[DH1e] The Damocles Contingency (RPG IC)

[Mazer Rackham]

The Crypt:

 

Further inspection of the casket reveals a few scuffs on the inner silk lining from where a prying tool has opened it, and under the lid, a small mark similar to that found on the crates upstairs.

 

It would be safe to assume that tracer has been here, and this is one of his discoveries.

 

The contents of the casket are indeed cold, with a thin rime of ice on the rose petals. None of these are cracked, and the casket appears to lie as it was dressed - at least for it's current occupant.

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Falk shook his head, the numbers meaningless to him. "Check for any sign that genetic material has been extracted." The envelope was the one remaining potential clue but why leave it and take the plaque. There was no clear motive here, unless perhaps the last lingering traces of a crime concealed by the destruction of the hive.

 

"Can you boost our vox signal enough to reach the surface?"

[Mazer Rackham]

The Vox power can be boosted, but will require a Difficult (-10) Tech Use Test due to the depth and composition of the materials in the crypt.

 

Falk:

 

The envelope is pristine, and whilst it may appear to be simple paper, it something more durable - plasfibre. It is the work of moment to discern that it is what it purports to be, without any scent of fyceline, or exotic wisps of toxin. Within is a collection of letters, penned in ink and possibly even quill onto expensive paper. It is obvious why the plasfibre wallet was required, to prevent damage to the missives.

 

A quick inspection matches the hand to the etching on the lid, albeit it is more exaggerated from being unfamiliar with the grinding tool.

 

There is no date on the letters, but the fading of the ink provides an order.

 

Letter 1:

Spoiler

Dearest Magda,

 

I have been gone from Damocles long enough in the service of the Emperor, and it is now many years since I have seen you. Your mother sends me holoslates and picter-images of you. How you, Helene and Gwynne have grown! I regret I cannot tell you where we currently sail, but I can assure you it is as magnificent a vista as the Gulf that sits above our spire gallery.

 

The enemies of the Throne are many, and our duty keeps me from our family, but even though my heart is sad, my soul is in good fettle. The men are in good spirits, and like me see this terribly arduous task as something vital to the effort of the Imperium, and our home world.

 

I would not be parted from you else.

 

As the eldest of my girls, I know you will help and look after your sisters and mother until I return, and serve our Noble House with grace and fortitude.

 

I love you all,

 

Father.

 

Letter 2:

Spoiler

My dearest Magda,

 

I did not want to spoil the surprise, but the ship turns for home! We have sailed the stars and have collected the lost and helpless wayfarers to serve Him on Terra. It sorrows me that it was so long since my last letter to you, since you are the only one who tells me anything!

 

I am glad that you have been betrothed to young De Grassi, he's a little wild, from my memory, but if he has you around, I am sure you will smooth his manner enough as you both mature. You must tell Helene to behave. Her jealousy is unfounded, and I love you all the same. Show her this.

 

As our vessel draws closer to Damocles, I want you to prepare as I taught you. You and your sisters must spend time doing good work in the lower hive. There is an Ecclesiarch who will be able to give you direction - and you must avoid all the rough and ready sailors! They are good men, but have a way about them which is uncouth, much like the hard men of the Arbites.

 

Work in the shadows Magda, and when you come to your crown, Emperor willing, they will remember you a queen.

 

Stay safe, do as your mother tells you, give our family my love.

 

Father.

 

Letter 3:

Spoiler

Dearest Magda,

 

The worst has come to pass, my daughter. Our vessel does not merely stop at Damocles to resupply, as I had hoped. A message has come here stating that we are to take aboard a special investigator to perform an audit. Not only that, but his presence as revealed the curse of our bloodline.

 

Now more than ever must you throw yourself into our work with our subjects in the lower reaches. Your lady in waiting must stand in place for you at any official visits. In your last epistle, you spoke of a small school established for the poor. You must go there and become a Magister, using your talents quietly. Take your sisters with you.

 

My heart breaks that mother is ill. I will do all in my power to make sure she is properly attended. You must think of the Aldario line, and preserve our glory - and our family.

 

All my love,

 

Father.

 

Letter 4:

Spoiler

There is a pict-image of the three sisters in this, their striking similarity. The middle one, whose name is scrawled beneath her portrait matches the images you have seen across the hive. Helene. The red hair is a giveaway.

