[BC] The Blackest Heart (IC)

[Lord_Ikka]

The Smiler

 

"Crux'as the Smiler, at your service, master Redfang. Liar, conniver, and student of demonology I am. Not so much use in the... murder-make as some others, but I have my own talents and specialties. Pleased to be aboard."

 

The Smiler grinned at the boisterous former Space Wolf. He may not have the fighting skills of his current comrades, but fighting isn't the only thing needed to advance the plans of the Four. 

[Mazer Rackham]

Crux'As:

 

The huge warrior sniffs, hard, twice.

 

'Come now, no need for such self-deprecation among friends, lad.' Iorek replies, but it's affable. The glint in his eyes is less so. He continues to sniff, although now it's more subtle, like he's tracking something elusive, faint...duplicitous. The thought he could discern anything in this miasma of greasy food, weapon oils, wet dog, aether-infused debasement and slobbering urchins is ridiculous.

 

Yet...

 

He looks at you again, this time, the glint of certainty haunts the stare, and it is hard.

 

'I am sure there is more to you than meets the eye,' he speaks, again in that affable tone. 'Do not speak in double-tongue to me, lad. Not ever - and we'll get along fine.' His gaze rolls and roams, meeting every other individual before nodding at them. It is obvious that his sentiment goes for all of you.

 

GM OOC: I think everyone is introduced now - and will assume Iorek already knows Issekar Grimm (Sobek) and he will certainly know of Tarh Teshub (Tro) from the prison break. These busy folks can of course post if they like, no worries.

 

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

 

Tradition satisfied, Rykaz moved aside to allow the other newcomers to introduce themselves. Perhaps unnecessarily, for it seemed Redfang already knew each of them in no little detail?

 

Reaching down across the table, the Executioner helped himself to a substantial haunch of grox and a flagon of mead and carried them away to one side of the wardroom. Though in some ways this savage, firelit hall felt akin to those within the Darkenvault, it was not a place where he could fully lower his guard. Leaning casually against a bulwark - so that it guarded his back - he tore a chunk of the greasy meat away from the bone with his teeth, watching the room carefully.

 

When the Wolf mentioned this ‘Requiem’, Hagga paused in his meal, eyes narrowing. From Iorek’s words, it seemed certain that they were on their way back into the fray. Good. He hoped it was a more honourable mission than Khymara's moon.

 

Then the Heretek Kraggan entered with Eska. The hound’s ability to recuperate seemed almost Astartesian. Whatever implants were hidden within her muscular frame, they were more impressive than he had realised. Hagga ordered her down, then dropped the thigh bone of the grox for her to chew on. There was still a little meat on it, but even better, her powerful jaws would quickly work their way into the highly nutritious marrow inside. He leant forward slightly to scratch the ruff of her neck as she ate. As he did, Hagga spoke again, quietly addressing the giant Corsair.

 

“And what… glorious... task has the Blood Reaver bestowed upon us this time, Ser Iorek?”

 

 

 

Edited December 5 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

Hagga:

 

A fist-sized meat pie disappears into the ravenous maw of the Redfang, making Eske's jowly meal rather meagre. The Redfang pauses as you ask your question, notices and hurls another pie, to land a foot from the canid's haunches.

 

He shrugs.

 

'It is but a trivial matter, unimportant. We are tasked with securing space object number three-three-zero-six, or those are our official planning orders.'

 

He looks into space, mind piercing the plasteel and adamantium as he sniffs dismissively.

 

'Unofficially; we shall break into a dangerous asteroid field, seize an armed space station buried within the biggest, filled by desperate pirates and foemen, kill them all, and steal their base for our own.' He lifts his hand, waggles it.

 

A clarion call rings across the wardroom, and likely elsewhere.

 

+Captain to the bridge, Captain to the bridge.+ The woman's voice is rote, stern, and carries the twang of Badab, +Outer marker reached.+

 

Redfang grips a rag, wipes down his mouth. 'When you are all ready, meet me on the bridge.'

 

His massive frame moves in pantherish tread as he smoothly exits, a roll of his shoulders proving his pleasure for the prospect of action.

 

Edited December 5 by Mazer Rackham

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

Ukalegon scowled at the mortal heretek in his panoply of ragged robes and twitching augmetics. The cocksure human was either mad or ignorant of the danger he had faced down or both.

 

“Careful, human, it is twice that I have been called back from beyond the veil. Luck spared you a similar fate, this time. Do not forget that." 

