The Halls of Gold could not have been more aptly named. This sector of Port Wander was paved with shimmering gold, and ornate sculptures gazed down upon those who passed within it, headed by a statue of Saint Drusus, chainsword in one hand and a standard in the other, the pose he was commonly depicted as holding after the Triumph of Fenksworld.

Visible down the doors off to either side, hundreds of scribes pored over the countless transactions, and made sure that the river of gold and throne gelt continued to flow smoothly though this place.

This was not extravagance, it was a necessary expenditure, all designed with one purpose--to drive home the utter financial superiority of House Krin, one of the greatest merchant houses of the Calixis Sector. We buy and sell stars. It was a message to Rogue Traders that here was someone they could not overawe with money and influence.

This hall was not a battlefield, nor was it some unexplored frontier. But it was still a place where the fate of countless lives in the Calixis Sector and beyond were decided, and where Rogue Trader Dynasties had died, drowning pitifully in their own debt, dismantled and repossessed in a fate far less glamorous than mortal battle with Orks or vanishing into the Rifts of Hecaton....but no less final.

The Faye dynasty had learned this lesson the hard way. Over forty years before the birth of the Warrant's current holder, the first of many bad debts and late payments had cost them a star system and a profitable promethium harvesting colony. But now, after a long and painful decline, there was a chance to regain at least some of what they had lost.

Or vanish forever into the void.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:10, Wed 15 Dec 2021.

Some said Pultarch Norn, representative of House Krin aboard Port Wander, could be replaced with a dessicated Egarian mummy, and it would be months before anyone noticed. Others said this had already happened.

He sat behind his desk, his austere black-clad appearance in utter contrast to his opulent surroundings. Again, it was a message--showing off was over, now it was time for business. With a hawk-like nose, a bald head and long, spider-like fingers that curled around each other in patterns that were almost hypnotic, the bureaucrat regarded everyone who came into his office with a kind of measured, very polite contempt. Some said that if Abaddon the Despoiler were to walk into his office without an appointment, he would be told to take a seat.

You would have to be a master of reading people to notice even the faintest hint of displeasure in his posture, but he was called upon today to do something that sat very ill with him.

Namely, ask for assistance.

"They may enter." he said, and his assistant nodded and opened the doors. Curious about what the Faye dynasty could now muster, he watched and assessed each individual in Lady Odette's party as they came through the door.

This was it. All roads had led to this point, a nexus event that would determine the course of the future. In these halls and in this time, the fate of her family would be decided and the Faye dynasty would either rise from the ashes to be greater than ever before.

Or they would vanish without a flicker, forgotten and ignorable in their end.

But that thought implied the outcome was in the hands of fickle fate, and Odette refused to accept it. She walked with her head held high and resolve in her bearing. Her attire was elegant, but not excessive, and a tiara perched on her head, narrow enough to not be vulgar but there to provide an additional nod to the still remaining strength of her dynasty and its holdings.

She inclined her head to Pultarch Norn, offering a polite smile with just a hint of friendliness to it, even if it was feigned. "A pleasure, I'm sure." She offered an incline of her head. "And thank you for meeting with us. I am hopeful we can help one another."

morton Crow followed just behind Mistress Faye slightly to the left and a few steps to the rear. His immaculate black long coat with silver trim reflected the lights in the corridors they walked through.

His well trimmed jet black facial hair gave his features even more of an angled appearance, like a bird of prey waiting for the right moment to strike. It looked even blacker against his pale skin, which along with his light grey orbs for his eyes marked him out as a navigator and one that was touched by the warp.

This was even more so in his case, the Name crow was infamous in the myths of navigators, corrupted and cursed by the warp and those that lived in the dark recesses between planets it had taken many many centuries for the descendants to craw back even a little of what the family reputation was before their fall.

now one of the blood cursed was walking through the halls of a distinguished family following the following one of its own as her navigator. it raised eye brows definitely but Morton paid little heed he kept pace with the woman in front of him the only sound the click of his walking stick against the polished stone floor which brought attention to his slight limp, the mark of the curse upon his body.

Behind them both came the muffled tap of a second stick, its bearer wearing a slight smile at the sight they must collectively present. Clean-shaven, with sparkling blue eyes that would hold sway in most rooms, Vorn's voluminous cerulean robes masked the injuries that required the ebon-hafted and horn-tipped cane he bore, whilst the flapping ribbons of parchment - spider-scrawled with the ink of a hundred shrines - masked the sound.

Besides his robes and seals, Aurelius was bare-headed, his features aquiline and proud and his short dark hair slick with perfumed oils. At his side, hung a well-worn copy of the Book of Atticus, filled with ribbons marking key verses and songs of the faith. Upon his chest, a holy rosarius, bronze-bedecked and heavy. And from his waist, a chain of trinkets, relics - most prominently those pertaining to Drusus and Asceline - and thirty-six navy dog tags.

Like Morton, he remained silent, knowing his moment was not now. Instead, he listened, his attention focused on the interplay between Norn and the Lady Odette. Reading people was his skill, swaying them to the faith ... or to the Lady Odette's whim.

 There is a faint sound of metal slithering over metal that occurs when Explorator Tesla walks, a soft mechanical noise of aspiration when he breathes but other than that the tall, gaunt, red-robed figure of the Explorator makes little noise as he brings up the rear of the group, brass mechandrites sinuously moving in time to the flowing, mechanical gait that makes him seem to ghost along on wheels rather than legs - a common affectation of the Adeptus Mechanicus, even when they're still operating on their original limbs.

 If Aurelius can be said to be aquiline, then there's little left to say about what part of Tesla's face is visible under his hood, a brass faceplate with an Aquila-beak and a voder grill beneath giving no clue as to the expression - if indeed he still has one - beneath, the mechanistic outline and fine-detailed engraving of machinery giving him something of the impression of a lecturn or shrine-guardian of the Omnissiah in his manifestation of the God-Emperor of Mankind.

