[MISSION 2] Grandfather's Gifts

[GoldenThrone]

You exiy the Governors palace, escorted by an awe-struck Adept Noviate, who follows directions precisely and leads you directly to the Enforcer compound. Thr Noviates eyes never leave the road.

The Enforcer compound is across the street from the palace, and the Noviate preceeds you into the door, then pronptly fades into your shadow. The entry room is empty, though a shout through your vox should bring someone scurrying.

[Legendary]

"Those loyal to the emperor assists me in protecting his citizens." I will boom loudly.

I scan the area and all entering it with Auspex to see if any of them differ from normal humans. I also observe their reaction to my vox voice and the authority of the emperor.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- an auspex isn't a fine enough instrument to differentiate disparate life signs. It can only identify life signs, power signatures, etc. Power signatures are much easier to identify because the auspex can read various parameters. But it could not, for example, detect the difference between Tau and human, or identify the location of warp anomalies, or the relative size of the life signs.

IC- Your auspex reads the following: there are two suits of power armour, which you can identify because of their nuclear reactor power packs. There are approximately three dozen other life signs, and most of them begin converging on your location.

Entering the front room first are the two sets of power armour, followed closely by two others. There is an obvious leader amongst the four, and it takes you little time to identify them as the Arbites. The leader carries a Locke-pattern Boltgun, smaller than yours and fit for normal human use. He also carries a power sword. His power armour as well is well cared for, but smaller than your suit. It has been built to protect a human-sized body.

"Hello, Brother Deathwatch," the leader intones. "I was unaware of any of the Emperor's true sons on Cariss. What may we help you with?" The Arbites' tone is guarded as he addresses you.

[Legendary]

"I believed we landed here by chance, but I now see it is the Emperor's will that I help his subjects. I will assist you with your search for the for the missing and perhaps I may assist in finding the cause and cure of this mysterious disease. Will you share with me what you know? My long lifetime may yield some knowledge. Also, sometimes things are not as they seem - and I excel at those problems as well."

My servo-arm will gesture with my speech, while my bolter will be held at ease in front of me. I see if this unsettles any among them.

[GoldenThrone]

"Your offer is most generous, milord, but we will not need your help with this investigation. In fact, your mere presence here causes a setback. After all, what felon would knowingly come out when one of the Emperor's Finest is here?" The lead Arbite says. "I'm afraid I must insist you return to your vessel. And as for investigation details, it is better that they temain confidential. Separate jurisdictions and all. I am sure you understand."

[Legendary]

I nod, and turn gesturing the the adept. When we are outside I quietly say "can you get me a member of the Enforcers to come speak to us in private? The Arbiters must not be aware of this meeting. I will continue walking away as though nothing has changed. Inform him that I have questions and that if he is confident helping me is helping the Imperium, then he can risk the wrath of the Arbiters. I only want questions answered and the location of that last kidnapped victim and the longest infected still living victim."

[GoldenThrone]

"I can do one better than that, milord," a voice interrupts from behond you. "I beg you pardon the interruption, but I must speak with you." The man, you see, is wearing an Enforcer uniform. The decorations on it indicate he is highly ranked. He turns to the Adept and says, "it is best if you leave, for your own sake." The Adept does so.

The man turns to you. "I am Captian Calth, Cariss Enforcers. I have information for you, but we must move quickly. The Arbites have been watching me very closely. Follow me, please."

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- Continuation

IC-Calth leads you quickly away from the Enforcer compound. As he walks he takes out a data slate and hands it to you. "That contains all of the details of the investigation, in case I cannot finish telling you. The Arbites must never find that." Calth leads you into an alley.

"We began the investigation several weeks ago, after the first dissapearance. When no real leads were forthcoming, I stationed enforcers with the afflicted. Something always went wrong. The enforcers slept, were unconscious, suffered amnesia, and in two cases were killed. Picters placed in the rooms offeted similar results, with no pictures or destroyed devices. We found no commonality between victims either. Except that in the case of every vanishing the Ecclesiarchal Pontifex (highest ranked member of the Ecclesiarchy on a planet) himself performed last rites.

"The Arbites arrived before we could turn the investgation on the Pontifex. We eagerly gave them our investigation notes, since technically the Pontifex is beyond our legal reach. The Arbites have been systematically executing those Enforcers involved in the investigation, citing heresy and collusion, because none of the enforcers were able to retain anything--"

Just then a voice cuts into the alley. "Captain Calth, you are under arrest! Come out of the alley and place yourself in the custody of the Adeptus Arbites!"

[Legendary]

OOC: Ok. So I am above Arbites authority correct?

Unless they suspect me of heresy?

And if I suspect Xenos I can counter accuse and if they defy me it is to the death?

And how long until this guy is executed?

Does anything sound like Xenos?

This sounds highly suspect and like heresy. Is the Pontifex above my authority? Or rather, can I accuse him and have prosecuting power?

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- Authority: you have higher authority in the event if confirmed xenos activitu, or on orders from the Ordo Xenos. If the Arbites are persuing an investgation they have greater authority.

Arbites do not typically investigate heresy, but when they encounter it they can punish it. More common would be treason.

You dont technically have the authority to accuse of Xenos activity unless you have solid proof. You may investigate, but without some sort of evidence you cant compel the Arbites.

If the Arbites are confident enough to arrest execution is either going to be immediate or within the hour.

