The Horn of Gilgamesh (IC)

[Trokair]

The Horn of Gilgamesh

 

 

---Message Transcript---

Security Clearance Approved  

Message origin: Order Convent, Lethe Enclave, Elysium Forgeworld

Message from: Canoness Superior Oksanna – Order Minoris: Fides ex Machina

Message destination: Collegia Titanica Cathedral Ship Voice of Evening

Message to: High Princeps Felka – Titan Legion: House of Tarakam

 

Greetings Felka

I hear congratulations are due on your new position, albeit from what I gather I fear I am a decade or so late in saying so. Nonetheless it gladdens me to have heard that you are well and prospering.

 

I have appended to this message a report of one Senior Magos Arrestor, vassal of Archmagos Bascule of Elysium, Magos in charge of the Adeptus Mecanicus mining and forge enclave on Erantim XCIV that may be on interest to you and your House.

 

In summary, prospectors found something that a subordinate of Senior Magos Arrestor believed might be Archeotech. The Senior Magos has requested that a Technoarcheologists be dispatched to safely recover the find, a request that the Archmagos has granted. The Archmagos however in turn requesting assistance from my own Holy Order given our past with the Order Minoris Pronatus and the preservation of holy relics.  

While at the time of writing the Technoarcheologists Rho-V-Aleph  is still en route to Erantim XCIV a follow-up report has been received by the Archmagos, which while he has not shared with me, he did, in a private in person conversation earlier this evening, enquire if I knew anybody of the Collegia Titanica.

 

I am sure you can read between the lines as well as I and that you may want to send some of your people to have a look at this find on Erantim XCIV.

 

I remain humbly your friend and servant,

Oksanna

 

By His grace and gift we both Walk in his name.

 

---Message Transcript End ---

 

 

 

 

---Order Transcript---

Security Clearance Approved  

Message origin: Collegia Titanica Cathedral Ship Voice of Evening

Message from: High Princeps Felka – Titan Legion: House of Tarakam

Message to:

- Lord Muster of the Household Delch Norrington – House of Tarakam

- Master of the Feet Dou Gryph – House of Tarakam

- Senior Autokratoris Suph-Mar-Welf – House of Tarakam

- Marshal Run-Yon – Secutarii Secondment to House of Tarakam

 

Delch, Dou, Suph-Mar-Welf and Run-Yon

 

The House has been passed intelligence that is suggestive of a fallen God-Engine. I know that we are stretched thin between multiple fronts and can spare little, but we have all suffered of late and a recovered Engine would be a great boon from the Emperor.

 

Delch, find me a crew, we cannot spare any on active duty or in reserve rotation. You will have to put together one from scattered personal, look to the wounded and recovering, men and women with experience.

 

Dou, a Ship, what can we spare? Is the Light Escort Nostalgia for Infinity flight worthy despite the lack of armaments?

 

Suph-Mar-Welf, do you have anybody we can task to this without comprising our ability to maintain our fighting strength?

 

By the Omnissiah, we will not let one of his manifestation lie as dead, you have your orders, make it so.

 

High Princeps Felka of the House of Tarakam

---Transcript End ---

 

Edited July 5 by Trokair

[Trokair]

Passage from the Memoir of Fleet Sub Admiral Konstantyn ‘Gunless’ Colerum: The Deployment that earned him his moniker.

 

I have to say it felt good to be out of dock again, despite my misgivings at Dou Gryph order to depart before the gunnery deck refit that had brought us here in the first place. The Senior Shipwright had been confident that it would only be another two months, then again he had also said that five months earlier when we had docked.

 

Moral however was good. To have something to do again was more of a tonic to the crew then yet another round of shore leave. Especially when coin had all been spent some month ago and there was not much one could do off ship that was cheap.

 

No, I lie, even here in the recounting; I was Furious at the orders, High Princeps Felka was putting the entire ship at risk sending it out without armaments. She and the fool Gryph had turned my Nostalgia for Infinity into glorified shuttle, running round the subsector to picking up Strays.

 

A quarter of the ship was inaccessible with the gutted gunnery deck being open to the void. Despite the House Autokratoris (what do they know, they work on puny Titan, not proper Ships, even one as small as mine) and our own Tech-Priest reassurance that they had gone round and reinforced the seals I was sorely tempted to refuse the Orders and face a tribunal, I may have been a bit rash in my middle age, but even now the situation galls me and it is only by the Emperors grace and good fortune that the voyage was not our end.

 

 

 

Players, feel free to do any introductory posts you want for your characters.

