Deathwatch: Murderers in Black (IC Thread)

[A.T.]

Omoc

 

Speed was required, through the chaff that stood before them, the traitor, the halls of the fortress. It invited ambush from those within but to delay invited attrition from those without.

 

The auger array pinged with a dozen unidentified contacts as the squad moved but each was ignored for there was a prize here that must be denied, a hunt that must be pursued to its end even if this place must be burnt to ash to finish it.

 

Aednans stand had perhaps bought them time but Orochi was not amongst the fallen. "Harden yourselves, the Knights of Titan guard only one thing and we now take his place".

 

(Omoc has a sustained corruption/daemonic resistance stance for anyone wishing to safeguard their souls... then again extra rounds of shooting and hitting things may be a preferable way to spend command points)

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

He nodded at the Scorpion's biting reality, visually checked his weapons, and steeled himself to follow the path laid out before them.

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

++Who are the Knights of Titan?++

 

Asterius recognised the Inquisition symbol on the strange Space Marine, and he pulled the power swords out of the chest.

 

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

Asterius: The twin blades slip free smoothly. They are well crafted but largely plain and simple power weapons. However, closer examination reveals an angular icon embossed into both crosspieces in some reddish coloured metal - copper? bronze?

 

A flare of rage might suddenly swell in your breast at the thought of the overwhelming attack of these honourless traitors against the lone silver guardian.

 

OOC: Anyone can make a (+10) Forbidden Lore Test (of whatever flavour seems appropriate to you…)

Before you, the Grey Knight shifts. A settling of flesh, bone and ceramite in response to the blades being pulled free…? Or did that gauntlet tighten against the spear haft?

 

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:
 

It was of little surprise to Zidemi that his first meeting with Aednam was a scene of triumph againsy overwhelming odds. Zidemi had only heard of Aednan in pasaing conversation, and knew even less about the order of knights of which he was a member. He had summised that Aednam was a mighty warrior above even the ranks of the Astartes and the Deathwatch, and despite the grim sight before him he was glad to be proven right.

 

Zidemi heeded Omoc’s warning, and kept at the perimeter of the slaughter with bolter in hand. Asterius was not so cautious, as he approached and pulled out the power blade from Terminator’s battle plate. 

 

There was something odd about the brazen design of the power blades…

 

Spoiler

Forbidden Lore (AdMech): 50(Int) + 10 = 60 required

Roll d100: 14 = Pass, 4DoS

Undoubtedly they were the implements of heretics and their blood-god…

Edited September 26 by Mike Zulu
Placeholder filled

[Lysimachus]

Zidemi: The swords are older, of high quality construction but perhaps not as well maintained as you would consider proper. One has been broken and remade at some point in its long past. The matching icons on the crosspieces are… hard to look at without feeling a swell of anger.

 

I'll leave it to you (and anyone else) to decide whether you recognise them as Khorne icons.

 

Also, I don't know if anyone wants to check Aednan over a bit closer… I was trying to hint that maybe he's not quite dead-dead yet (GKs are pretty damn tough) but maybe he could do with some assistance?

 

 

 

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

He dropped the accursed blades to the floor, they felt wrong.

 

He thought he saw the movement of the gauntlet, and moved to support the fallen knight.

 

++He still lives, who has Medicae?++

 

"Can you speak, Brother?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23 by Machine God
typo

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt

 

Despite being a separate but fellow military arm of the Inquisition, the Grey Knights were a chapter utterly shrouded in mystery and rumour. Gerhardt had heard tales from members of the Sword Brethren of encounters with immense warrior-monks, pure of heart, encased in baroque and ornate suits of relic power armour wielding enormous blades in centuries past, but such tales barely lived up to reality. 

 

The giant kneeling before them was like a figure of legend, torn directly from the annals of the Imperium's mythic past when demigods of war roamed the stars.

 

Gerhardt joined Asterius and fell to his knees before the wounded knight, the son of the Emperor, helping to support his armoured mass.

 

“Where are they, brother,” he said softly, "those who did this to you? We will avenge you. We will crucify these traitorous dogs.”

Edited September 24 by Necronaut

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

He knew the fell warrior not - nor his heraldry, but the reverence borne by his comrades and the august harness embossed with runes which blurred under his gaze made Azadth uneasy.

 

Surely such a doughty soldier would carry stories, legacies, even to the glimmering shoals, but not so. The distance of his own shores, well camouflaged amongst the darkness and crazed nebulae spat out and regurgitated by the Hateful Sky, was no small impediment to recognition, but there was one other disturbing suggestion.

 

Nobody told any tales because there were no witnesses - and credence lent to this by the Scorpion's own mien.

 

Something wicked this way comes.

