Dark Heresy - Saladaris Cell (Inactive)

Game Master Aiunder

Your communication window is closing. Is there anything you want to ask, aside from getting him to look into the Brood fro his end?

If I have any other bright ideas I'll just let the dice dictate them for me

Okay, so these are my ideas on why the order of exterminatus is a very very very very very bad idea. Keep in mind I don't mean to sound condescending or mean-spirited, but I wanted to get all these ideas down that have been floating around in my head the last few days that I hadn't yet have the opportunity to post. Feel free to debate me on this. This is just my understanding.

Well, it was a bit of a jump. I mean, considering the amount of evidence we have that this activity represents a sector wide conspiracy of doom, ie. very, very little, it begins to sound utterly shortsighted to ask the interrogator to officially sanction the usage of an entire Imperial Navy fleet. You're asking the interrogator to take at least a small battlegroup of battlefleet Calixis out of whatever probably important deployment they're stationed at, spend the months of travel necessary to reach our destination and park themselves in orbit around a virtually non-hostile world in the contingency that there *may be a large threat that *may threaten the sector. You're asking the interrogator to sanction exterminatus, the most devastating and ruthless order anybody in the imperium can give, based on conjecture. What might also be inferred from the data is that there is similar cultist activity happening throughout the region. If you had asked the inquisitor to at least check in on the other planets for similar activity, the conjecture might have been met with agreement and whatever brownie points we're looking for, but right now it looks hasty and belligerent.

Not to mention the "proof" is flimsy at best. What we know is that, in this one specific hive on the planet Brost, one relatively small cult has been committing a number of atrocious murders linked through a Daemonic mark and the destruction of the soul that accompanies the murder. The unsanctioned psyker is certainly something to be concerned about, but the idea that one cult operating in the bowels of the city has the firepower to eliminate an entire sector is not only unfeasible, but astronomically unlikely. To commit heresy on that scale, it takes decades upon decades of heretical research and an untold amount of resources, the culmination of logistical and theological nightmare the likes of which is the highest priority of all of the Imperium's forces to stop at all costs. Sure, it'd be a way for the GM to start things off with a bang, but damn if it'd just probably kill us all right out.

From the few Warhammer 40k novels I've read, all of them being Dan Abnett novels because I'm such a fanboy, the heresies presented there are far beyond the scope of anything we've seen here and never once was the order of exterminatus been given, ever. As grim-dark as the far future is, the higher-ups of the Imperium would rather risk full scale military action and the costs of thousands of guardsmen's lives rather than conduct exterminatus. Like was illustrated in Dawn of War 2, exterminatus is the final result, the end all, where the brink has far been exceeded, when there is literally no hope for the survival of a planet. Forget the purge the heretic crap. Even as servants to the holy inquisition, massive f%*&ing dicks willing often to commit great atrocities in the emporer's name, we can't just condemn "several hundred billion people" to death on unsubstantiated evidence.

Anyways, back to the show.

Jacques, as Voct's words wash over him, moves forward and approaches the adept. Look, I know what you've formed your theories on," Jacques says, the tone of his voice rising barely over a low seething whisper. "The celestial bend this cult looks to be going on is strange and would seem to suggest something involving the system, but next time you want to tell our immediate superior to drop viral bombs on our heads in case of failure, I hope you think next time to at least warn us first.

Jacques sighs and straightens up a bit, looking around at his cohorts around the room. "But, I'll admit, your conjecture isn't unsound. You may have just pissed the boss off, but try at least to see if he'll make some other inquiries on the other planets of this sector. 'See if there hasn't been any similar activity going on there as well."

Well apparently you didn't read my post saying the Big E was a last resort. I'm done here.

Voct I just thought you were throwing it in for rpg opportunities, hope you aren't really throwing in the towel over this.

I did read your post. In fact, I read it several times because it was a big, big step asking this sort of thing without a.evidence or b.consulting the rest of the party beforehand. I said it was only a contingency, but the point still stands that it would be a gross waste of resources to park a battlegroup around here in case things go sour. What the GM says goes.

I'd rather you didn't quit over something as silly as this.

