To Plunder The Stars Themselves, Episode III

[A.T.]

Odysseus draws his boltguns, "he is here."

 

It would seem safest to burn him out, void the chamber, seal him away to perish amongst his wealth, but who could say what the devices collected here could do in the hands of a condemned man. "The warp is silent, perhaps a defense or an attempt to hide... or intended to contain a weapon."

 

Odysseus left unspoken any implication of the daemonic, it would not do to cast doubt on his abilities should this prove to be nothing more than a discarded xenos relic or screen meant to hide Von Caeryd for a few moments longer.

[Necronaut]

Though no artist himself, at least in the traditional sense, Vesalius was somewhat taken aback by the opulence of Von Caeryd's quarters, by the sumptuousness of his surroundings and the decadence of his collection. To have amassed such treasures in such a short lifetime... He passed a display case containing a beautiful xenos artifact of unknown providence or purpose. Vesalius found himself momentarily mesmerized by the object despite its utter repulsiveness.

 

He armed this bolter and pressed on. Von Caeryd would suffer mightily, by Varn's will.

[Lysimachus]

At the very end of the Stateroom, beyond a pair of passageways that lead left and right, is a huge, round window, surely formed of massively thick armaglas, for beyond it you can see the black void of space. Starlight forms geometric patterns on the floor under the window, patterns which suddenly change as a man steps from the shadows. Your target. Von Caeryd.

 

He seems to have regained his composure. He also appears to have treated his previous injuries, whether medically or pharmaceutically, for he moves and speaks without any apparent stiffness or pain. He directs his words towards the Traveller.

 

"This is my favourite place in all the galaxy... Perhaps it was always the proper setting for you and your men to surrender, Varn."

 

***

[Necronaut]

Vesalius turned his pointed helm to the others and said over their shared vox, half amused, +We seem to have driven him insane!+ Then to the Traveller he sarcastically voxed, +I fear he will be disappointed to have been defeated by Varn's proxy rather than the man himself.+

[Black Cohort]

"Perhaps we should grant his wish and take him before Varn in chains?"

[Necronaut]

+Our master would surely appreciate the gesture, Decimus.+

[Beren]

Svelks' head rotates, sweeping the room for any additional presence.

 

+Kill him.+

 

He pauses a moment, before going on.

 

+He has nothing to offer us. End him, and any viable threat that remains.+

[Black Cohort]

"What better way to show these people they are beaten than parade their former leader in chains?"

[Trokair]

Not letting his guard down Brynjarr advanced slightly further into the room, keeping the side passages in view at all times. Over the squad vox he sends +If we can take him to Varn, then he could be used as a bargaining chip, assuming that the Princelings family care about a wayward son.+

[Lysimachus]

Von Caeryd cannot hear your words, but he can tell from the silence that lengthens and the tilt of your helms that you are conversing with one another. He stamps his foot like a spoiled child and snarls.

 

"I will not be ignored or have my inferiors speak over my head! Answer me, Varn!

 

***

[Trokair]

Brynjarr continued his advance carefully, if the Princeling had lost his mind who knows what traps he may have planted as an act of last defiance.  

 

“This is no way to speak to our lord, Princeling. Kneel, lower your voice and be polite, then we shall see.”

 

Over the squad vox he added, + Kai, I hope I haven’t overstepped your authority, but this excuse of child is wasting our time.+

[Commissar Molotov]

The overlapping voices of the Iron Gods across the vox are washed away by the pulsating double-beat of the Traveller's twin hearts, loud at his temples. It takes him a moment to realise that his jaw is clenched. The geometric patterning... Von Caeryd's seemingly instantaneous healing.... Could it be?

 

The Traveller wastes one heartbeat as his eyes flicker towards Odysseus, seeking confirmation from someone more versed in matters of the Immaterium.

 

Almost immediately, almost instinctively, he ignites the alien sword, held low beneath his waist. The blade crackles, wreathed with static and the hissing of white noise.

 

There is no witty rejoinder, no cutting words that issue forth from the Traveller.

 

"Kill him," he whispers through dry lips, before realising his vox is not engaged.

 

"Kill him."

Edited July 20, 2021 by Commissar Molotov

[Lysimachus]

Von Caeryd stops, catching something in your silence and then in Brynjarr's tone and the sudden, violent flare of the Traveller's sword. He eyes the weapon cautiously and edges back, but something else seems to concern him more. Understanding suddenly blossoms on his face, but confusion swiftly follows.

 

"You are not Varn... none of you are. But how can that be? Varn would surely have brought all his forces against me, for I am undoubtedly the greatest threat to his dominion of this Nebula that has ever arisen!" He waves his hands at what he, in his overwhelming arrogance, sees as an absurdity. "No, no, no! It cannot be! I have heard the stories of Varn and his black-hearted Company… but I also know how myths build up around you Astartes! One marine becomes ten, a squad becomes a Company, a Company might as well be a Legion!" His self-indulgent voice is becoming shrill again, an irritatingly high pitch. "You are all there is! You must be! I will have your surrender, then I might allow you to live!"