 For his part however, beyond those sounds he remains silent and attentive - it is not, after all his place to interject until called upon.

"I am sure we can." replied the bureaucrat with a nod. If he was impressed or disappointed, both verdicts were equally unreadable. Courtesies done, he settle back behind his desk, lifting a hand to take a slate from a servo-skull that whirred across the room.

"Now then, I will not waste your time, Lady Faye." he said. "And get directly to the point. This concerns the planet of Gallicinae Prime, a highly valuable asset that belonged to your ancestor Lord Wolfgang Faye. We took possession of it as part of a....business agreement." he said, any diplomacy in his choice of words undermined by the way his mouth curled at the corners.

"However, of late we have encountered....difficulties. Nine months ago, we lost all communication with the colony, and it falls to me to protect our investment. Xenos attack seems unlikely, given the lack of warning, but the true cause of the fall cannot be guessed at. We are quite reluctant to abandon such a lucrative prospect, and would be prepared to evenly share the profits were it to be properly reclaimed in reasonably good order, and the cause of the disruption, whatever it may be, addressed."

Copies of the data were supplied by the skull to Odette and her senior officers, so they could contemplate what Pultarch was saying...and what he was not saying. The location, in the Foundling Worlds, was notoriously perilous, an ill-omened region of space of which it was said that any venture started there would inevitably come to ruin.

And yet....those numbers were tempting.

Morton listened to the conversation as soon as Gallicinae was mentioned his mind touched the warp gently caressing it as his unique ability started to work out a route through the darkness ready for the order once they were back on the ship

"And, umm...", ventured Aurelius carefully, offering the hint of a smile to the Pultarch, "How was communication maintained prior, bless the Emporer's Light? Astropath? Couriers? Trade and tribute..."

His eyes flickered over the data slate provided by servo-skull, his eyebrows raised at the material concerning the Drusian colony, but for now, he said nothing.

"The four Astropaths stationed there simply ceased contact, without even the faintest of warnings. Normally, they are a reliable method of alerting us to any danger, if a touch prone to dramatics." said Norn. "There was one time when one of our subsiduaries sent a message about red fangs in the sky and a dark-eyed moon coming to devour them....and then it simply turned out they had consumed certain exotic mushrooms native to the planet, and everything was fine.

"Normally, transport vessels were sent in to recover the finished products for shipping. There were three in-system at the time of the blackout, and we have not heard from them since. The most recent cargo ship to come from there reported nothing new, save for reports of some peculiar sensor echoes around the colonies, which could be an indicator of something strange, or entirely coincidence."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:53, Sat 18 Dec 2021.

Odette's mouth twitched slightly in distaste at the mention of how the dynasty had been forced to give up assets to try and meet its debts, a piecemeal stripping of its influence and fortune. And the family's decision to establish one in such a dangerous part of space.. that in itself added a great deal of uncertainty. Listening to the points raised about the Astropaths and missing transports she nodded once before speaking up.

"This is a most generous offer." She mused, considering the data slate. "I am curious though, as to the coverage of 'properly reclaimed'. You would be asking for our assistance with any needed repairs or restoration to the colony, mining station and ships?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:24, Sun 19 Dec 2021.

Aurelius raised a well-manicured eyebrow at the sensor echoes observation, but held his tongue whilst the Lady-Captain asked her own questions

Norn nodded at Odette's question.

"Well, that will depend upon the condition they are retrieved in. If there is nothing left to recover....then we simply part ways with no financial commitment. Tragic, but understandable. Any reconstruction costs otherwise will be covered by us, save if they could reasonably be avoided."

"The most important thing is that the refinery be preserved. Even if it has entirely ceased production, the value of the promethium stored there will be rivalled only by its volatility. The colonies and the population are eminantly replaceable."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Sat 18 Dec 2021.

 "Astropathic communication is inherently of low bandwidth and susceptible to changing local conditions, but due to the amount of time necessary for a vessel to move from the Mandeville Point to weapons range it is unlikely that a large-scale incursion could be responsible for the disruption." Explorator Tesla states flatly, having spent some moments calculating the relative distances involves "Conversely, a local disruption to the planet itself would not have been capable of interdicting three freighters, although it is possible that they could have left the system at non-optimal locations and still be in transit."

 His tone is metallic, but pleasantly resonant as though tuned to cut through engine noise and chanting and he concludes his line of thinking by observing "This restricts the possibility space of incidents to an incursion by forces able to avoid the restrictions upon orthodox void travel, an organised infiltration of the facility ahead of a large-scale assault by vessels able to intercept the freighters or - at a lower possibility - a large-scale subversion of the facility from within which was able to sabotage or delay the missing transports. Of these instances, only the second represents a significant danger to our established resources. It is likely that we have the means to complete the task ahead of us."

"Mm." Odette tapped fingernails against the desk in thought as Jak offered his analysis. "Pultach Norn, kindly make data on those sensor echoes available to my colleague, so he an factor them into his evaluations." She nodded at Jak, silent a moment before speaking up again. "It's likely a small force could capture this place. Or it might not be an attack of all but an accident, or something natural. Albeit, it's unlikely either of those events could silence the Astropaths and trap or destroy the transports before they could respond."

She nodded again, and while she was sure there was a catch in all this due to how overtly generous the offer was, beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Please let me see the offered contract for this arrangement then." A pause. "One more thing. I wish for a provision to be added, that the dynasty has the ability to take over management of the colony if we so choose, provided it still exists, of course. If we do so the colony will continue to produce to your specifications and we will waive rights if it falls below that level. In short, I am offering to take the colony off your hands, while still ensuring you profit from it at expected levels."