 

The ex-Lamenter turned away from the bloodthirsty tech-priest and tore a great hunk of meat from the haunch he held as he sauntered over to stand beside Hagga.

 

“I hear I owe you thanks for dragging my carcass to the tender mercies of Iscario." Ukalegon grinned then winced again at a sudden flash of pain, unable to hide it from his fellow warrior in that moment. “That is to say I suppose I owe you my thanks – the cybernetics our resident butcher-chirurgeon bestowed upon me are still proving quite vexing. Dying is easier than living, it seems.”

 

He made short work of the rest of the grox meat and had devoured a further two meat pies when the klaxon sounded mere moments later, summoning Captain Iorek to the bridge. Ukalegon looked up again at Hagga somewhat sheepishly, and between mouthfuls remarked with a pained smile, "Time to dance with death again, eh? A shame our illustrious Lord could not furnish me with a proper bonnet. I shall have to acquire a new one from within or without in the future."  

Edited December 5 by Necronaut

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Hagga grinned, genuinely pleased to see the Assault Marine recovering so quickly. However, he snorted in mock disbelief when Ukalegon spoke regarding his helm.

 

“Ha! I believe it for not a second!" He let out a bark of comradely laughter. "Like any scion of Sanguinius, you were just looking for an opportunity to show off your handsome face!”

 

However, once the moment of playful derision had passed, he continued more softly, just for the Lamenter's ears, with real sincerity.

 

“I jest, brother. Whether you bear his angelic likeness or not, your bravery against the daemon-witch proves that you are a true son of your gene-sire. I could do nought else in response except to assist you in whatever way I could. Even in a place such as this…” Hagga looked around the wardroom at the filthy mutants and dirty heretics, “...courage and honour can be found, and should be valued.”

 

 

Edited December 6 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

Kraggan:

 

He was addressed by the 'Thrice Dead.'

 

 

“Careful, human, it is twice that I have been called back from beyond the veil. Luck spared you a similar fate, this time. Do not forget that." 

 

 

"Indeed I thank the U-ka-leg-on" he stressed the syllables. "Ah luck, Randomius Factoria! The fickle fingers of fate or the winds of chaos. Ah there's the Rub!"

 

"Human you call me. Is that all the taunt you have left? I am of the True Flesh, I left that baseline countless years ago. I am no more human than you are!"

 

 

The Astartes turned away, and sauntered over to stand beside Hagga.

 

 

“I hear I owe you thanks for dragging my carcass to the tender mercies of Iscario." Ukalegon grinned then winced again at a sudden flash of pain, unable to hide it from his fellow warrior in that moment. “That is to say I suppose I owe you my thanks – the cybernetics our resident butcher-chirurgeon bestowed upon me are still proving quite vexing. Dying is easier than living, it seems.”

 

 

He had of course followed cautiously, to get in the taunt.

 

"Ah, I of course too aided you in that endeavour. I aided Iscario by crafting some of those cybernetics. Don't cry Lamenter, son of a Cursed Founding. You even now are one step further on the path of true perfection!" 

 

 

As the klaxon sounded mere moments later, summoning Captain Iorek to the bridge, he strode off after. 

 

 

 

Edited December 6 by Machine God
tidy up

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

Ukalegon sneered after the departing tech-priest in contempt; he would not mince words further with one of the insane. The heretek knew nothing of his and his brothers’ sacrifices in the service of an uncaring and corrupt empire. He knew nothing of what had driven the Lamenters into the open arms of Huron Blackheart, and he never would. If the human had indeed crafted any of the cybernetic grafts that now tormented his flesh, he was of half a mind to gut the cur and shove his remains out of the nearest airlock, for his handiwork seemed deficient. Dealing with the priest was ultimately hardly worth the trouble, but Hagga's talk of maintaining honour in this den of iniquity had him feeling otherwise.

 

His hand paused briefly above his chainsword's grip then relaxed, reaching instead for another morsel from Iorek's table.

 

The ex-Lamenter rolled his eyes and sighed, putting the deranged human from his mind, and wolfed down another slice of meat, noting how his incisors now caught on his lips as he chewed. Had they grown whilst he convalesced?! With a grunt of annoyance, he fitted the rebreather mask back over his face and secured it in place, and gave Hagga a nod.

 

+To war.+
 

Edited December 6 by Necronaut

[Machine God]

Kraggan:

 

As he walked out his axe snagged a side of grox. Whilst he was of the True Flesh he could still gain sustenance from flesh and drink, although it was an abhorrent act for the enhanced. 

 

Several metal flagons of Mjod floated out after him upon electromagnetic tethers.