rolling tests, let's see if it looks like Archaeotech. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3446416/ gives us a 24, which is under Xanthis' Int of 45.

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • NealnealNealneal Registered User regular
    Archibald

    Perception Check

  • ExtreaminatusExtreaminatus Go forth and amplify, the Noise Marines are here!Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Errol

    The psyker reaches out with his senses, directing them at the implant.
    Psyniscience Check (29), directed at the writhing implant, as well as, Forbidden Lore (Warp) (91...I guess he knows the warp is bad).

    As an aside, I'm going to be rolling for stuff as 2d10 rolls since I'll be needing to know when I roll a 9 for my powers. I'll always take the first number as the 10's and the second as the 1's. You know, unless someone else knows a better way for me to do this.

    Extreaminatus on
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    After looking over the sample, Xanthis is fairly certain it's not a relic or ancient tech. While he's not entirely familiar with med or biotech, it does look to be somewhat newly made.

    Archibald finds that the operating room/lab is set up in a way that suggests that it was hastily thrown together, as if this is just a temporary setting. There's even a few crates stacked in the corner, branded with unintelligible symbols. The Interrogator, meanwhile, catches his eye once again. His leather coat is clearly armored with hidden panels built into its design, and a bulge under his arm can only suggest he's carrying a gun of some sort. The coat is also stylized with a small raven and scroll. (Make a followup Common Lore (Imperium) check).

    Errol is unable to detect any psychic or warp emanations from the organ as its tendrils wave in the fluid its submerged in. If it does require the warp to fully function, it isn't currently doing so.

    That's fine, Extreaminatus. Seems like a good solution.

  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    The meaning of the symbol eludes Archibald, though.

  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    Ezekiel

    Ezekiel hmms audibly at the contents of the data slate.

    "It seems odd to me that the Tantalus Combine would lay off an indentured worker considering the state of their affairs and the fact that they've sold off thousands of contracts already. Even if he were a problem worker, they seem to have plenty of debts that need repayment."

    Ezekiel hands the data slate to the rest of the group for their perusal.

    Ezekiel fails hard at attempts to see if any scarring on the body is consistent with known torture/Interrogation techniques.

    91 Interrogation and 71 Perception.
    http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3447455/

  • ChrysisChrysis Registered User regular
    Xanthis

    Xanthis takes the data slate and quickly reads through it before passing it on to the next person.

    "The debts of the combine are irrelevant if this man were unable to contribute meaningfully to their repayment. If things are getting as bad as the report makes it appear then a disenfranchised populous and abandoned buildings will provide plenty of opportunities for heretics to conceal themselves. This will certainly require care when performing information gathering activities."

    Tri-Optimum reminds you that there are only one-hundred-sixty-three shopping days until Christmas. Just 1 extra work cycle twice a week will give you the spending money you need to make this holiday a very special one.
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Satisfied that the questions are finished for the moment, Sand moves over towards the various crates and boxes in the corner, opening one specifically. "I've gathered some equipment for you to bring that should help. You don't want to go in too flashy, as standing out too much would only hurt your investigation, considering the area you'll be working in."

    The box is loaded with a variety of objects, all of which the Interrogator explains if needed.

    5 Coscarla pass tokens - Coded objects roughly the size of a coin that will provide legal clearance for the Coscarla division and free passage on the midhive transit rail.

    5 Coblast Assay Cognomen - Encrypted metal punch cards that serve as identity markers, tailored specifically for the five. They also include an enforcer tag that allows arms to be carried for self defense. The markers signify that the group are "Bonded agents of the Coblast Assay", a Sibellan mercantile operation of somewhat dubious repute but not inconsiderable power, specializing in tech salvage and "manpower services".

    5 Hand Voxes - Cheap and battered personal communication devices running on a private, encrypted channel, with a range of a few km.

    5 Low Hiver Overcoats - Voluminous and tattered patchwork leather overcoats which are common lowhiver garb in Sibellus. They easily fit over anything one happens to be wearing. (Also provide 1 AP for arms/body/legs if there is nothing better)

    5 Chem Lamps - Luminate a 3 meter radius around or can be focused into a 6 meter beam.

    Coded Dataslate - A worn looking brass cased dataslate that carries the basic information covered in the briefing, maps and data about Coscarla, mostly empty files on the Arblasts (includes pictures of Saul and Lily, as well as Saul's address). It can also serve as a visual and audio recorder. Can only be accessed by a 5 key code. Failure to input the code will fully wipe the slate.

    Biosample Kit - A satchel carrying three small biostorage tubes and a small bioauspex. It is set for human tissue, and will indicate when it is close to anomalous tissue. The kit also contains a long bladed mono scalpel.

    Money pouch - Contains 120 thrones "for bribes and such".

    Icerimp on
  • SnowdownSnowdown Registered User regular
    Ezekiel

    Ezekiel throws on the overcoat, and pockets the dataslate. He pulls something small out of his ear, tunes his monobead to access the encrypted channel that the Voxes are tuned to, and communicates a test message; though he pockets the Vox as well. A punch card and pass token goes into the inner pocket of the overcoat with the rest of the small items as does the money pouch unless someone objects.

    "Do we have any more questions for the good Interrogator?"

  • Smoove OperatorSmoove Operator Registered User regular
    Tyrus

    Tyrus gathers his new gear, but leaves the long coat. His gang leathers and black jacket would be enough, he knew these places. It'll be just like home. Also, probably stick out less if everyone weren't all dressed exactly the same. "I assume from this Cognomen that you don't want me flashing my arbitrator ID, Sand? This is getting worse. No boots in doors, no arbitrator ID. You couldn't outfit us with extra lho-sticks, could you?"

    Honesty, Integrity, Handshakefulness
    _____________________________________________

    HoTS: Schmutz#1686
  • IcerimpIcerimp Registered User regular
    Sand

    "If you retrieve me a few good samples, Trooper Tyrus, I will perhaps gift you a few. In the meantime, I suppose the knowledge that you're serving the Emperor will need to be enough motivation," the Interrogator deadpans.

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