 

The eldest girl resembles the woman in the casket. This then, is Magda Aldario.

 

My Dearest Magda,

 

You are asleep now. You may never read this. I leave this for you. Our curse burns inside you, but in Helene it was hotter still, and how she wronged you in the worst moment. I have failed as your father, and protector. Gwynne was sanctioned and sent into the Cloister of Astropaths, and Helene...has gone insane. And the ship has taken her.

 

I cannot allow that.

 

So I have made a deal with the devil, a passenger on the ship with me. I have been promised your sister in return for their freedom. I must now do my best to take control of this hive as I ran the Gladius before her destruction. I must redden my hands with murder to save you all. Throne forgive me, may you forgive me.

 

Helene is mostly lucid when she is...treated, and I need her on the throne so I can do my work, and pray for forgiveness and panacea for our terrible affliction. To restore you, our last hope.

 

May the God Emperor forgive us.

 

Father.

 

There are no more letters.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[Trokair]

Bardas 

 

As the Lawman investigated the content of the envelop Bardas took a closer look at the occupant. If genetic material from external parts, such as skin or hair, had been taken Bardas doubted he would be able to tell, but a blood sample or other more extensive method shortly before or after interment should have left a trace.

 

Spoiler

Medicae test or Perception Test, not sure which is more relevant/appropriate or the task.

Spoiler

Int: 39 D100: 47, Fail

Per: 34 D100: 68, Fail 3DoF

 

"Can you boost our vox signal enough to reach the surface?"   Falk enquired while continuing to go through the pages.

 

+Attempting+

 

Spoiler

Tech Use Test

Int: 39 + 10 (Tech-Use +10 skill) – 10 (Dificult) = 39

D100: 100! Fail 6 DoF

 

+No success from here, perhaps this location is shielded, will try again from outside.+

 

Bardas heads back to the Crypt entrance.

 

I'll await MR replies as to the tests before doing anythign else. 

[Mazer Rackham]

The Crypt:

 

Bardas:

 

The lack of samples or DNA residue is not a surprise at all, considering this type of casket. Great care has been taken to preserve the 'corpse' within, and the shroud is vacuum sealed, connected to the cryogenic lattice through the coffin by standard maxima-grade filtration gaskets. It would be exceptionally hard to take a sample once this person was in place.

 

Turning from your ministrations over the casket, your attempt to encourage the machine spirit of the voxbeads results in a very sharp spike of feedback, which resolves into a very grainy voice.

 

+Hello? Who the hell is that?+

Edited February 4, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Falk moved to close the lid and then paused, looking once more at the holo-pict.

 

Gwynne, the blindfold and the white hair but still...

 

Three sisters, Helene the dark sister, Gwynne the astropath, and Magda the key to the door. But how, the key to what?

 

"For the first time I believe I may understand some part of this madness", he looked up towards Bardas, "Nicios believed that Dreyfuss was looking for a cure, taking members of the dark sisters coven." He pointed to the body, "the third sister, the key to his experiments, the curse of the Aldario line."

 

Falk shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh, "perhaps." He emptied out a vial of stimm and handed the injector to Bardas to take a sample. Now this link to 'De Grassi'. "And it would seem that Canthus are following the same trail as we are". A manufacturing house, might they hold the key to this 'golem' that haunted them.

[Trokair]

Bardas

 

As Bardas neared the Crypt entrance the Vox crackled to life.

 

+Hello? Who the hell is that?+

 

Something about the tone of voice suggested this was not someone they wanted to speak to.

 

+Ensign Tobias O’MacDonald, Robed Scholar, Battlefleet Agrippa, is this Orbital Dock Control?+

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Bardas:

 

Please make an Opposed Deceive Roll (Fellowship). If you're not Trained in Deceive, you may Test at Half-Stat. Because this conversation is a tad unexpected, I will award you a bonus of +10 for your inventive thinking.

[Trokair]

Spoiler

Fel:35 /2 Stat = 17.5 + 10 = 27.5
D100: 100 - My new dice have caought old dice syndrom

Fate Point Reroll- becouse two massive fails in a row  will lead to bad things - Char sheet updated - I am out of Fate again. 

D100: 100!!!

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Bardas:

 

There's a pause, then a grin creeps down the line. "Ah, yes, Good Old Ensign O'MacDonald - this is indeed Dock Control. We've been wondering where you were. Perhaps you would like to furnish us with your supplies report?"