"Subversion", echoed Aurelius when his mistress had finished speaking, though his voice was soft, "And with the Drusian sculptors performing their holy work close by... for a time?"

Glancing once more at the data slates, he shrugged and once the Pultarch had answered voiced his own question, "Do we have any more information on the colony on Gallicinae Epsilon? I would like to dig into souls with the Ecclesiarchy before we voyage."

Beneath his breath, he offered a blessing to Saint Aceline and scrawled a brief note on a rolled scrap of parchment he carried besides many others in a pouch tucked beneath his robes: to speak to the Lady-Captain about inquiries to the Battlefleet on the state of local patrols.

"That is acceptable." replied Norn to Odette after a moment's calculation. "Of course, the debts still exist, and we will continue to pay for them out of the profits from this site. If there are any disruptions....well, you are not the only Rogue Trader that owes us favours."

He left the warning implicit for a moment before continuing.

"We suspected much the same, but it is impossible to tell. Superstition says any enterprise in that region is doomed to disaster, but you seem far too sensible to believe such superstitions. If the population is compromised....well, you possess a well-armed ship, and many loyal armsmen aboard your vessel. And you are the most highly motivated agent we could think of.

He tailed off for a moment, as he considered Aurelius' question.

"The sculptors were largely outside of our interest, and they had little care for us. As specified in the contract, supplies were dropped at intervals, but the hermits otherwise rejected contact with the outside world. They had requested somewhere isolated to complete their holy task, Sir Wolfgang provided them with one. The last we heard, their colony was entirely without trouble...or fruit for their extensive labours."


OOC: Persuasion roll of 6 for Odette  (success).
This message was last edited by the player at 01:13, Mon 20 Dec 2021.

Odette nodded at Aurelius. "I believe they'll take succour from their work alone, knowing they're striving in the name of the God Emperor and His holy saints. I don't wish to disrupt their solitude any-more than is needed, but we should certainly see to their physical well-being, and their spiritual if they're willing to engage with yourself." She smiled. "I'm glad to have you with us for this, the colonists would benefit greatly from your presence."

Turning her attention back to Pultach Norn she mused a moment, considering. On paper the arrangement was perfect for them, no commitment after ensuring the safety of the refinery and perhaps the colonies. However the more it prospered the better, which motivated them to put in efforts to increase productively in the long run, and anything they provided would end up under House Krin's control. She internally tipped her hat to Pultach Norn, but her realisation changed nothing.

The dynasty needed this, and he knew it as well as she did. That said, rights to the colony gave the dynasty a foothold that was entirely under their remit and in itself could be tapped for greater fortunes in the region.

"I believe we are agreed then. One last question from myself though, do you have full fights under Imperial law for the mining rights to the entire planet, or could others be trying to establish their own? That's one possibility for what's happened here."

"They have their succor", acknowledged Aurelius in the softest voice, "But they have been far from the Emporer's Light, striving in the darkness..."

He frowned, straightening to meet the Lady-Captain's eye, and smiled weakly before nodding once. Like her, he recognized that the Dynasty needed this, and he needed the Dynasty to succeed if he were to bring these lost worlds into the Emporer's Light once more

"On paper, we are the full and entire owners of the system and all in it. In practice....the Expanse often has its own rules. Piracy, a would-be claim jumper....it is impossible to know for sure, but I am sure you are ready for anything.

"Now, I am sure you do not want to waste any time. I look forward to news of your success."


....


When the meeting was concluded, it was time to prepare for the mission. The destination was cleaqrly visible from the windows of Port Wander, the two warp storms--and the tiny pinprick of normal space that made up the Maw--visible as a discoloured stain that stretched across the void. The Koronous Expanse....the making of many Rogue Traders and the graveyard of so many more.

Also visible, where it was docked, was the sword that the Faye dynasty would raise against this limitless void. Named with a sense of irony, the Forlorn Hope was a light cruiser that did not look the least bit light. The Secutor-class ships were heavyweights, created by the Adeptus Mechanicus to be ready for anything in uncharted space, packing protection and armament that rivalled ships twice the mass. Fitted with heavy lances, housing a regiment of household troops and housing flight decks that mounted wings of heavy attack craft, it was a snub-nosed beast of a ship.

And, for many generations of the Faye dynasty in the worst reaches of the Halo Stars, it was home.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:43, Wed 22 Dec 2021.

After their audience with the Pultrach, and with the Maw visible from one of the many walkways and promenades that crossed Port Wander, Aurelius stared in wonder at their home - the venerable vessel that was the Forlorn Hope. He tore his gaze from the starship, turning to the other members of the Lady-Captain's inner circle, "Part of me would recommend Gun-Cutters and Rhinos; the other suggests hazardous environment gear and geo-priests familiar with promethium. Either way, I think our most valuable asset will be information..."

 Through the remainder of the meeting, Explorator Tesla remains quiet, having contributed his probability analysis early on and having little else to offer in the absence of further information - asides from the occasional binary chatter with passing servitors or household cherubs about arcane theological matters no doubt too rarefied for minds of mere meat to follow.

 That does not however, mean that he does not have ideas once the group is underway, his brassy metallic tones observing "Certainly, access to the most recent information regarding the system would be of value, as well as an update on known threats operating in the sector. Pending that information, and with the understanding that this is a tentative proposal, I would prioritise the two smaller locations first. Although the refining colony is the primary target it is also the most volatile. Securing Epsilon and Alpha will provide the household troops with experience in conducting a landing in unsecure territory as well as provide us with an opportunity to gather local intelligence while maintaining sensor observation on the mining station."

With some enquiries, Odette was able to find the captain of the Vagabond-class freighter Gaberlunzie, which had been a day away from pulling out and heading back into the Calixis Sector, as it currently ran a munitions supply route from Scintilla to keep the Port Wander warships supplied with Gunmetal City's finest ordnance.