 

His eyes flicked to the warrior, then the oddly greasy-metal of the swords. Perhaps it had already arrived.

[Lysimachus]

Brother Aednan's voice betrays his physical weakness, but still carries an inner strength, determination, righteous anger, and even a momentary note of pleasure at the thought of the punishment suggested by the Templar.

 

“My thanks, brothers. That would please me greatly.”

 

“Only Skaayn remains… though I fear he alone may yet be enough. Whoever that traitorous sordes is, he is not Skaayn. He sent these fools to die against me, and used the opportunity to slip past into the Aedes. I must stop him…”

 

The Knight tries to rise, but is clearly still struggling with his grievous wounds. He grunts in pain.

 

“I cannot. Not yet. I will heal with time, but time we do not have. You must go in my stead. Chase him down. Stop him before he can unleash…”

 

He pauses, as though unwilling to speak further.

 

“...the old ruler of this world.”

 

Edited September 24 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

"...the old ruler of this world."

 

 

His melancholia gone, Asterius raced off to confront the Traitor Orichi. 

 

 

To meet his Doom. 

 

He was a Space Marine! 

 

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

The Mantis Warrior watched on. He took a breath to utter the beginning of some parable, but instead opted for a well-worn axiom.

 

+Beloved of the Sky Khan, are the foolish and the mad. Fortunately.+

 

'Three breaths, Azadth. All decisions should be made within three breaths.'

 

They sat together, the incense thickening the air of the Master Thangka's dwelling. 'What do you mean?'

 

The first breath, in, let the winds fill your mind with the secrets of the world. Out, to acknowledge their wisdom. The Second breath, in, to still your mind in contemplation of the greatness of reality. Out, to accept what is before you. Third, breathe in to ready the body for action, to imbue it with the spirit of the Khan.

 

'And then, Master? Do I hold it?' Azadth smiled, in the semi-apologetic manner of his kind.

 

Thangka laughed. 'No, Student. The third breath out is the most important. It is the unification of spirit and flesh, of Alahk Geh. The act of giving to the world your response. To think is to do, to act, is to be.'

 

Azadth's feet began to move. With carefree aplomb, inspecting the walls and surroundings as though he were a tourist on some strange expedition, he dawdled towards the enemy's fortress. He would arrive exactly as fate decreed. The bulkhead lumen bulbs gleamed from his quicksilver sleeve, once, twice.

 

By the third, he melted into the darkness.

 

Edited September 25 by Mazer Rackham

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:
 

The old “ruler”? By what manner of creature was he referring to? 

 

He hated to extend the head start that Orochi already possessed, but they still knew very little about this world.

 

As the others charged deeper into the chamber with blind certainty, Zidemi took a moment queried the argent warrior, oblivious to the inhuman injuries he had already suffered.

 

“How do we… contain this ruler?”

[Lysimachus]

Zidemi: “If he is freed, you can do very little. Perhaps if your Librarian had not been killed…”

 

Aednan grimaces, face twisting. He undoubtedly has no desire to burden you with forbidden knowledge, but he realises that he needs your aid and that you need to have a clear understanding of the situation.

 

“We Grey Knights conquered this planet in the 34th Millennium. Prior to that, it was the throne world of Ang'Kal-Syn'Ferath, the Blood-Dancer. Scion of the ancient Aeldari, survivor of their empire's Fall, reaver and warlord, butcher, finally ascended to immaterial flesh. This world, this place, was his - in mortal life and beyond, where he gave worship to the Lord of Skulls.”

 

“My forebears penetrated Ang'Kal's fortress, annihilated his forces, banished him and ended the Blood-Reign. We would have obliterated the templum below, but an Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Malleus requested - even demanded - that we instead guard it, that one of our number would watch over it until time immemorial, a bulwark against the Ruinous Powers. Thus the Inquisition took mastery of this world, and one of my kin has stood guard ever since.”

 

“I can only assume that ‘Skaayn's purpose is to free Ang'Kal, and begin the Blood-Reign once more. We cannot allow that to happen.”

 

He pauses.

 

“I may still be able to prevent the Blood-Dancer's return, should he escape… but it would be much better if ‘Skaayn’ is stopped before he can free the beast.”

 

 

[Lord_Ikka]

Moridyn

 

As he and Zidemi listened, Moridyn swapped his weapons around. His plasmagun snarled and whined as it charged, waiting for a target.

 

++Be wary cousins. The spawn of the Blood God is what the traitors seek to awaken. We kill the traitor, we stop the threat.++

 

Looking at the massive knight, he spoke.

 

"Is there anything Skaayn needs to do to free the Blood-Dancer? Any ritual or the like?"

[Lysimachus]

Moridyn: Aednan frowns suddenly, as though considering something that he had not thought of before.