 

He snaps his fingers. There is a sudden movement at the doors behind you and from the passageway on Von Caeryd's right. Something, somethings, move into the vast chamber with lightning speed. But not across the plush velvet of the floor. Instead the dark, glistening shapes scale the walls themselves, moving as quickly on a vertical plane as an Eldar raider might on a flat surface, spreading out to bracket you from every angle. They hiss and click and blink at you with cold, dead eyes, and harnessed weapons track your every movement. Lizards. Not the Kroot now lying dead in the hold below. Loxatl mercenaries, several of their kin-broods.

 

Even as you take in the danger hanging from the ceiling vaults above you, there is another sound. Slow, rhythmic thumps, somehow reminiscent of your meeting with Talek Varn, grow louder. They approach from both left and right passages. Suddenly, from Von Caeryd's left, something truly monstrous appears. A machine-form, far taller and broader than any of your group, covered in heavy, mismatched armour plates, with a twitching, insectile head and long arms ending in vicious claws. An Ambot… Then its twin steps forth from the other side, its steel mandibles opening a closing in an almost organic way.

 

Von Caeryd smiles triumphantly.

 

"My personal guards. You are outmatched, Varn…" he pauses, frowning, "...or whatever your name may be. Oh," he snaps his fingers again, obviously pretending to have just remembered something, "and especially so without the abilities of your pet warlock there." He looks for a moment at Odysseus with distaste and poorly hidden fear. "I cannot abide psykers… consider it a byproduct of my childhood, if you wish. I host some of my most important trading partners here. Some seek to use every advantage they can, but I will never be fooled by their deceitful witchery! This chamber holds several items composed of a mineral called Noctilith... or 'Blackstone' to the uneducated such as your selves. As you might know, this substance interferes with the Warp, drains its power away, though no one understands how or why. They cost me a fortune, of course. But I believe they were worth the price."

 

He smiles again.

 

"Now. Surrender."

 

***

 

+++NARRATIVE TIME ENDS+++

 

+++STRUCTURED TIME BEGINS+++

 

Please roll for your Initiatives...

 

 

 

(...unless you actually want to surrender? :lol: )

 

***

[Trokair]

At the Traveller’s command Brynjarr bolter opened up, there would be no peaceful resolution here.

 

Imitative roll 6 + 4 = 10

 

“No Princeling, we are but meekest and lowest of Iron Gods, sent to deal with an irritation beneath the notice of Lord Talek Varn, a training exercise if you will.”

 

Edit: spend Fate point to change iniative to 14.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Trokair

[Necronaut]

+Xenos,+ Vesalius hissed, snapping his bolter up to track their movements.

 

Initiative: 1d10 8

8+6=14

Edited July 20, 2021 by Necronaut

[Beren]

Caeryd's deluded ramblings faded into background noise as the true threats revealed themselves, scrambling facross the walls. A memory flashed in his head, scaled limbs flailing in the dark and the air glittering as as millions of deadly but barely visible projectiles flung toward shim. He remembered latching onto the wall as they tumbled past him, watched them drift in the void.

 

They didn't take it much better than mortals.

 

The automata might be a different matter.

 

1d10(3) + 4 = 7

[Black Cohort]

rolled an 8 + 3 = 11 Initiative

[Commissar Molotov]

AG5 +7 = 12

(I will wait to see the Initiative order before spending a Fate Point)

[A.T.]

Blackstone... he knew the word only in passing legend. Perhaps there was value to this place after all - and Caeryd was a fool if he thought it would matter. A mortal weakened of their powers was but a man while an Astartes was always an Astartes.

 

Init 4+5 = 9

[Lysimachus]

The Final Showdown!

Round 1:

Fear Tests:

Von Caeryd and Ambots immune (Jaded and Machine)

Loxatl Brood 1: Wp35 +24 (Mag) +10 (Resistant) = 69, roll: 56, Pass!

Loxatl Brood 2: Wp35 +24 (Mag) +10 (Resistant) = 69, roll: 43, Pass!

Loxatl Brood 3: Wp35 +24 (Mag) +10 (Resistant) = 69, roll: 74, Fail, 0DoF

Shock Table roll: 38 + 0 = 38. -10 to all Tests unless can Snap Out of It.

