The Great Price (Game Thread)

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Mallia closed her eyes and thought about what she had seen. While it was true that the depravity of daemons was the stuff of nightmares, she knew that humanity was capable of a great many sins without need of a warp entity manifesting. There were no marks, no runes, no tell-tale signs of the daemonic servants of the Ruinous Powers - at least none that she could see.

"It's simply too early to tell. I have already made the mistake of speculating in error about the priest. As I told you, I have made efforts to read the psychic veil in this vicinity..."

Mallia stepped around towards the front of the chimera, her head tilted upwards as if seeking answers from the spaceport's steel sky.

"There is still too much interference. I cannot say definitively that this was the work of a rogue witch, or anything of the like. All we have to go by is what is on that recording. The nightmares the priest mentions - yes, there are psychic phenomena that could explain such things - but there is also the possibility that he is simply having a bout of normal nightmares. Given the political situation of the populace attacking shrines and templums, I would say he would be validated in having troubling dreams."

Mallia struck the pavement with the butt of her staff in mild frustration. She would not say it, but she was feeling stymied by the lack of clues she was gathering from the aether. Was there simply nothing there, or was she missing something?

"What direction does the monitor show Uriah fleeing? Does it match up with anything on the data slate? Is there a known templum within the spaceport region? It would be the sort of place that a priest would take sanctuary within."

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Should any in the group choose to study the video more carefully, particularly the last bit, it would soon become apparent that Praetus was far worse affected by the sight of the bodies, or whatever caused them, than the group. While he seemed to flee at a directly perpendicular path to the right, once out of the back of the Chimera, it would take a bit of searching to tell if he'd kept to that path.

Meanwhile, Mallia would finally pick up on something from the Warp... Another presence, very similar to some of the more powerful psyker presences she might have felt elsewhere.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Suddenly Mallia felt the shifting 'pressure' of the Empyrean ripple beyond the doorway of her mind, in that abyss where she dare not look.

"Only by its shadow will I see the trespasser..." Mallia murmured, taking two steps back from the chimera and the eviscerated bodies within. "Only by the guidance of the God Emperor will my senses be keen and my sword be true."

Clutching her brow and letting her river of hair cascade across her face, the psyker leaned forward upon her staff as a picture began to form across her consciousness, leading to the identity of the powerful psychic presence that was drawing near.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Multi-las, heavy stubber and a heavy flamer. A fairly potent combination of weapons, but nothing that used explosive munitions. That likely meant the Sororitas weren't gunned down by the acolytes they were escorting. I sighed. This was a good sign - whatever unholy powers were at work here, it seemed that at the very least they did not force the group to shoot at their allies. Just as I thought that, however, another thing occured to me. I walked back to the downed Sisters to check their weapons. Sisters of Battle were known to carry bolters, and I wanted to ensure they did not kill each other. Checking the ammo left in clips would tell me what I needed to know - after all, it's not like they had time to reload.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph frowned a little at the remarks, but simply shrugged. "Tactically, I would have thought the safety of the priest would be the upmost concern over all for the acrolytes. And nothing against my fellow sisters, but I do know that many of them would gladly make a Martyr of themselves for the noble cause of ensuring a mission was done to the letter..."

After a cursory examination of the vehicle, she sighed a little, a hand going to her forehead. "Then again, I guess there is some wisdom for bringing a Flamer into the fray, especially if they had expected just hiver gangs. Still..."

She shook her head a little, the orange fabrics that made up part of her heraldry blowing in the breeze. "I guess now would be a good time to contact high command though, report of our findings of the escort..."