[Trokair]

+One Moment Dock Control, requesting the report from the Quartermaster now. In the meantime Captain Bridman Chambers  request confirmation and retransmission of the updated parking orbital vectors in light of repositioning orders after that battle class detonation on  Hive Tertius. +

[Mazer Rackham]

Bardas:

 

+Oh really? Well, I'm sure if we give them to you, you can pass them across to him. The Vectors are as follows - whoops, dropped the dataslate. Just give me a second.+

 

There's a very long pause.

 

+Ah yes, O'MacDonald. Here they are: Y-Vector: 1, point...3...4...point...225...point...77...93, X-Vector: 3, point...221....point...331, point...7309, and - hang on there...+

 

The voice tails off as another sharp shout comes in the background. You can't hear it clearly, but there's an exchange.

 

+Apologies for the interruption, O'MacDonald. Yes, where was I...?+

 

He repeats the entire thing. +Z Vector: 3, point...455...point...280, point 0762. Got all that? Repeat it back, please?+

[Trokair]

+Acknowledged Dock Control, Captain just likes to double check on each shift rotation, keep us sharp. Repeating back Z 3.455.280.0762 X 3.221.331.7309 Y 1.34.225.7793+  

 

Bardas waits a moment longer then continues.

 

+Dock Contorl, manifest report as requested. 9 Units Vigilance, 0 Units Verdict,  1 Units Vendetta,  3 Units Voyager and ‘m’ units Vulpine. Robed Scholar signing off.+  

Edited February 5, 2023 by Trokair
re-italising the ship's name

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Falk was unsure as to the tech priests conversation but his demeanor did not inspire confidence. Taking the sample himself he pushed closed the lid and started back towards the warehouse, whatever was going on he felt that their time here was up.

[Mazer Rackham]

Falk:

 

The stim injector works smoothly and well as an impromptu sampling device. The needle punches through the shroud, and finds the thigh of the occupant. Blood and serum flows slowly, but steadily into the glass-crystal vial, and the shroud self-seals.

 

As you approach Bardas, the comms unit in his ear clicks three times.

 

You know that's the sound of a trace and tap.

 

Up above you can hear the sound of something heavy meeting something heavier.  The clump and clang of something smacking against the door. Even though distant, the sound is carried into the gap in the hive construction - resonating down into the darkness until the echo dies off altogether.

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

"See if the door here can be actuated from the inside, and reduce the lights here", best to keep options open even though this may simply be a response to lack of comms. One less on the walkway would be safer in any event.

 

Falk moved as quickly as he dared motioning for Bardas to stay back and tapping his comms attempting to reconnect to the arbites security channel.

[Trokair]

Bardas

 

+Careful, when I tried to boost the Vox it found a channel that I have good reason to believe belongs to the Opposition. I doubt they were convinced by my attempt to cover.+

[Mazer Rackham]

The Crypt:

 

As Falk slowly makes his way up the gantry (I think you're going up?) his earpiece crackles.

 

"Control, ST-04 preparing for breach and clear. Technical incursion repulsed."

 

"Copy, Officer 17 on site, non-responsive. Exothermic entry authorised."

"ST-04, prepping medicae, exothermics active. Containment is on, 10-20 is secure. Stand-by."

 

There is a tooth-splitting whine, followed by a thump of pressure as the door is melted through into boiling, sputtering slag as the melta charges go off. A rolling wave of displaced, superheated air blasts across the top of the storehouse above, and roils through the spaces, finally finding an outlet above Falk and Bardas' heads. It flares brilliance into the darkness, illuminating several pockets of Tunnelweb spiders, their glimmering eyes a strange diamond algae in the darkness.

 

Above you can hear the crashing of timbers and clatter of the objects contained with the stout boxes, as the Arbites force make entry.

 

In Falk's ear, as well as the space above, the same voice.

 

"ST-04 dynamic entry completed. No viscon hostiles. Obstructions hampering progress."

 

Then, over external voxhailer: "Lay down your weapons and prepare to be Judged! Officer 17, report!"

 

 

[A.T.]