 

“An interesting question. The daemons of Khorne are relatively simple beings - drawn by conquest, violence, and the spilling of blood. Were one seeking to call Ang'Kal back towards the material plain, towards his former home, I would have thought that an all-out assault against this fortress would be the simplest and most effective way to do it? One could drown this world in blood and battle, and surely Khorne's eye would be drawn here.”

 

“Yet I understand that Skaayn's attack was carried out with very little actual fighting. Indeed, from the start his plans have relied as much on subterfuge and deceit…”

 

The Grey Knight's voice has been strengthening with each moment, as though he has somehow been using his uncanny abilities to undo the terrible injuries he has suffered - but now for the first time he sounds unsure, perhaps even truly concerned.

 

“Something else is happening here, something beyond even my knowledge. Go! Go quickly! I will join you as soon as I am able to stand.”

 

[Lysimachus]

Scene 34. Hung in the Balance.

 

Ulfurbur pauses to see if she can further assist the Grey Knight with her medikit, but the rest of you respond to Aednan's hurried command by racing into the pitch black tunnel, illumination provided only by the stablights of your armour. The floor is perfectly smooth, but the passage narrows as you go, tightening until both the stony walls and the roof are scant inches from scraping against your wargear, forcing you to go single file. It continues that way for almost a mile, gradually descending further and further into the depths. Your pace, though still quick, perhaps feels agonisingly slow.

 

Then suddenly the tunnel begins to widen again. Stone tiles replace the rocky floor, and there is a flickering light of a reddish hue ahead. Coming around a slight bend, you see a large, perfectly circular portal.

 

When you pass beneath the archway, you emerge into a cavernous space. It is both dark and bright, deep shadows banished to the corners of the chamber by four huge brass braziers that hang from chains that extend far up into the darkness above. Though burning merrily, the flames within are a deep cherry red, more like smouldering embers in colour.

 

Below the braziers, a set of stone steps drops away from you down to a central circular pool, ringed with a series of graven icons that glow with the same red light as the flames. To warriors like yourselves, intimately familiar with bloodshed, it is obvious with what liquid the pool is filled. It is fed by four smaller containers, channels in the rock directing the crimson water of life into the central reservoir. More fresh blood spatters the stone tiles all around the chamber, though there are no bodies visible. It is as though the precious fluid is materialising from the air itself.

 

The whole place is filled by a sense of wrongness, a feeling of warriors' honour being twisted into savage bloodlust. It weighs upon each one of you, a heaviness, like the air before a thunderstorm.

 

On the opposite side, a stone pier extends just over the lip of the pool. A dark figure kneels a few feet beyond its edge, fiddling with something - a small object? - on the floor. Skaayn. Orochi. Though he wears unmarked power armour of matte black, you recognise him immediately.

 

He seems to finish what he is doing, and the object … the device… begins to emit a pale blue-white light. Behind Orochi, to his left and right, two other identical devices also begin to shine, creating a brilliant triangle of light perhaps a few metres across.

 

Satisfied, he looks up as if knowing who he will see entering the cavernous templum... and sees Kill-Team Lucifer . A series of expressions cross his face; surprise, irritation, amusement, derision.

 

“Really? You?”

 

 

Fraters, for the final time in this particular adventure, your Initiatives please!

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:16 AM by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth AG 6 + 1 (Fury Like Lightning) = 7 + D10 = 7

Init: 14

 

The Mantis Warrior said nothing.

 

The moment of fate had arrived.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

 

"Yes Orichi."

 

"Lucifer!"

 

 

 

[

Initiative: 1D10 +AGL Bonus. 8 +6 = 14

 

 

 

 

 

[A.T.]

Omoc

 

A taint filled the air, only hardening the Scorpions resolve.

 

Init 6+5 = 11

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:
 

Zidemi could not help but smirk behind his helm. Orochi was so certain of his success thus far, and so close to accomplishing his true goal.
 

That ends today. Kill Team Lucifer must prevail. Kill Team Lucifer will prevail.

 

”+Unto the anvil…+”

 

Spoiler

Initiative:

Roll d10: 9 + 4(AgB) = 13

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Mike Zulu

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt

 

The Black Templar shook with barely contained fury at the myriad blasphemies arrayed before him and the rest of the kill-team. 

 

+Give the command, sergeant, and I will gut this cur with my bare hands.+

 

 

 

Initiative: 1d10 + Ag4

6 (d10) + 4 = 10

Edited 16 hours ago by Necronaut

[Lord_Ikka]

Moridyn

 

Plasmagun charged, Moridyn set his feet.

Spoiler

Initiative - 4 + 2 = 6  (Sigh....)