The captain, a cagey and twitchy woman named Yrsa Wormwood, told what she knew--that until about a year ago, she had run promethium supplies from Gallicinae, a highly profitable contract, but one that she was glad to see the back of. She had always had a bad feeling about that place, according to her.

"But that last trip....there was something strange going on, I could feel it. Everyone felt on edge...it felt that when we were loading everything that could go wrong did, we had to jettison a megaton canister that hadn't been sealed properly when it was loaded, damn thing could have blown us all to ashes if something had set it off. Took far longer than it should do to get anything done! That slug of a colony governor said that he was having 'temporary issues with his labour force'....yeah, didn't turn out to be so temporary, did they? It's just like my father said, the only people more foolish than those who go into the Accurse Demesne are those who ignore the signs to get out."

Another curious thing had been several reports of strange dreams among the crew, which had been attributed to proximity to the great warp storms. Fresh checks on the warp seals upon the hull had found nothing unusual, but even so, Wormwood did not mind admitting that she had not dallied longer than necessary.

OOC: 7 on Common Knowledge.

Odette turned from where she'd been observing the Forlorn Hope. Fitting, given it was where the last chance of the dynasty rested. Without it she and her inner circle still had power, but could no longer claim the mantle of Rogue Traders.

Hands clasped behind her back she listened as Aurelius and Jak spoke, nodding to them both. "We cannot know for certain what threat we're facing, be it something natural, Xenos, heresy or something even worse. Our military resources are capable and I very much agree with having a number of small fight craft. Regarding targets as well, I had more than one reason to try to gain rights to the colony. Now that we have those rights anything part of the colony will be ours entirely which offers the potential chance for expansion in the future.

I'm minded to agree Explorator, with the note that we may need to adjust our wider strategy once we arrive in the system and have real time data to hand. As for information you are both correct and I asked some questions.

This is far from entirely reliable, but I did have a conversation with a Captain who's carried out runs to that system. She had numerous issues with her cargo and said the labour force in the colony was unreliable and several things went wrong. There's also the fact that several in her crew experienced strange dreams."

She looked towards Morton with a nod. "Is this something you might have experience with? If the Warp is involved somehow, we need to be even more wary."

Listening to the Lady-Captain's insights, Aurelius nodded, the prayers upon his robes causing that slight motion to be accompanied by a susurration of rustling. He was perturbed, unreliability oft a precursor to discontent and turning one's face from the Emperor's Light, but he remained silent until their Navigator had an opportunity to speak. His lips moved, however, sub-vocalizing a prayer from the lessons of Saint Sabbat, "Lay a fire within your soul and another between your hands, and let both be your weapons.
For one is faith and the other is victory and neither may ever be put out..."

When they had walked out onto the platform Morton had seemed lost in the view, his blank grey eyes studying space with a slight smile on his handsome features.

It took a moment for him to realise Odette had spoken.

He cleared his throat before replying, turning those same featureless eyes towards her.

" Unfortunately until I am there I cannot say if the warp is effecting the situation but once there I should know for sure. The dreams are a worry I will research this, there are stories of the warp effecting the mind from long exposure, invading dreams and altering perception. I will look into it before we arrive at our destination."

He nodded before continuing" My lady Faye where do you wish to arrive first? so I can make my calculations and set a path through the blackness for our voyage"

 "While it is possible to utilise alternative Mandeville Points to arrive in-system, there are considerations in doing so." Explorator Tesla states dispassionately, looking between the Navigator and the Trader, expressing nothing that they do not know but doing so in order to put them at the front of their minds for the decision-making process in fairly typical Mechanicus fashion - they do so love their ordained checklists -"All such safe entry points are at least two weeks cruising speed from the inner solar system even when approaching dwarf stars, therefore stealth and speed are not one amongst them. The two most prominent are that the most commonly used point - the one frequented by the bulk haulers - will have the most thorough charting and be the safest from the point of view of entering and exiting the Immaterium. Counter to this, is that this point will represent the greatest risk of ambush if hostile void forces are in theatre."

As Vorn read the Tarot, the first card was not a good omen.

God-Emperor, Inverted: A grim omen, one that suggests the taint of the Warp is in play, or death from the great void beyond the light of the Astronomicon.

And below that were three that formed a concerning pattern.

The Dishonoured Scion, Inverted: Either suggests opportunities to be had by breaking with tradition....or an old shame.

The Harlequin: Illusion, trickery and the unseen adversary.

The Sword, Inverted: An imminent battle, inverted to suggest civil strife or internal dissent.

Morton looked at the card that was turned, interesting.

"My lady Faye Dreams are a sign of the warps influence but even the best shielded ship will allow seepage this does not mean it has an active roll in what is or has happened but it is something  that must be considered as we progress."

He looked at his fellow ship mates " at the first sign that any of the crew start experiencing dreams I need to be informed, that includes all of you"

Odette nodded at Jak and Morton as Aurelius consulted the tarot. "I am certainly minded for caution on this venture, so I would prefer we exit at a point less likely to be interdicted However, it is yourself who must chart us this course Master Navigator. Do you consider exiting at a less well travelled point a viable option?"

She drew her lips into a thin line. "The warning of dreams is understood. We will be watchful then. Aurelius." She waited until his reading was complete to avoid interruption. "What would be needed to further ward the ship from the predations of the Warp with the protections of the God Emperor?"

“Confessors and choirs, my Lady-Captain”, suggested Aurelius, his brow furrowed as he considered the cards before him, “We must fortify the hold crew if they are to face the apostate and the heretic.”

He paused for a moment, thoughtful and somewhat concerned, “Perhaps a relic master, who might bless the munitions. “

His thoughts remained on the cards, trying to eke more meaning from them: the warning to seek wisdom away from tradition gnawed at him, but there was little to hint at which direction such insight might be sought, and so it became a pressure, needing to be tapped in the moment
This message was last edited by the player at 10:21, Tue 28 Dec 2021.