Kill-Team Cohesion: 3

Initiative Order:

[ ] Loxatl Brood 1 | AG8 + 7 = 15 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Vesalius | (SQUAD) | AG6 +8 = 14 | WOUNDS 20/20 | FATE 2/4

[ ] Loxatl Brood 2 | AG8 + 4 = 12 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Traveller | (SQUAD) | AG5 +7 = 12 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 2/3+1

[ ] Von Caeryd | AG4 + 5 +2 (Paranoia) = 11 | WOUNDS TAKEN:0

[ ] Decimus | (SQUAD) | AG3 + 8 = 11 | WOUNDS 22/22 | FATE 3/3

[ ] Loxatl Brood 3 | AG8 + 2 = 10 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Brynjarr | (SQUAD) | AG4 +6 = 10 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 4/4

[ ] Odysseus | (SQUAD) | AG5 +4 = 9 | WOUNDS 22/22 | FATE 3/ 4

[ ] Ambot A | AG2 + 7 = 9 | WOUNDS 30/30

[ ] Svelk | (SOLO) | AG4 +3 = 7 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 2/3

[ ] Ambot B | AG2 + 4 = 6 | WOUNDS 30/30

Terrain:

Display cases are made from armaglas, approx 3m high but do not block LoS, and provide Cover with 4AP. You may move through the cases, but obviously if you do the case is destroyed and no longer provides any cover.

Central plinths are made of stone, approx 1.5m high (plus the objects being displayed), and provide Cover with 16AP.

Several of the artefacts around the Stateroom contain (or are carved entirely of) Noctilith. The properties of this mineral are poorly understood, but very well known. Psychic powers will not work in this room. The exception to this are a Force Weapon's abilities (as they are so closely attuned to their user's will) but these can only do a maximum of 3d10 additional Damage per Hit.

Enemies:

Von Caeryd

WS35, BS49, Str34, T40, Ag41, Int53, Per45, Wp48, Fel36

Move 4/8/12/24 | Body: Power Armour 8, Rest: 4 | Dodge+10, Scrutiny+10 | Jaded, Paranoia, Touched by the Fates(?) | Wounds ?? (+ Critical)

Weapons:

Plasma Pistol with Red-Dot Sight

Range 30m; S/2/-; 1d10 + 10 E; Pen 8; Clip 12; Volatile

Power Sword

Melee; 1d10 + 6 E; Pen 6; Balanced, Power Field

Equipment:

Archeotech Field (Iron Halo)

Ambot*:

WS55, BS22, Str82(13), T58, Ag25, Int23, Per26, Wp61, Fel10

Move 4/8/12/- | Armour: Head 5, Arms and Legs 9, Body 13, +30 Str, cannot Run | Fear(1), Enormous, Machine(1), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength(2), Unnatural Toughness(2) | Wounds 30 (+ Critical)

Weapons:

Tunnelling Claws

Melee; 1d10 + 12 R; Pen 10; Power Field, Tearing, Unwieldy

Built-in Melta Breaching Tool

Range 10m; S/-/-; 2d10 + 12 E; Pen 12;

*If anyone is interested, the Ambot is DIY but built mostly from the Mega-armoured Ork Nob profile from the Green Tide PDF, just replaced 1AV with an equivalent level of Machine, changed Kustom Shoota for a Melta Pistol, and lost some of the Orky rules.

Also downgraded the Dam on the Tunneling Claws - on the Ork Power Klaw it was 2d10+20 which, when added on top of the +13 Str Bonus and Pen10, felt… excessive! Even as is, if it lands a single hit on you, it can potentially kill you, so be careful about getting within its Charge Range!!

Loxatl Brood Horde:

WS30, BS35, Str35, T40, Ag45, Int25, Per35, Wp35, Fel10

Move 8/16/24/48 | Slimy Hide Armour: 2 | Dodge, Climb+20 | Heightened Senses, Talented Climb | Crawler, Dark Sight, Natural Weapons, Quadruped, Unnatural Agility, Unnatural Speed, Resistance: Fear | Magnitude 24

Weapons:

Flechette Blaster

Range 40m; S/3/-; 1d10 + 6 R; Pen 3; Scatter, Tearing

Jaws

Melee; 1d10 + 3 R; Pen 1; Primitive

Claws

Melee; 1d5 + 3 R; Pen 2; Primitive

[Commissar Molotov]

The Traveller spends a Fate Point to count as Initiative 10 for this combat (down to 1.) 

