Huntarr stands at the back of the group, saying nothing.
"Operating emergency have aything to do with the battle we witnessed on the way over here?"
After he answers Auraxis continues, "Give us a detailed briefing of the situation. We received an overview and nothing more from the Inquisitor. If we are to be successful in our endeavor we will need detail. Did these families have any enemies? Was there any pattern to their deaths? Is there any evidence that these families were tampering in forbidden heresies?"
Illidan stands with Auraxis to give support of a untied front. Listening intensely to Adjutant. Illidan will remain slient not to overstep Auraxis authority. illidan will fire up the pict recorder.
"Before we get down to business lets get inside out of this rain."
Constantine leads you into the Folly through the double metal doors.
As soon as you enter this place you feel very strange. There is a cold darkness that weighs heavily on your mind. You feel your divination powers are disconnected while here and any other powers would be difficult to utilize.
The entire ground floor is a high-roofed hall. The hall is clad in black and white chequered marble, now plastered partly over by votive parchments, signs bearing morally approved slogans, ordinance papers, and purity seals, punctuated by a series of solid brass doors. The floor is tiled in black and white, scuffed by the tramping of muddy boots. A grating sits in the center of the floor, inlaid in brass, showing the device of a black sun and golden spider.
An armoured Arbiter sits at a brass lectern by the armoured doors and double checks the credentials of any who pass into or out of the building. He lets you pass without questions when Constantine nods to them.
There are three main doors leading off the entrance hall, each guarded by an impassive gun servitor, one in each corner. Each of the three doors is wrought and framed with solid brass several inches thick. He leads you through one of the doors and behind the door is an antechamber empty of décor and with a single caged elevator. He utilizes an access key and the elevator ascends one level of the Folly. All the key holes for the doors are the mouths or eyes of individual brass death masks fitted to the walls long ago. Each has a gilded spider branded in the forehead and beneath them reads the same motto: ‘The future is ours.’
He leads you down a hall into a room which appears to be an office. There is a bottle of clear liquid on his desk which he offers to all of you as he enters and sits taking a glass for himself as well and sips slowly as he enjoys the refreshment.
"Down to business then yes? There has been quite a few strange occurances here lately and the tension between the nobility and undertow has been growing.
There has been an additional murder since the report was sent. A criminal known as Bal Grey was murdered just a few hours ago. I have asked that the scene be preserved for your investigation of course.
The Nobels and Undertow think they are knocking each other off and is causing a lot of friction. The power struggle here is unbecoming of Imperial citizens and we are trying to keep order here."
He slides a dataslate over to you and on it lists the names of those murdered thus far.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Callisto: (Rag King; believed to be an assassination)
- Mam´sel Zamura Rolart: (beautiful noble lady; torn apart at dressing table; room ransacked)
- Legate Sen-Ar Dole: (Off-world trader & money lender; entire household slaughtered)
- Viscount Hiram Sur´Seculo: (Grandee of noble merchant house; household
slaughtered)
- Bal Grey: (Trusted muscle for the Undertow)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Illidan feels a strange sensation in his head as his connection to the warp has been severed. A feeling of his internal struggle being lifted where the denizen of the warp no longer trying to claw their way into realspace a feeling known as peace. Gilligan feels relaxed as the energy pouring through his person fades.
Illidan copies the information to his data slate. Illidan whispers to Auraxis
"Sir!, in addition to the questions asked can you see if the have any maps of the city, and with the know murders who would gain the most from their deaths. That may be one of best source of investigation. I could follow up with that lead if multiple sources arise"
Huntarr accepts a glass of refreshment with a nod of thanks. He sits down, placing his duffel next to him, and sips slowly.
Huntarr pulls out his data-slate and starts tapping in information. He remains silent until Auraxis decides that he's finished.
(He's entering all of the information above, and formulating his list of questions.)
"I am pretty sure you did not answer my initial questions Arbite Constantine".
Auraxs nods towards Illidan, "Don't call me Sir Illidan. Constantine, I would like to see a map of the city to determine where all of these murders took place see if we can establish a pattern of activity".
Auraxis frowns and fires off queries, "Who leads the Undertow? I would like to see a flow chart of relations between the Houses and the Undertow - alliances and enemies. I assume this Callisto was a leader in the Undertow? I want to see a family history of all of these Houses dating back as far as we can go. If we need to access Imperium databases I will see that we get it. Tell me the history of this building Haarlock's Folly, are any of Haarlock's descendants still on this planet? Once you answer our questions we would like to tour this newest crime scene. I would also like to see the bodies of those who have already died".