Falk

 

Slowing lest the bridge shift beneath him Falk raised a hand to his comms, "Officer responding, comms limited, require countersign confirm Alpha, Interregnum, Alpha"

 

(assuming the correct response/counter-response)

 

"Confirm, require immediate encoded link to Judge Absolum. No hostiles known present, secure quarantine for verispex analysis, multiple counts of moral heresy."

[Mazer Rackham]

Falk:

 

+Stay where you are! Don't move!+

 

The female dispatcher cuts back in. "All units responding to Iacinda Precinct, code confirmed, Officer 17, Epsilon, Omicron, Theta."

 

The sweep teams are blitzing everything with powerful stablights, which make you wince as your acquired low-light vision is subsumed by blistering brilliance. The fact the thunder of shotguns doesn't greet your appearance is perhaps reassuring.

 

+Do not resist!+

 

Rough hands seize you, quickly applying restraints with appropriate discipline. This is perfectly standard in an entry like this - known politely as 'undiplomatic reception' they make you safe even as your identity is confirmed. Smoke from burning wood and straw packing begins to wisp into clouds in the ceiling. A white armband, complete with scarlet caduceus appears, giving you the once-over. Satisfied he disappears into the storehouse.

 

+Just stay there, sir,+ one of the arrest team says, as he props you down against the wall, +we heard you. Is there anyone else in here? Suspects? Prisoners?+

 

They're going by the numbers. Anyone pretending would have to be very good at it.

 

You may make a Very Easy (+30) Scrutiny Test if you want.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Falk

 

The correct response, correct behaviour, but why the specialist. He had no place in a breaching team let alone at the head of a search. Falk could feel the inquisitional seal itching on his hand, he had a choice to make.

 

Scruiny 76 vs target 77 - just barely a pass

 

Falk would suspect this may be an agent of Aldario - if this seems non-standard

[Mazer Rackham]

Falk:

 

The way they move and respond seems partially rote, partially from experience. Their equipment is standard, nothing leaps out as custom except for the odd pouch here and there which is allowable private purchase to make things work better, as it were. You can still hear them in the commbead, everything they do is professional, clipped, transparent.

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Too much paranoia perhaps, "one other, non-hostile scion of the mechanicus. There is damage to the hive substructure that will require clip harnesses to navigate safely." The presence of Bardas would be known soon enough - they had been together on a hundred augers in this sector alone and lies now would draw into question the truths he must tell to the Absolum.

 

He cast his eyes across the breaching team seeking the sign of a senior officer.

[Mazer Rackham]

The Storehouse:

 

On Falk's instruction, the sweep scales down a notch in intensity, but the Judges remain prepared. As Bardas is picked out by the stablights, he too is quickly surrounded and taken into custody, although they do handle either of you uneccesarily.

 

The Judges nearest you nod, and vox transmissions send a couple of the Arbites over to the sheer drop, lamps sweeping.

 

"ST-04, reports all clear, all sections secure."

 

The nearest Judge nods, and Falk and Bardas are helped outside, where they are swiftly released. The react team extracts from the Storehouse, and lets the fires take their course, until a damage control team consisting of servitors and an enginseer thicken the smoky soup within in a flume of white-grey smotherfoam. Whilst they are about this business, a soot-smeared Judge appears, his helm carrying golden laurels. But for these he looks like anyone of his brethren.

 

He doffs the helmet, and a young, hard face greets you both, the scars across his features showing he doesn't polish a desk.

 

"Proctor Marek Harmon," he introduces himself, and you recognise his voice as one of the sweep team. "I apologise that Praefector Absolom is currently engaged, and Secundus Aldario is likewise unavailable."

 

"If you will accompany me to the Halls of Judgement, we can hold counsel with Provost Haldane."

 

Falk will have heard of this man. Not a greatly adventurous individual, his command of the law is excellent, and he is renowned as a fair man. Rumours state he is concerned mainly with intelligence operations.

 

An Arbites transport washes the square with blue light, and you can see there are wounded Judges sat against the wall, with three bulky black bags placed in a row. Cracked and bloodied helmets lie at the head of each bag, the book of law beside them. "Good Judges," Harmon advises, grim. "Caught in an ambush laid by a fleeing suspect outside this door. There will have to be an investigation."

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, otherwise, you'll just clamber aboard the APC and roll out to the Halls of Judgement.

[Mazer Rackham]

++ END OF PART FOUR ++

 

Players, please do not post. Thank you.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Mazer Rackham