Please bear in mind the following:

• At the start of this narrative you are without a crew (or in Lord_Ikka’s case without a Secutarii squad to Lead), either because you were injured in the recent past (all physical injuries are healed by game start) or the crew you were part of were injured or killed and/or the titan you served with was damaged/killed/otherwise unavailable for you to continue in your previous posting.
• You have not meet the other player characters prior to boarding the Nostalgia for Infinity, though you may have heard of them by reputation.
• Your post should either end with you boarding a shuttle to be taken up to the Nostalgia for Infinity, or shortly after boarding and being shown to some small quarter aboard ship.
• Captain Konstantyn Colerum, if you want to have a scene with him, is not in a good mood with the High Princepts’ order, but he will be professional in his conduct with House of Tarakam personnel such as yourself.

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

"The Machine-God made this universe, his perfect machine, the Great Work. He made us, and put us into it so we might flourish, and we do so by knowledge and the perfection of the Omnissiah. Each of us weak to test us, learning of knowledge to strengthen us, failure unique among sin that we can turn it into virtue when it drives us to succeed."

 

Rygel looked up from his communion to the auger display of the shuttle. as it hurtled through space. Long had been his penance but not idle, and now he was called upon once more.

[Lord_Ikka]

Darius

 

"Psi-Darius-XII to shuttle 12.A. Psi-Darius-XII to shuttle 12.A."

 

The dead-voiced bianaric cant announcement blared from all eight corners of the giant training hold. Skitarii, Secutarii, and Myrmidons all paused briefly as their enhanced brains translated the message. Battle servitors and automata of the Legio Cybernetica did not, their loaded instructions set and unchangeable by a simple voice transmission.

 

Darius brought his arc lance down and unleashed a blast of pure Motive Force into the training servitor. It shuddered and went limp, signaling a terminal kill for a baseline human opponent. The Secutarii Alpha deactivated the lance and marched from the sparring arena, sending a blurt of bianaric at the attendant-thralls to have them reset the servitor and arena for the next user.

 

Moving quickly on steel legs, Darius collected his few extraneous possessions and headed toward the shuttle bay. The Omnissiah must have answered his prayers and assigned him to a new God-Engine and defender cohort. It was time to again fight for the glory of the Machine.

[Machine God]

Hastus. 

 

Adept Hastus. Everything was in good working order and he was travelling in the Shuttle to the destination. 

 

He re-read the triplicate forms as a matter of rote as it calmed him and brought order to his mind. 

 

Perhaps? 

 

Such a hopeful word. 

 

He had pushed the enquiry. It had been filled, stamped and indexed.

 

He had been briefed, debriefed. Everybody was numbered. 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

The warning klaxon went silent; the Nostalgia for Infinity had transitioned into the Immaterium. The Gellerfiled held. The ship was secure and now riding the weird currents of this other real, the Navigator had the helm. The Captains duty lessened until she was back in the real.

 

For you the transition was unnoticeable, klaxon aside, in the temporary bunk you had been assigned deep in the bowls of the ship. While not actually confined to quarter you could take the hint. It was not safe to wonder, large section of the ship either restricted or totally closed off. In those parts you could walk the crew did not welcome you, despite your status within the House of Tarakam. You were but cargo to them, and cargo did not go for walks.

 

The polite knock therefore came as a surprise. A midshipman waited for you to acknowledge their presence.

 

 “Captain Colerum bids thee to table this evening, Sir.”

 

The Message delivered the midshipmen turned and swiftly departed. Not waiting for a response. The request had been an order in all but name.

 

So far you had only been in the crew’s mess for meals, to eat by yourself between shifts. This would be a more formal affair, dinner in the officer’s mess. Better see that the dress uniform was not too rumpled.

 

---

It was a different midshipman that appeared later to lead you through the ship. For such a small ship it took a long time to reach your destination, and several more sets of stairs than felt strictly necessary. At the door your guide stepped aside, motioned for you to enter and a duty done a salute before leaving.

 

Inside it was more cramped then you might have expected, certainly more so than any similar space you might have encountered aboard other ships. Another look around the room made it clear that this was just not the officer mess, but also a briefing room, lounge and many a other function dictated by need.

 

The table was not set, but off to one side you could see a crewmember preparing. Two seats were already filled. The first an Autokratoris of the House to go by the colour and icons on his robes and finely augmented arms. A Mechadendrite reached for a glass of Amasec. Even when taking a sip the face remained shrouded by the priest’s cowl. 