Morton thought for a moment "travelling the warp is a fickle thing at the best..... Exiting at a less travelled point adds to the difficulty but not impossible."

A slight smile crossed his lips "nothing ventured nothing gained my lady"

Odette's lips twitched in a faint grin as she nodded back. "The course is set them. We'll exit at a less used point and take the chance to learn all we can in our approach. Given the unknowns, caution certainly appeals to me.

Whatever you need is yours, Aurelius. Including a relic master if a capable one can be found on ship or elsewhere."

She turned back to the view. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." She mused, echoing Morton's words. "Our dynasty raises or falls with what's to come. Do any of you wish to add more before we begin final preparations?"

When the preparations are concluded, the officers stand ready in the bridge of the Forlorn Hope. Reports say that the sanctifications overseen by Vorn and Jack have been conlcuded, every possible seal reinforced, and the Gellar Field blessed with only the very finest of sacred unguents. It is hard to imagine being more ready than they are right now...of course, that need not be the same thing as "ready enough".

The umbillicals are severed, some of them giving up their connection with a last shower of sparks or powdery ice crystals floating off into the void. The maneuvering jets fire, slowly pushing the intimidating vessel away from the Port Wander docks, before turning to face the intimidating wall of tormented space that marks the edge of the Great Warp Storms.

In the engine room, the plasma reactor groans and snarls like a chained beast as the power of a sun is harnessed. The warp engines are prepared, and given one last round of exorcisms. The crew gather in prayer services to beg for the protection of Saint Asceline. Within the barracks, the household troops perform countless superstitions--but one they all have in common is to break out a strictly rationed cup of mulled wine, and make a toast to the inevitable supremacy of the Faye dynasty.

Finally, sirens ring through the ship, and prayers are redoubled. It is that time that sends a chill down the spine of even the most veteran voidfarer--time to enter warp. But for Morton, it is almost a second home....


OOC: This will be a Dramatic Task for Morton Crow with Warpcraft, though other crew members can Support it with a Repair or Piloting check (one support per roll).

Distance is Medium (4 successes / raises needed in total)
Difficulty is Uncertain (4 attempts allowed)

Make your first check! And then roll 1d10 for Warp Encounters.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:00, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

Wrapped in his seat with his controls all round Morton let his mind connect with the warp. The feeling took his breath away as it always did but seconds later he remembered to take a breath and then he was there.

The coldness enveloped him as his mind traced multiple jump and exit points until he had located the ones he needed.




22:19, Today: Morton Crow rolled 6,2 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2.  warpcrafting

 It should of course go without saying that through the course of the early stages of the journey it is rarely necessary for Jak to take up a tool to his own hand - rather, he spends his time communing with the unfathomable vastness of the ancient machine-spirit of the Forlorn Hope, guiding its eldritch processes and observing the myriad of ways in which the fickle host of lesser spirits and subsidiary mechanisms that go to make up the greater whole operate together with varying degrees of friction.

 Any normal mind would go mad from the ceaseless cascade of inhuman stimuli but the augmented consciousness of the Explorator, long warped out of anything resembling a normal mind by rote, faith and surgical augmentation handles the stream with diligence and skill, directing work orders for brute repair crews and diagnostic choirs alike to send them scurrying through the enormous vessel to where their efforts are needed.

 ---

 01:05, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 11,6 using 1d10+2,1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4.  Supportive maintenance.

 That'd be a success with a raise, which halves the time needed to perform repair tasks. Which is nice. ^_^

11:54, Today: Morton Crow rolled 10 using 1d10.  Warp encounter

Passing through the great warp storms strains even a veteran Navigator, being akin to walking between two hurricanes without being sucked into either. Morale begins to fray at the great half-felt oppression of the storms' proximity. Discontent rumbles in the lower decks, sleep is restless and disturbed with half-remembered dreams, and fights break out as old quarrels and vendettas ignite for no apparent reason. A crewman has to be brigged after trying to open an airlock to "let the lovely voices in".

OOC: Two successes with the Assist.

Warp Event: Whispers From beyond. Lose 1 Morale, all player characters must make a Spirit check or suffer one level of Fatigue until the warp travel is over.

(Remember you can negate one encounter per warp journey.)

Successes: 2/4
Turns Remaining: 3/4

14:46, Today: Morton Crow rolled 6,3 using D10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3.  Spirit roll

“Do not falter, brave men of the Imperium”, called out Aurelius as he saw the crew begin to falter, “Look to the bright beacon of hope that is the Emperor!”

With that he instructed his confessors and priests to circulate among the hold crew, leading them in song and burning blessed incense

17:46, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 16,11 using D10,D6, rerolling max.  Spirit

 As the vessel plunges deeper into the Warp, through the great, continent-sized swells of raw emotion and unfettered energy, Explorator Tesla moves from guiding teams of personnel from place to place, shoring up systems that are in need of psalms and unguents to more proactive countermeasures, ensuring that each day sees void-locks and environmental systems sealed and tested, that sees corpse wafers and ships biscuit alike tested by the hour and the day to ensure no fungal infestation that might open a mind to faithlessness has slipped past their watch.

 Week after week, as they travel he communes with the great machine in his every waking moment, a sentinel against the perils of insufficiently sanctified technology.

 ---

16:17, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 4,7 using 1d10+2,1d6+2.  Preventative maintenance.
16:13, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 5,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5.

 Looks good so far!