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Take the vox, then." I've muttered, focused on my own task, half-registering what the Sister was saying. "While at it, can you help me check the ammo in their guns? I want to know if any shots were fired here." I've paused for a second, mulling over another bit I managed to catch. "Still, I suppose that turning around, then hitting reverse and retreating with your front towards the enemy might have been something they should have considered... Has advantages of both approaches." I set the vox I had been carrying aside for the Sororita to use, prefering to finish my own job.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph tentitively took her own bolter back to her back, and moved over to where Marcus was working. "True as well. I guess it all depends on how sudden whatever happened was... Here, I'll help you with that. Best we have as much information as we can before we report back, I guess," she mutters, quietly helping him with taking catalogs of the equipment as well. "If needbe, we can always scavenge the ammo as well. I know it's not protocol but at the very least we can keep the gangs from getting ahold of it and return it to the Ministorum."

 

[Caulder]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Drake's vox speaker seems to play out a sentence in binary cant, before he begins to attempt to retrieve additional footage from the machine, in the hopes of finding out what had actually happened here. "Potential additional footage. Will appeal to machine spirit to acquire." his vox speaker says for all to hear, the words sounding much more mechanical than normal, if that were possible.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Drake's efforts to persuade the machine-spirit to co-operate more seemed to be running into a slight snag... Almost as if the machine-spirit itself were somehow impaired or damaged, perhaps.

Amongst the dead, everything seemed in place... Even the ammunition counts. Whatever took out the escort apparently caused bolter wounds without actual bolt shells. Of course, that made the manner of some of the other deaths somewhat more... plausible, if something other than the mundane was involved.

Mallia's attempt to identify the psychic presence was rather successful. Another trained mind, showing signs of having been sanctioned... And it was also more powerful than hers. While the thought patterns might seem slightly different, there was a good chance that this other psyker wasn't hostile to them... at least, not yet. To her, it might seem like the other psyker had picked up on psychic activity, and was trying to trace it down.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"No maw of the false gods, nor unchained witch do I see... Grumpy birds, grumpy birds, you say we've clipped your wings, but toil for Him my thrice-loved doves, and songs of piety you'll sing..."

Mallia looked up and brushed wisps of hair aside as she locked on to the group.

"I have detected another psyker - a sanctionite I believe. The presence is nearby, and more developed than my own psychic strength. I sense no hostility, but rather... they are searching for something. I advise that we locate this individual, ascertain their intent, and see if we might join their abilities to mine in our search for the priest."

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Or it could be a trap." I replied to our Mallia. "For the time being, I think we should focus on our own duty. We have no idea who the other psyker is or whether they can even aid us." I shook my head. "Perhaps you should keep your activities to a minimum. I'll call the HQ and inform them of our findings, we can ask if there are any other psykers stationed around here. Then we'll see what we should do." I began to fiddle with the vox, aiming to call our superiors and make a report.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

In response, Mallia merely tilted her head to one side and leaned back upon her staff. A wandering sanctionite merited some investigation in her view, and she did very much want to see what other far-seeing mind walked these streets with them.

She did not see much more use in the gore soaked chimera. The tech priest had not yet coaxed a helpful word out of the machine spirit and the dead did not speak beyond giving silent testament to the sadistic and twisted hands that had posed their bodies without them firing a single bolter shot in the name of the God Emperor.

She liked it not, and preferred now the idea of another kindred soul as company.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph's face would turn from idle impassive to saddened annoyance at seeing that every single one of the Sister's firearms were fully loaded. "So we are dealing with the Warp in one way or another... Great."

Turning to Marcus, she nods her head a little as he gets the Vox out. "At the very least, we must inform command of our findings thus far. We got few leads, so if anything else we can try to contact the unknown Psyker if we are not given further orders," she reasons. "Also, as a minor request: Can we ensure that the notice on the fates of the Sisters gets to their Cannoness? Their sacrifice will be needed to be made aware of, for proper final rites..."

 

[Caulder]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Another abomination. Wonderful." Drake's vox speaker pipes up as he turns back to the group, crossing his arms in a pout that he couldn't get any more information out of the machine. "Logic would dictate that we investigate this new abomination ours has identified. They may know what happened here." he says, a loud hissing and gurgling sound coming from his respiration apparatus as he inhales a deep breath, the tubes hanging from his jaw seeming to shudder with the action. "Informing those higher than us would be well-advised, as well."