 

The other figure was tall and lithe, easily a head taller than the first, yet utterly dwarfed by the Autokratoris’ bulk. No obvious augmentation and dressed in House colours, with only a small icon proclaiming the duel allegiance to Mars as well as House.

 

The seats fill one by one until there were three of you bearing the honours of the Moderati on their uniform, and the last to take their place at the table bore the plate of the Secutarii.

 

It is only now that Captain Colerum enters from a side room, for a moment you get a glance at his wardroom, as everything else it is small, cramped, and yet spacious compared to where you have been quartered.

 

“I trust I need to introduction, but please for your fellow guest.”

 

The Autokratoris stood, bowed to the assembled and emitted an information dense binaric screech.

 

“What my colleague meant to say,” the other figure begun as he rose, revealing that he was even taller and thinner than he had looked while seated, “is that Titanwright Claude At’las thanks our Captain for his hospitality, and uttered a short prayer for the Omnissiah’s benediction for all assembled.” 

 

“I am Godenginseer Taw-Samek, at your service.” So spoken the figure folded back into their seat, almost sinking so as to not loom.  

 

Once you have each spoken in turn Captain Colerum cleared his throat.

 

“We have one more speaker who will need no introduction.” As he spoke a holographic display flickered to life. You all recognise High Princeps Felka, more by the singular badge of office pined to her uniform then any personal acquaintance.

 

“At ease,” she starts before any of you can begin to stand to attention, and it is about now that you each realise that the fragments of background at the end of the hologram are not some stateroom or office, it is the inside of the command deck of a Warmaster.

 

“I’ll be brief, you have been gathered for a special mission for our House. On the world of Erantim XCIV, in the hinterlands of the continent of...” there is  a slight hesitation before she continues and if you pay close attention you can see her eyes flicker to something on her right, “Ur there has been a Archeotech find initial analysis indicates is a fallen God-Engine. If the find proves to be an Engine you are to claim it for our House.”

 

As she spoke a holographic projection of Erantim XCIV appeared, zooming in on a landmass in the southern hemisphere, one of several similar sized landmasses scattered admits a world spanning ocean.

 

“I have, through a mutual party, been in contact with Archmagos Bascule of Elysium Forgeworld, who’s vassal made the initial find. The Archmagos has assured us that if it is a Titan and it can be revived he will support our claim to it. Be vary though, even with such proffered support their will be other claimants to such a prize.”

 

“In addition to those present our Lord Muster of the Household had selected a Princepts of considerable experience to lead this mission, however the vagaries of war spoke otherwise and at Delch Norrington recommendation I hereby raise Moderatus Rygel XVI to temporary Princeps for this mission. Konstantyn, if you would.”

 

The hologram flickers out.

 

An Armsmen that had been standing a little behind the Captain stepped forward, holding at the ready a ceremonial Sabre for the Captain to present to the newly risen Princeps.

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

"Hail spirit of the machine, essence divine, in your code and circuitry the stars align" Rygel stood, the honour of rank was unexpected but the wisdom of a High Princeps could not be questioned. He had not prepared for the ritual of advancement and to break with ritual was to break with faith.

 

Lowering his head towards the offered blade, "The Quest for Knowledge is our sacred task. Ours is not to understand or question, ours is to possess, to reclaim, to seize. Ours is the logic and the power" The Vows Acquisitorius, Verse One of...

 

[Trokair]

Drawing the blade from the scabbard Captain Colerum admired it for a moment before intoning the ritualised words, his voice slow and steady, and ever so slightly hesitant in places. Clearly reciting from memory, how long had he practised them earlier that day?

 

When all was said and done the Captain held out the blade hilt first to Princeps Rygel.

 

“Forged from the bones of Tarakam itself, from the lower left shin plate according to the seal of provenance, you now carry a part of the foundation of the House, bear it with honour and glory for the Omnissiah.”

 

Not long after crew arrived with a series of platters, some steaming. A fair number of ships officers filled in and took to the empty seats, the awaited dinner was about to start. The food itself was the same fair you had eaten in the crew mess, just presented on fancier plates, and with Amasec to wash it down instead of beer.

[Malice Jr.]

Tion

 

His head was swimming, perhaps he had sipped the proffered amasec too quickly congratulating the new Princeps. He had suspected that his movement from medical was to place him somewhere quietly away from the controls of another titan. But to his widening surprise, it seemed he was being given another chance.

 

He desperately needed answers. Leaning in to catch the Captain's attention, he practically blurted, "When can we expect to make translation into the Erantium XCIV system?" He looked around the table hoping to find the eagerness he felt in the eyes of the other diners.