Morton pushed the voices out of his mind, in some way they were like well known friend but he knew they would lead him astray if he listened. Instead he focused on the task at hand and navigated the ship through the warp



09:48, Today: Morton Crow rolled 9,7 using D10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,(6+1)7.  Warpcrafting

09:51, Today: Morton Crow rolled 6 using 1d10 with rolls of 6.  Warp encounter

Despite all the preparations, morale is suffering. Whispers that the voyage is cursed are circulating among the crew, and many claim to have heard or seen strange omens--messages written in blood upon bulkheads, disturbing dreams of two indistinct and beckoning figures making half-heard offers and vile promises, the details of which are lost on awakening.

But thankfully, Morton's skills from the navigation spire are bringing the ship closer to to exit point. All that remains is to successfully exit warp space--a welcome step, but the hazards are not yet done....


Grim Omens encounter. One PC must make a Persuasion check, or the ship loses 1 Morale. Remember you can negate one encounter.

Then one PC needs to make a Piloting roll (or use the crew rating of 1d6) to exit Warp. If the check fails, roll 1d8.

Odette was used to being in control, to being able to weigh factors and find desirable conclusions.

The Warp laughed mockingly at such things and she was well aware what she could do onboard the ship during transit was limited. The Emperor protected and other members of her crew could do far more to get them to safe harbour than she could. But that didn't mean she couldn't play her part and refuse to bow to fear and dread.

And so she spoke out, voice ringing throughout the ship to aid efforts in keeping the crew resolved in their duty and conviction. They would reach their goal and they would prosper and all the horrors of the Warp would fail to turn them from success.

16:51, Today: Odette Faye rolled 10,12 using 1d10+1,1d6+1, rerolling max.  Persuasion check.

With a tortured psychic moan, the ship emerges, returning to a universe with speed limits. Morton is finally free to relax his vigil, and around the ship prayers of thanks are uttered and hymnals of praise offered to the machine spirits of the warp drives.

However, you have appeared in deep space! Or so it seems for a moment, before it is confirmed that the ship has emerged near the star, but further out than was intended. The white dwarf is a small cinder, and the sensors can only see a small ball of blue spinning around it. Nothing else is in the system except dust, echoes and an abnormally high number of asteroids. Rubble left over from the disaster that slew this system. Behind it, the disturbing colours of the Void Dancer's Roil impinge upon real space.

You may be in system, but it feels, at best, like you are treading in a graveyard. At worse, like you are on the edge of the abyss.


OOC: Persuasion succeeds, no additional Morale loss. Using the crew rating of the ship as a Piloting roll....failure. Warp exit mishap is....it will take you another two weeks to reach your destination.

Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoOsnVFOgpM
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:26, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

 The place of the Explorator during a warp emergence is in the deeply buried halls of the Gellar Shrine near the sun-bright heart of the great vessel, but once the transition back into the materium has been completed, the adept of the Cult Mechanicus boards a transit shuttle up to the command deck, where - less than twenty minutes after emergence - he can stride in to report in person "The Warp Engines are sealed and recharging once more and the Plasma Drive is coming up to speed. I am given to understand that we are some distance from our expected point of emergence, but I do not anticipate that this will deeply impact our supplies and should primarily serve to give us extended observation time of the inner system."

Morton let the warp slide from his mind and came back to reality. He took a moment to gather his thoughts then pulled himself out of his station.

Standing he pulled his long coat straight and ran a hand through his hair then picking up his cane made his way to the command centre.

Entering he walked up to Lady Faye and bowed. " my apologies for dropping us short of our exit point but the ride, shall I say, was taxing for all and though I could have kept going I felt the whispers were starting to become a little too insistent for some of the crew."

"There is no need to apologise." Odette ran a hand through her hair, her own composure battered from the journey. "Your judgement is trusted Navigator, and better we be take longer than risk crew and ship."

She offered a wry smile to Jak. "And as you noted, it benefits us in other ways. On that note." A nod to the tech priest. "How effectively can we scan under silent running? I feel the unknown calls for a cautious approach."

Letting the other members of the Lady-Captain's retinue report the ship's status, Aurelius felt his eyes drawn to the vastness that was Gallicinae - the ruined remnant left of the system, at least, "You are right, Mistress. If we able to slip in unnoticed, from this far out, it is a boon. Where Master Morton has acted for the benefit of the crew, I feel the Emperor's Hand behind this - an opportunity to ascertain what has happened here, from old light and a subtle approach"

 "As always, the matter is one of trade, in this instance time. At normal thrust our plasma drive is clearly discernible across stellar distances - to the point where, depending upon stellar configuration it can be visible to the unaugmented eye while we are still weeks from landfall. Were we to reduce the power of the drive and attempt to enter the inner system by stealth, it would necessitate adding a minimum of multiple months to our journey time to have the least chance of success. I do not recommend the attempt at this time." Jak answers with joyless, but also accurate resonance in his tones "Conversely our sensors will be no less effective. Beyond noting that it would be difficult to discern a vessel laying powered-down behind an inert stellar body, we should be able to detect even a modest increase above background temperature for any given target on approach."

 ---

 Sadly, to the best of my knowledge There is No Stealth in Space, absent a few pieces of stupid rare archeotech like reflex shields. Basically, we're a five kilometre long, twenty-five million tonne lump of warm metal that can accelerate at up to 4g. Our engine flare alone is a pretty impressive WMD.

 We could try the nonsense of running silent, but as long as we're warm enough that no-one onboard dies, that'll only hold until someone looks in our direction and it'll take literal years to get in-system. Space is big, yo. ^_^

As the Necessary Expenditure drew closer to the ember-star and--just visible now, given how dim the star was--the blue orb that orbited it, tracking the ring it was leaving of its own atmosphere, more details became visible.

One was a muffled, scratchy communication that seemed to originate from the planet, and the other was of two sensor traces, each suggestive of a small starship, at first moving at a right angle to the cruiser's path...but then changing to move closer.