Auraxis looks at his companions to see if they have any questions or comments.
Illidan Nods in approval to Auraxis questions. Illidan stands shoulder to shoulder with Auraxis and speaks in a hush tone
"That about all I can think of Boss, Nihil or Huntarr may have further questions or concerns."
Illidan looks towards the two silent companions.
Huntarr keeps his thoughts to himself as he waits for the Arbite to answer the rapid-fire questions from Auraxis. The man had asked for their help. Little could come from ganging up on him and overwhelming him. Huntarr was nothing if not very patient.
He chose not to respond to the glances as he took another sip of his drink before making another notation on his data-slate.
"Like I said the Nobles and Undertows believe they are knocking each other off so there is a lot of friction int he town and we are trying to keep the imperial law in order. As of now we have been keeping the order but i'm afraid it may change soon and then we will be required to lay down the fist of justice but unfortunately we are desperately stretched thin here."
"There is no one boss of the Undertows but three, Hesul, Tiber and Scorn and there are no connections between them and the Nobles that we are aware of. Castillo according to our records was a lord of crime but that's all we know."
"There are no Haarlock's left in existence that anyone is aware of. Perhaps some distant bloodlines but none that I know of on this planet. I will give you access to all our records on the murders and families here as well as a place to sleep here in the Folly, an unmarked ground car to utilize and personal encrypted vox with access to the secured Arbites channels in case you ever need us. I can also assist with arranging meetings with some of the Noble families if you require"
"If none of you have any further questions I can take you to the most recent crime scene?"
You know being an Arbite that he isn't the big boss. He's just a higher ranking Arbite the Marshall he mentioned wasn't available to meet with you.
Seeing that no one else was going to ask the obvious question, it seems it was up to Huntarr after all.
"A moment's indulgence, if you please, Junior Marshall Constantine. What, exactly, leads you to believe that these murders are actually related?"
"Well there has always been some issues between the Undertow and Nobles here but due to how the murders occurred we aren't sure they are related at all. That's why we contacted the Holy Ordos and your here."
He sips more of his drink.
"If noe one else has any questions let's investigate the scene before the body gets cold".
"Ready to move boss"
Illidan marches out to go!
"Illidan don;t call me boss", as the group heads out to teh scene the wheels begin to turn in Auraxis head as to how best to utilize each team member.
Hearing Auraxis's impatience, Huntarr will hold the rest of his questions.
illidan addresses Auraxis "Hey CHIEF!, should we split up to different locations to cover more ground. Or move as one cohesive unit?
"For the love of the Emperor Illidan just call me Auraxis! For now let's stick together. Once we have gathered more data I am considering splitting us up but only once we have a working theory as to what is going on around here".
Illidan looks at Auraxis with an expression that is showing an internal conflict of jot calling his superior office a term suited to his rank. And instead of saying "Yes Captain" he just nods in response to his orders
Illidan walks over by Huntarr and study the schematics of the city
"Point me to your records after we investigate this crime scene and I will find the answers to my questions myself."
Nihil said simply. As a man of scholars, the nobleman trusted written documentation to tell him the secrets. It was nothing personal. Oral legacy simply had a way of... 'altering' the facts.
Huntarr merely shrugged. He scooped up the duffel and stood. He finished his drink with his other hand and sat his glass on the desk for the servitor.
Constantine procures transportation and you all head down to District XIII also known as The Sinks. This district is the worst slums the city has to offer. It is named The Sinks because of the amount of dilapidation, flooding and subsidence that has occurred there. It's a maze of crumbling tenements, flooded habblocks, labyrinthine canals, bridges, shanties, and open sewers.
You arrive in a narrow street in District XIII, which is lined on both sides with moulding garrets. It is close to the river; a light mist is rising, and the air is scented with damp and the smell of stale food. The road is sealed off by an armoured unit of Adeptus Arbites. The body of Bal Grey is in his two room hab on the fourth floor. Block residents have been ordered to stay in their habs, and little can be heard but the growl of the Arbites Rhino, which has its engine running and its pintlemounted heavy stubber manned in preparation for trouble.
The fourth floor is splattered with dried blood; there are still chunks of flesh on the floor of the landing, and one of the three doors stands open. The smell is horrific. Inside Grey’s hab unit, the corpse is twisted across the centre of the floor. It is clad only in a pair of dirty military fatigue trousers. A discarded pump shotgun with a mangled barrel lies on the floor next to it. The cause of death is clear: The corpse’s head and chest have been smashed in and the left arm ripped out of its socket, and the blood pooled on the floor is slowly congealing in a halo around it. A pair of old PDF dog tags confirms the corpse’s identity as Bal Grey.