[Trokair]

Captain Colerum paused mid bite, looked across at one of the officers and with his free hand motioned them to speak, then continued that private war with the pseudomeat on his fork that had had his attention moments before. 

 

“Second Officer Iot Dodd, Sirs, we are en route for Elysia, a journey expected to take 5 to 8 days depending on the currents. Our Navigator, The Lady Inga jor Shiam, estimates that form there it will be between 2 and a half and 7 weeks based on the charts in her possession and the general stellar navigation data our cogitator banks have for that sub-sector. Neither she nor this ship have ever been there, and so in addition to the usual caveat with travel through the Immaterium we simply do not know how accurate, recent or reliable the charts are. Given the general stability of the trade routes in and around Elysia ...”

 

“In other words, no less than a month, perhaps two, less only if the Emperor smiled upon you.” Interjected Captain Colerum, before second Officer Dodd could spring into full lecture mode.  

[Lord_Ikka]

Darius

 

Weeks to go on the transport and then a possible squabble over a newly found God-Engine with a newly raised Princeps. Hmm. Not the most auspicious beginnings to a new posting.

 

Darius was born and raised to be a Secutarii; his body and mind augmented to fight beyond baseline human limits and to defend the sacred engines of war. It was not his place to argue or make diplomatic gestures. He would do his duty and protect the crew and the Titan.

 

He quietly sipped a glass of water, not needing sustenance beyond the synth-carboprotein mixture his armor inloaded into his body. Keeping quiet and observing the crew for the new engine he served would be the most useful course of action.

[Trokair]

While you were never invited to dine with the Captain again he did assign a small conference room for your use. Really it was just a store rooms that had a table and some crates moved in as chairs, but it was out of the way of a busy crew who had no time for you and gathering there was better than lying in your bank all day. There was even cogitator terminal near the door, initially just connected to ships stores and inventory it was not hard to work out how to coax other data out of it.

 

Just shy of four days later, while some of you were gathered there, the transition warning klaxon sounded, but before you could even prepare yourself the ship lurched back into the real. 

 

Even as one klaxon subsided the battle station call sounded, and in the distance you could hear more localised sirens denoting other issues, though you could not discern if it was as serious as hull breaches or fires, or just call for medics from tumbles and other minor injuries.

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

The test begins, for the Omnissiah would not bestow such and honour without trials in equal measure.

 

Standing amongst the moderatii he considered this his first command. "We shall defend the ship, and see that none might reach the god engine before our ordained arrival."

[Trokair]

No sooner had the Princeps spoken that the entire room lurched sideways. Loose object flew and scattered against the stern wall and several of you lost your footing in this sudden quake. Further alarms rose and fell in a discordant choir.

 

As you regain your footing a Armsman enters, looks you all over briefly and noting no injuries orders you to stay put and not to try and traverse the ship until the all clear has been sounded. Then he was gone again, door sealed with a clunk behind him, though not locked.  More running feet in the corridor beyond.

 

A pop of pressure, as if you had just ridden a great spire elevator from root to the heavens, draws your attention. There, near the stern wall, a shimmer of a red devil, elongated skull and horns all too inhuman. A tongue slivers out to taste the air. As yet it is a spectre, translucent, and yet it snarls and swings its blade. It does not reach you but you feel the forge heat. On the back stork it clips the corner of a metal crate, the brief contact imparting a bright orange glow to the crate that swiftly cools to duller shade.  

 

 

Structure Time Light

Normal turn action allotment per player, but no need for initiatives.

 

[Lord_Ikka]

Darius

 

"Warp-craft. Princeps, Moderatii, behind me. Engage at range, I will defend."

 

Arc lance charged and mag-inverter shield held upright, Darius moved towards the daemonic creature. He discharged the lance into the monstrous face.

 

 

Spoiler

Half Action - Move towards daemon

Half Action - Standard Attack, ranged

Target - 40 + 10 (short range) = 50

Roll - 12

Result - Hit, left arm

Damage: 5 at Pen 2. Target must take a Toughness Test (at +10 for every armor point at hit location) if it takes any damage. If failed, is stunned for number of rounds equal to half of damage taken

 

Edited July 30 by Lord_Ikka

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

"The Etherium it not yet truly breached, the wall thins but holds. We must find the first tear and seal it before this corruption takes root in the blessed machinery".

 

Drawing his blade he motioned to the moderatii, "Interface with the vessel and hunt the traces of this ill that our path may be illuminated".