This does not align with any xenos subversion tactic that you are aware of. Mosr probably if it xenos it could be enslavers, but in that case the governor would be in on it and they would have tried to get you as soon as you landed.

If you accuse the Pontifex you have greater odds of ending up neing interrogated by Ordo Hereticus than he does.

Your best bet, if you suspect the Pontifex, is to investigate quietly and perhaps a local with some authority can give you assisstance.

[Legendary]

"Currently this captain is mine. If you find difficulty with this we will have a problem. When I'm done with him, he will again be your problem."

I will turn and gesture to the captain. "Keep up." In the meantime I will jack in to the data he gave me.

[GoldenThrone]

The Arbite sputters for a moment, and you can see the gears turning in his brain. "Very well, Marine, but this is not over!" The Arbite turns on his heel and storns away.

Upon jacking into the dataslate you discover information relating toall known disappearances, including dates of their passing and if the Pontifex was involved. It us a full investigation file.

"My lord, governor Sarthol asked to be apprised of all developments, yet I have been prevented from delivering this information by the Arbites. Would you deluber it for me? I must find a place to lie low until the Arbites move on."

[Legendary]

"Very well. I do not like those who exert their authority into my affairs. Be sure that you remain available to me until my involvement ceases. I wouldn't enjoy having to come to the Arbites to find them having dealt with you already."

I head back to the governor and inform him of the development and hand him the information.

"Do you have anything you can infer from this Lord Governor? The more you know, the less I must infer."

[GoldenThrone]

Governor Sarthol pauses as he digests the information you have brought to him. "It is difficult for me to draw any conclusion except the one that is presented here. It appears that the Pontifex is in the middle of all of this. What are your thoughts, milord? Do you believe the enforcers information to be accurate?

I seem to recall there is an ancient tunnel built under the Pontifex's cathedral. It may be that this tunnel can provide you with a route you can use to investigate further."

[Legendary]

"I find that loyal men have little to lie about Governor. Men who keep secrets and hide what they know from other men, especially when those men are in positions of power, often lie. For what reason, I suppose we may find out."

I bow and ask an adept for an archive with old plans of the city. I have my cartograph updated with the plans of secret and underground passages. I load all my weapons up. Then I auspex and proceed through the passageway.

[GoldenThrone]

Perception test. It does not effect if you find the tunnel.

[Legendary]

43

[GoldenThrone]

The tunnel is marked on your map as "catacombs entrance". Evidently it hs been used as easy access to catacombs for burial. The ground around the cave is well-travelled recently, though it is difficult to say by how many people.

If you want to attempt to move silently into the tunnel and thus get the drop on any one inside, roll move silently. Otherwise you will be terribly loud going in.

[Legendary]

I fix my built in cybernetic auspex with a roll of 3.

I'm a marine not a mouse, so if auspex picks up nothing I stomp in.

[GoldenThrone]

Your auspex detects 5 life signs inside

[Legendary]

Well then. Move silently, or whatever it is called. Roll: 48

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- a "common sense" sorts of thing: your servo arm does not have the power field rule, meaning if someone with a weapon that has that rule parries your servo arm successfully there is a 75% chance the arm is destroyed. The fix is to try not to hit people with the arm who can break the arm.

IC-Your attempts at silent moving are valiant, but ill-fated. You can see in your auspex that once you entered the tunnel one of the life signs quickly advanced fruther up the tunnel, quickly getting beyond the 50 meter range of your auspex. The other four move down the tunnel, coming towards you before abruptly stepping off the cartograph and passing through the wall of the tunnel. At least thats what it looked like.

[Legendary]

I walk stoicly down the hallway, wondering why I ever attempted to hide the power the Omnissiah gifted me with.  I will call out "I have seen you.  Reveal yourselves or I am forced to assume you are a threat."

OOC: Frag grenades have a range of Strength bonus x 3.  My bonus after power armour is 10.  So 30m.

IC: I wait until I am in range to throw the Krak grenade around the manmade corner, ceiling vent, hole, or whatever appears to be the opening through which they have evacuated.  If I don't see one, I simply throw the grenade into that section of hallway and prepare to rush it when the grenade explodes. I do not throw the grenade if they reveal themselves to be human and are not threatening.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- Fair warning: pitching the grenade may result in Insanity Points. This is because you may be doing intentional harm to an innocent. While you have called out, you have no guarantee (or proof) that the entities within are hostile. Igrant there is a chance, but just to put the bug in your ear, what if some of the people in there are hostages? In addition the following IC information might change things.

IC- The tunnel slopes and turns. As you near the four signals, two define themselves as power armour. You come upon the corridor where the signal dissapeared. It is obscured by rotting root growth and vegetation. You will have to clear it to get a clean throw. There is no response to your calls.

[Legendary]

Wouldn't an innocent cry out or show some sort of struggle on auspex be an indicator of innocence? Also, how would I know when they were dead that they weren't hostile?

Also is it assumed I chose a bow prior to this or the same vow as before? If I can choose a new one I choose vow of the weapon.

IC: I touch all the walls around me to search for another pass way. If not, I begin clearing vegetation. I enter 'Fire for Effect' as my squad mode (if allowed above).

Once the signatures are close I pretend I'm still clearing but focus on their distance and reactions preparing myself to act.

[Sponsored content]