"Are we able to coax the machine spirits to provide a clearer trace, Magos", asked Aurelius of their tech-priest, though his voice was pithed that the bridge master responsible for both augurs and vox might overhear, knowing their art and their incantations sufficiently to bend themselves to the task. His tone was optimistic, hopeful that the Emporer's Light might now be shone here, but, in his heart, he knew the movements of the two vessels was, at best, aggressive

 "Over time, certainly. The emission of their drives and their observed change in velocity will give us a prediction of their mass, as well as their expected arrival time for a zero-zero interception. This in turn, will permit us to select whether we shall intercept the vessels in isolation or permit them to approach us together." the Explorator answers, bending over the bridge console as one of his mechandrites curls around and sockets into the base of the great hololithic plinth, permitting him to start refining data.

 ---

 Even at long range we should be able to get a sense of how big they are and whether they're moving to intercept us together or not. We also should be able to get a few days warning as to whether they're going to zero/zero with us (so we can interact) or blow right past us at speed (I kind of assume the former, the latter would be boring).

Two raider-class vessels, both moving to intercept. About 20" out at present in tabletop terms.

OOC: 4 on scanning roll.

Odette pursed her lips. Either they'd been unlucky or the ships approaching had remarkably good sensors. Either way their concealment was lost. "Thoughts? By your account Magos, we're facing some time until we can identify them. What concerns me is how quickly they were able to spot us. If we open communications they'll have our identify but will retain the option to conceal their own if they choose.

Is there any indication they're powering weapon systems?"

" it feels like they might have been waiting for us or at the very least knew we were inbound" suggested Morton.

With that he moved back to his station " might as well start working up emergency manoeuvres in case we need to get out of here quickly"

Whilst the others focused on the scanners, Aurelius stood over the Master of the Vox, encouraging him to try and clear up the previous message

20:29, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 4 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Clearing Up the Vox

There is no clear signal over the vox. Some of that is radiation interfering, but there's something else, that sounds like an unsettling murmur, something that sounds like a male and female voice whispering together.

The raiders are closing rapidly, and with little subtlety. It seems they are ready for combat, by all indications. They appeared to be Havoc-class raiders, not uncommon among pirates, but they should have been no match for the system defence vessels if they had come anywhere near the colonies.

With battle close, Odette reached a conclusion. Albeit one she had no choice but to make.

"Bring us out of silent running and charge void shields and the batteries." She stood, eyes fixed and hard. "Transmit the following message, Vox Master." She took a pause to allow him time to open the channel before she spoke."

"This is Lady-Captain Odette Faye of the Rogue Trader vessel Forlorn Hope. You will power down your weapons and offer surrender or you will be destroyed.

This is your one and only warning."

The only reply is a brief vox-broadcast. Rather than the demands for surrender or mockings taunts one might expect from pirates, the reply was almost an ecstatic sigh.

"Listen....name you want....and it will be yours....."

Forlorn Hope:
Speed: 5
Handling: -1 Pilot
Sensors: +0 Electronics
Shields: 2
Toughness: 9
Wounds: 5/5
Lance: Range Range 4/6/9, lances inflict 1 Wound on a hit and also cause a critical hit if the attack roll was a raise
Lance Battery: Range 4/6/9, lance batteries inflict 1 Wound on a hit, or 2 Wounds and a critical hit on a Raise
Squads Launched: 0/4


Havoc 1:
Speed 10
Handling d6+2
Sensors: d6+2
Shields: 1
Toughness: 7
Wounds: 3/3
2x Macrocannon Battery: Range 4/6/10, Damage 2d6+1

Havoc 2:
Speed 10
Handling d6+2
Sensors: d6+2
Shields: 1
Toughness: 7
Wounds: 3/3
2x Macrocannon Battery: Range 4/6/10, Damage 2d6+1

 Over the time - the considerable time - it takes for the battlespace to develop, Explorator Tesla primarily acts to ensure that the ship is ready for battle, spending a great deal of time interfaced with the ships sensor arrays, gathering and refining data as they draw closer to provide the clearest possible targeting information for the lance arrays - although as the reply from the enemy vessel comes in, "I would counsel maintaining the range and aiming to disable one of the enemy vessels with massed bomber strikes. I do not believe that boarding actions would be wise."

 ---

15:59, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 16,5 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+6)16,5.  Locking on.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:06, Thu 27 Jan 2022.

Exhorting the men of their bomber squadrons and ensuring his preachers went among them to administer blessings upon both pilots and their craft, Aurelius oversaw their strikes on the closer raider as soon as the Lady-Captain had given the word

20:54, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 11 using 2d6, rerolling max ((3,(6+2)8)).

Odette grimaced at the eerie response from the approaching vessels and nodded at Jak. "I'm minded to agree. Very well, keep us at maximum range as long as you can and try to bring the batteries to bear. We'll learn what we can of this enemy after the ships are cold and drifting."

Turning to Aurelius she gave a single nod to authorise the launch of the fighters before tapping on her control console to find a firing vector with the targetting Jak had carried out.

08:15, Today: Odette Faye rolled 6,6 using 1d8+2,1d6+2, rerolling max.  Shooting with Lock On.

With the bombers launched, Aurelius was swift with instructions for the pilot, focusing on keeping optimal range with Havoc 1 whilst the bombers caused problems for Havoc 2

Launch bombers at Havoc 2. Move 8" away from the Havoc 1 (raider on the right). Open fire at maximum range with the Lances on Havoc 1

22:17, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 7 using 2d6, rerolling max.  Motivate Pilot

The lances burn out across the void. It takes skill and nerves to hold them on target at that range, but the beams score a glancing hit, trapping the raider in a web of light, and leaving a glowing burn mark across its hull.

The other one is confronted by bombers. Though small, the raider is still a big enough target for the pilots, who release their heavy plasma bombs, engulfing the hull of the ship in a corona of fire that leaves the hull buckled and breached.