You are greeted by a mixture of impatience and grudging deference by the dozen or so Arbitrators left guarding the corpse. They seem keen to leave the area and return to base as they have been here for several hours now.
Huntarr stays out of the way, letting His Lordship crawl around in the gore. He stayed close to the edge of the room, careful not to touch the walls.
He seemed to pay special attention to the shotgun. (How,exactly, does the barrel seem to be 'mangled?')
Illidan activates his pict recorder and captures the scene slowly making his way to the middle of the room where he is careful to sit in a place that will not disturb any of the evidence. Illidan sits in the middle of the floor and begins muttering gibberish focusing his mind allowing the warp energy to pour fourth.
Invocation vs 67
Illidan eyes peer into the warp turning a soulless color void of any color emotion or sign of life. Glimpse No. Jutsu. vs 18
Prescience test vs 70
Fate point 1/2
Psy test vs 70
Saying nothing, Nihil shifted around the room, searching for any scraps of paper or documents around the body or on any tables or desks.
The reinforced wooden door of the hab has been broken through with brute force, and the chains and locks have been smashed away from their mountings. There are two rooms within, a bedroom and a tiny bathroom, and the hab unit shows signs of both a struggle and a hasty, crude search by the attackers. There is a mattress on the floor of the bedroom and a promethium burner in the corner. A few books and a copy of the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer had been stacked neatly on a small set of shelves. Marks from shotgun fire can be seen around the door. From the door to the center of the room, a dozen empty shell cases litter the floor, and the room still stinks of gunfire.
An old ammunition box lies open on the floor near an open hole in the floor where the boards have been pulled up. The box is filled with soiled and damp cartel bonds and a few Imperial Thrones (Don't think about stealing it illidan to many Arbites around!). A piece of thick red fabric that has been clearly wrapped around something now lies discarded next to the ammo box.
There was something faint from the warp here but nothing that really seems to odd as it happens sometimes just in general.
As you all are looking around one of the Arbitrator comes in and informs you that they found another body in the Alleyway outside that has been mutilated like this Bal Grey.
The barrel is just twisted up and unusable. Only something really strong could probably do that.
Search Test
Search Test vs 17
Search vs 20
Huntarr turned to the arbite that just reported in.
"Show me, please."
Huntarr follows the man out to the alley.
Illidan returns to his natural state, gets up and has a look around searching for clues for which he finds nothing. At the arbites entrance and update on whAt has transpired outside Illidan walks towards the alleyway
Huntarr heads outside with one of the Arbites.
The Arbitrator leads you down an alleyway where you see another mutilated body. Clearly showing the marks of multiple shotgun blasts, it lays untouched and guarded by an Arbitrator. As you examine it you notices that the flesh of the corpse is greenish and slightly bloated, as if the corpse had been dead for more than a few hours, and surprisingly little blood is on the body or ground around it.
Does there seem to be any signs of the enemy. Like blood or clothing articles something with finger prints. Empty bullet shells that would need placing into a clip of a gun something to use for psychic tracking?
There is no trail to the enemy here just the mutilated body and shotgun blasts.
Search
"Have you identified the victim?"
No medicae
Despite the gaping chest wounds caused by the shotgun blast that felled it, you find a series of strange marks cut into the corpse's flesh around the base of its neck, as well as the presence of what appears to be extensive stitched wounds.
The Arbites have no clue who this victim is.
"Master Illidan, take a look at these markings."
Huntarr looks around, noting the lack of blood.
"Arbites, we're missing a crime scene. This man was not killed here. I also suspect that he wasn't killed by a shotgun, but one was used to cover up the real cause of death."
Illidan inspects the wounds snaps a photo with the pict recorder
Do I have any idea how or what would make marks of a nature?
Nope. Do you have medicae?
Illidan shakes his head
"I am sorry, but I do not have any idea what would cause marks like that. Better let Nihil look at it he may know more than I
Perception vs 40
Perception
Success
Perception Test
Hearing his name called, Nihil moved over to the corpse, crouching down to examine the strange markings and attempting to cross reference the markings with any he has seen or researched before.
If you make your perception test you spot a dark figure on the rooftop opposite where your standing outside. The figure is wearing a dark, broad-brimmed rain hat and long coat and the figure flees as soon as you spot it.
Huntarr grapnels his way up to the rooftop and gives chase.