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

I suppose it's a good thing your Tech-Priest is somewhat amusing. Although, I have to wonder how his attitude would hold up in person. A strong-sounding male voice suddenly echoed in Mallia's mind, obviously some manner of telepathic connection. It would seem that the other psyker had decided to initiate contact on their own. You seem troubled... Does it have anything to do with the strange happenings around this planet so far?

The presence seemed to lessen slightly, perhaps as if the psyker's attention were divided slightly, then the voice returned. Oh, I should probably introduce myself, shouldn't I... I am Brother Hreidar.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Mallia perked her head up, glanced around, then verified with herself that the voice in her head had not originated from beyond that place she dare not look. Satisfied that it was the sanctioned signature of the other psyker, she 'spoke' back with her thoughts.

"Brother Hreidar, you sound like a devoted servant of the God Emperor. I am Mallia, sanctioned neonate in service to the Inquisitorial forces of the Imperium. In response to your inquiries, yes, I am troubled, for to be content is a disservice to the Emperor of Mankind and a shirking of my duties. I live but to serve the Emperor with my every breath and thought... and so I am here investigating the whereabouts of a priest named Uriah, whose presence is requested by a cabal of Inquisitors and a Lord Marshal. He was last seen at my location, where his Sororitas and acolyte escort has been found within their chimera, butchered grotesquely without ever having fired a single retaliatory shot. If you have come across our quarry, your illumination would be most appreciated."

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Odd that they had no warning... Hmm. Again the presence seemed to lessen. After a moment, though it returned. Brother Metraen seems to agree with me as well, something deeper seems in motion... As for your missing Priest... One of our brothers reported an odd disturbance a few minutes ago near your location. A mental image of a somewhat cleared area of the hive sprung to Mallia's mind. Clear enough she should be able to locate it with the group's map. This isn't quite the way I'd prefer to handle things... However, your group is far closer than ours, and it's likely where your quarry is anyway... Should you run into serious trouble, however... At this, a vox-frequency also sprung into mind. That will allow you to contact us for help in a more common fashion.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"The Emperor and His saints light your path, Brother Hreidar. I thank you for your assistance and offering of martial aid. I shall not call upon you lightly. But if we do encounter something beyond our means, you shall know of it."

Mallia opened her eyes. She had been standing as still as a statue, her hands, white-knuckled, gripping her metal staff. She marched over to her fellow acolytes - Seraph in particular, and held out a slender, pale-skinned finger, pointing to the data slate.

"I have conversed with this other psyker. He identifies as one, Brother Hreidar. He believes he knows where our priest may be, and has shown me the location. If I might just have the map..."

Mallia located the replica of her mental image and indicated it with a tapping of her porcelain colored finger nail upon the data slate. "Here. This is where he felt an odd disturbance that could signal the priest's hiding area. Brother Hreidar suspects a deeper conspiracy, we should search with care, but search we must, for we are but a few minutes from where we are meant to go."

She eyed the Aribiter. "Call all of this in if you must, but we should do so while we are on the move. There is precious little time to waste. If we encounter trouble, Brother Hreidar and his unit can be reached by this vox number."

She told her allies the number that had been implanted in her brain, repeating as necessary for them to record it.

"Once again, I humbly advise haste," she added.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Brother? Now we have the Marines involved?" Seraph asked curiously, although her usual impassiveness did seem to show a little bit of relief. She quietly held out the dataslate to Malia as she pointed to it, watching at the area she pointed at.

She shifted a bit at the discussion, drinking the words in with her ears as once again her own weapon sliding into her arms again. "In that case, we may not have much time. If we can trail down the priest, then maybe we can learn who dared to mess with the Imperium's finest."

 

[Caulder]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"As well as violate the sanctity of the Omnissiah." Drake's speaker pipes up, clearly angered. "The recording device was tampered with. Likely by one of the uninitiated. This cannot go unpunished." he says, tapping his own metal staff on the ground twice, a thin mist spraying out of the vents on both sides of his neck.