However, they keep coming, using their superior speed to power forward with fanatical fervour. One ship moved behind and pelted the shields with macrocannon fire at close range, dropping the shields. The other one struck from straight ahead, firing furiously. The light cruiser shuddered as the hits landed directly upon the armour. One impact blew out a section close to Engineering, and Jak would see the lights flicker and great arcs of lightning fly around uncontrollably, disintegrating servitors and crew alike as the shield relays burned out. Servo-skulls flying up notified him of what he already knew--his ship was exposed and vulnerable!



Ship moves 5" straight ahead.
Jak succeeds at Lock On.
Odette lands two hits on Raider 1. First hit knocks down shields, second causes 1 Wound.
Aurelius launches 2 bomber squadons and moves them. 1 hit per bomber token, causing 2 Wounds. Both bombers are depleted.

Havocs move.

Havoc 1 attacks twice, missing and hitting with an 11, for 2 hits.
Shields are down!

Havoc 2 attacks twice, missing and hitting.
Damage roll of 11--1 Wound, 1 Crew and Morale lost, and a critical hit!
Critical hit is Shields Overload. The Shields rating of the ship becomes 0 until the damage is repaired.



Forlorn Hope:
Speed: 5
Handling: -1 Pilot
Sensors: +0 Electronics
Shields: 2
Toughness: 9
Wounds: 4/5
Crew 9/10
Morale 9/10
Critical Damage: Shields Overload. The Shields rating of the ship becomes 0 until the damage is repaired.
Lance: Range Range 4/6/9, lances inflict 1 Wound on a hit and also cause a critical hit if the attack roll was a raise
Lance Battery: Range 4/6/9, lance batteries inflict 1 Wound on a hit, or 2 Wounds and a critical hit on a Raise
Squads Launched: 2/4

Bomber Wings: Speed 6


Havoc 1:
Speed 10
Handling d6+2
Sensors: d6+2
Shields: 1
Toughness: 7
Wounds: 2/3
2x Macrocannon Battery: Range 4/6/10, Damage 2d6+1

Havoc 2:
Speed 10
Handling d6+2
Sensors: d6+2
Shields: 1
Toughness: 7
Wounds: 1/3
2x Macrocannon Battery: Range 4/6/10, Damage 2d6+1
GAS CLOUD: All Electronics rolls made against a ship in a gas cloud take -2.

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

(green sensor icons are the bomber wings)

 Switching stations from sensor operations to damage control, Explorator Tesla is a brief, blurring swirl of Mechandrites as he detaches from one set of terminals to link himself to the second with barely a pause to anoint the first and kindle the auto-censor on the second. From there he sends out the commands that see teams of two dozen straining tech-serfs hauling on the massive, insulated lines that re-set enormous breakers and re-route wildly arcing power, that despatch acolytes with unguents and offerings to sooth the wounded machine and restore the violated integrity of their shield.

 ---

00:07, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 11,4 using 1d10+2,1d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 9,2.  Repair.

Upon the bridge, Aurelius continued to quote Drusus and Aceline as he instructed the helmsman and the squadron commanders


Intruct bomber squadrons to split, one per Havoc. Instruct helmsman to turn 45 degrees and swing past Havoc 2

11:47, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 6 using 2d6, rerolling max.  Motivate Pilot.
11:47, Today: Aurelius Vorn rolled 6 using 2d6, rerolling max.  Motivate Squadron.

Odette grinned with a great deal of satisfaction as one of the two attackers found themselves squarely in the reach of the main batteries. Keying in commands she dipped her head in reverence of the saints Aurelius was referring before the Forlorn Hope rocked with the backlash of macrocannons.

06:33, Today: Odette Faye rolled 13,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Shooting.

More bomber wings launch from both sides of the light cruiser, even as the last two squadrons race back through the gas cloud to get back into the hangars. The further of the two raiders is engulfed by flames, the plasma bombs finding the gash in the armour cut by the lance hits earlier, and causing a chain reaction that causes the raider to disintegrate in a flash of light. The other one is beaten at close range by the lance beams, the hull crumpling and the ship suddenly going dark and drifting off into space, burning fuel and air spilling into the void, as its plasma drive is pierced.

As they die, there is one last vox-message, this one disturbingly clear in that strange and calm double-voice.

"We were promised....so much...."

In the quiet that follows, damage and casualty reports begin to come in. The shields are back online, though the hull damage will require dedicated facilities to repair.


Jak succeeds at restoring shields.
Morton launches attack craft.
Aurelius directs attack craft to attack. Damage 11 and 8! Raider 1 is destroyed.
Odette shoots at Raider 2. Lance takes down shields. Lance Battery deals 1 Wound, and the ship is destroyed!

Forlorn Hope:
Speed: 5
Handling: -1 Pilot
Sensors: +0 Electronics
Shields: 2
Toughness: 9
Wounds: 4/5
Crew 9/10
Morale 9/10
Lance: Range Range 4/6/9, lances inflict 1 Wound on a hit and also cause a critical hit if the attack roll was a raise
Lance Battery: Range 4/6/9, lance batteries inflict 1 Wound on a hit, or 2 Wounds and a critical hit on a Raise
Squads Launched: 2/4

“Are we seeing anything further on auspex, Master of Etherics?”

“Anything from further insystem?”
This message was last edited by the player at 18:10, Wed 09 Feb 2022.

 After an hour or so of work, Jak disengages from the damage control station and moves back over to sensor control, where he links with the enormous bank of machinery once again before engaging in ten or fifteen minutes in which time he filters through gathered information and reports from the various devices scattered about the hull of their great vessel before announcing "Commencing sensor sweep."

 ---

01:43, Today: Jak Tesla rolled 9,2 using 1d10,1d6.  Electronics (Sensors).