Edited July 30 by A.T.

[Malice Jr.]

Tion

 

"At once, Princeps." Tion scrambled to the cogitator terminal near the door. Coaxing the machine spirit to action, he entreated it to report the ship's status and any sensor readings of immaterium breaches.

 

Spoiler

Tech-use roll: 15

 

[Trokair]

 

The electric discharge crackled along the apparitions left arm before earthing itself into the metal walls. The creature appeared no worse for wear; though perhaps a little more transparent where the lances charge had passed through it.  

 

Another swing with its blade, fast despite the apparent heaviness of the blade.

 

Darius can attempt to Parry or to Dodge.

 

 

At the consul in the mean time Tion had called up a schematic of the Nostalgia for Infinity and was trying to filter the alerts, alarms and damage report into a coherent, or at least comprehensible, form that could be parse onto the schematics to reveal the root of the troubles.  

 

Taw-Samek stepped up and made some suggestion on how to filter out unnecessary information from the general flow of the ships networks. Once implemented it helped a lot, but revealed a new issue, the most crucial information was security encoded and locked from common access, the cogitator would not yield its secrets so easily.

 

 

I think Machine God was working on a post for Hastus, so I am going to wait on starting round two a few days (and I do mean a few, not two and a bit weeks, hopefully), also gives Lord Ikka time for that Dodge or Parry.  

[Lord_Ikka]

Darius

 

Parry Test

Target - 54

Roll - 44

Result = Pass, 1 DoS 

Edited August 20 by Lord_Ikka

[Trokair]

Judging the angle of the swing just right the Secutarii adjusted his stance, feet planted to support the braced shield. Stepping forward to deflect and push the blade aside, the energy field whines on contact. For the slightest of moments it is as if the blade would cut right through, the bulk of the shield immaterial to the apparition’s strike, but only for a moment. Robed of its momentum and brushed aside the Secutarii saw an opportunity and struck with the lance. An awkward blow direct at the blade, enough however to wrench it from the apparitions hand. As it fell it cut into the floor, spark erupting from some power line beneath the deck plate that had been pierced.

 

So disarmed the devil howled, and from somewhere there was an answer.

 

 

Round Two.

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

The Princepts levelled his pistol at the door while the Secutarii engaged the foe. "By flame shall the unclean be made clean, By fire shall the unholy be cast down. By our act and the will of the Omnissiah shall this ship be purged." He looked pointedly towards Tion and Samek "Seek the wisdom of the gellar field mechanisms."

 

The first point of the tear is where the seal would hold strongest.

 

Aid other - Tion

[Trokair]

As Rygel spoke the Devil shrieked. Perhaps to drown out words of faith and devotion, perhaps in pain, or simply for it’s own delight that a squishier prey had present itself. Who knew what thoughts dwelt inside the apparitions head.

 

Making a lunge for Princeps however was a mistake, as Darius saw the shift in tension just in time to bulldoze shield first into the leaping devil, knocking it off target, into the wall.

 

Lashing out with one hand to try and stead itself the Devil instead tore into the wall, four long rends followed the creature downwards as it collapsed.

 

Rygel spun on the spot, no longer covering the door, whether by instinct and a glimpse out of to the corner of his eye, or by training and discipline the theun neatly moved the Princeps out of harms way. The Legion autopistol centred on and tracking the devil as it feel, the rat tat tat of a short burst echoed loud.

 

For good measure the Secutarii, form his awkward position on the floor, followed up with a trust of the lance. On contact he then channelled all the build up electrical charge into the devil, and this time it seem to stick. For a moment. The Devil shrieked, the sound cut and were there had been an otherworldly fiend now there was electro-scaring and ricochet scrapes.

 

 

As everybody seems to be busy (and or struggling with the currents B& C loading error phases) I have moved us on a little. We are back in full narrative time, so post as you see fit.

[A.T.]

Rygel

 

One of infinite, they sought to drive back the tide by striking at the water. "You take too long at your task, we shall not be bystanders to this affront to a vessel of the Omnissiah. The breach must be located."

[Malice Jr.]

Tion

 

Tion continued searching for the empyreal tear on board. Reports were streaming across the ship, filtering out mechanical malfunctions and minor psychic activity took a great deal of focus. He could feel his pupils narrow to pinpoints as he sought out the data that would reveal the nexus, the weak point that allowed physical insanity to materialize on their vessel. If he could find it, it would be a simple matter to give the quickest route to the others so they could truly strike back.