[Lysimachus]

Kill-Team Cohesion: 4

 

Initiative Order:

[ ] Loxatl Brood 1 | AG8 + 7 = 15 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Traveller | (SQUAD) | AG5 +10(FP) = 15 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 1/3+1

[ ] Odysseus | (SQUAD) | AG5 +10(FP) = 15 | WOUNDS 22/22 | FATE 2/4

[ ] Vesalius | (SQUAD) | AG6 +8 = 14 | WOUNDS 20/20 | FATE 2/4

[ ] Brynjarr | (SQUAD) | AG4 +10(FP) = 14 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 2/4

[ ] Loxatl Brood 2 | AG8 + 4 = 12 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Von Caeryd | AG4 + 5 +2 (Paranoia) = 11 | WOUNDS TAKEN:0

[ ] Decimus | (SQUAD) | AG3 + 8 = 11 | WOUNDS 22/22 | FATE 3/3

[ ] Loxatl Brood 3 | AG8 + 2 = 10 | MAG 24/24

[ ] Ambot A | AG2 + 7 = 9 | WOUNDS 30/30

[ ] Svelk | (SOLO) | AG4 +3 = 7 | WOUNDS 23/23 | FATE 2/3

[ ] Ambot B | AG2 + 4 = 6 | WOUNDS 30/30

 

 

Even as you raise your weapons, the slimy, repulsive xenos begin moving and firing with reptilian coldness. Hundreds, thousands, of monomolecular shards are suddenly blasted towards you in a shimmering cloud of razor-sharp death.

 

[x] Loxatl Brood 1:

Mag24 = 2 Ranged Attacks

 

1) SAB at Decimus:

BS35 +10(Short Range) +10(SAB) =55, roll: 34, Hit with 2DoS, 1 additional Hit

Dam at 1d10(Tearing) +6 +2d10 (Mag24) at Pen3,

Hit 1 on Body:

(3 and 4, keep 4) +6+7+2 = 19

19 - Av7(Av10-Pen3) - TB8 = 4 Wounds

Hit 2 on Body:

(6 and 9, keep 9) +6+2+1 = 18

18 - Av7(Av10-Pen3) - TB8 = 3 Wounds

7 Wounds (Hordes cannot be Dodged)

 

2) SAB at Vesalius:

BS35 +10(Short Range) +10(SAB) =55, roll: 51, 1 Hit!

Dam at 1d10(Tearing) +6 +2d10 (Mag24) at Pen3

Hit 1 on Right Arm:

(5 and 8, keep 8) +6+2+2 = 18

18 - Av6(Av9-Pen3) - TB8 = 4 Wounds

4 Wounds (Hordes cannot be Dodged)

[Commissar Molotov]

The Traveller's Actions: Round 1

 

Half Action: Move 5m forward and take cover behind the display case.

Half Action: Standard Attack with Bolter against Ambot

BS55(+5 Squad Mode)(+10 Range)(+10 Sight)=BS80: 42 (Hit)

Hit resolves at 1D10+9, Pen 4 Tearing against TB10(+1), Armour 9(5)

Hit 1: 9 (18) (Reduced to 2 Damage)

2 Wounds inflicted, assuming failed Dodge

 

Free Action: Suspend Squad Mode

Free Action: Activate Bolter Assault

 

BOLTER ASSAULT BEGINS

No movement

Throw Krak Grenade at Ambot B

BS55: 24 (Hit)

Hit Resolves at 3D10+4, Pen 6 against TB10(+1), Armour 13 (7)

Hit 1: 4,3,2 - 13 Damage (reduced to 0)

 

BOLTER ASSAULT ENDS

 

Free Action: Resume Lead by Example Squad Mode.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Commissar Molotov

[Beren]

Svelk sprints away from the nearer Loxatl, turning so his back is against the nearest of the central plinths while his head is turned towards the rooms further end. In an instant he calculates which of the ambots is moving towards them more slowly, and lobs his last krak grenade towards it.

 

+++Draw the automata away from the window and I can blow it out, space the lizards and the mortal.+++

 

Bolter Assault Action

Movement: Svelk moves three squares south, taking cover with the central plinth against any fire coming from the east.

Attack: Krak grenade at ambot B

 

BS43 × 20 (enormous)

1d100:41 (success)

Hit Location: 07 (Head)

Damage = 3d10(4,4,6) + 4 = 18

18 - T(10) - Armour(5 - 6 to a minimum of 0) = 6 wounds

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Beren

[Trokair]

As Kai moved forward to engage the Ambot, Brynjarr followed suit to support, retrieving more grenades from his bandolier as he goes. Lobbing a frag grenade at the xenos mercenaries before turning to focus on the Ambot, trusting that Odysseus had their backs.  

 

Bolter Assault

Move east, so roughly in line with Kai

Throw Frag Grenade at Loxatl Brood 2

BS48 + 30 (Size I assume) = 78

D100: 45 Hit, 3 DoS – 4 hits as blast 4

Assuming no doge

Damage 2D10+2 at Pen 0

Hit1: 9+7 +2 = 18

Hit2: 8+5 +2 = 15

Hit3: 9+1 +2 = 12

Hit4: 10+3 +2 =15

Explosion hit: 1+3 +2 = 6

Edited July 22, 2021 by Trokair