I was thinking that his character was being dramatic like that because he was from an ecclesiastical world. Also Voct you are a good writer, keep in mind everyone is putting the tone in each others text. I don't think anyone was trying to demean anyone. Lets all move on with the show. I do think though that we could use a little help to move us along. If their are clear hooks I think JT missed it.

Moving on...

The vox unit chimes one last incoming message:
Window closed.
Next window Seventeen days.
Emperor protect.

With that the lights indicating a solid and secure connection wink out and the panels dim.

To summarize the information received, an inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus has been sent the information regarding the 'ritual' you have encountered and have been asked to concentrate on the Brood while remaining available to assist the inquisitor once he/she arrives.

The fighting between the Brood and their neighbours is beginning to subside as everyone seems to be licking their wounds and regrouping.

Unless something had changed you all decided to pursue the drainage pipes as the best source of entrance to the processing plant that the Brood has claimed as their base of operations.

There was also discussion about: questioning night walkers, using Nebdel's hunting rifle to hopefully draw more of the Brood's members out and away from the inner sanctum.

Did I miss anything?
What do you want to do first?

Our first course of action should be hitting the Brood members. Nebdel, if we can draw more of the Brood to the front entrance, then we'll definitely have an easier time with everything else.

"Hey man I am down for the cause. You point and I'll shoot. You guys who have been to the gun store, have you seen any compact shoulder fired weapons that have a folding stock? What's the plan?"

Our first course of action should be hitting the Brood members. Nebdel, if we can draw more of the Brood to the front entrance, then we'll definitely have an easier time with everything else.

"I am in agreement, the less Brood members that are available to notice our ingress from the drainage facility... I am however concerned with the possible numerical disadvantage Julian Treadwell may experience.

So Nebdel and Julian are moving out again to thin out Brood numbers and hopefully draw more away from the processing plant? Is anyone else going with them or are they going alone? What is eeryone else doing that isnt going?

Out into the artificial night of the hive again towards Brood territory in hopes of drawing away more Brood memebers into careful ambushes the selected members go.

"Hey Nebel, does your big rifle break down into parts? I have a scilencer so I will bring that, you think we should try to bring your nice piece?"

Anything can be 'broken down.' The question is, can it be put back together again? And yes, but not necessarily quickly.

DM-ARC, I have no idea how you want to rule on the time to break down or assemble a standard hunting rifle.

If we are just trying to draw them to the front door, we really don't need to risk much.
Just need line of sight from several blocks away. I can take a few shots until I get their attention. Doesn't even matter if I hit anyone or not.
Then dance away in the dark.
It will help to have JT to cover the run.

Over the next few days you work to finalize and prepare for your assault on the processing plant.

The night of the operation you divide yourselves up into two teams. The first team made up of Jacques, Octus, Occux and Jastilus head for the entrance to the drainage pipes and begin working at the grill to get it open while Nebdel and Julian head out and camp down on a disused fire escape still within comm range of the team and with a good view of one of the more used entrances. Once everything is in place Nebdel takes the lead, drawing a bead on one of the thugs guarding the entrance. Slow methodic breathing ingrained into him during his youth, hunting the savage beasts of his homeworld, help calm his nerves and steady his aim. Watching through his scope as the small red dot hovers back and forth, up and down in sync with his breathing, getting slower and slower until, at least for Nebdel, time stops and the dot resides upon the neck of the thug over two hundred metres away. As he breathes in again and time begins to pass normally again the small red dot of the scope seems to bloom in his eye as a red burst of blood erupts from the thugs neck and then he collapses. The adrenaline burst of the kill and the motion of the other thugs has Nebdel's heart racing. Slide the bolt back to eject the round, forward to chamber another, hand on the grip, finger on the trigger, find a new target then breath out, fire and start again. Again and again Nebdel is part of the mantra until his focus is stopped by a break in the repetition, his clip is empty. As Nebdel pulls away from his scope to slide a fresh mag into his rifle the euphoria of his Emperor given talents seem to drain away and the real world floods back in. Four stories up, eighty stairs and three landings to get to ground level. Meanwhile the shock is fading fast on the other side and already screams can be heard as leaders or family members rally their people and with reckless gun fire flying overhead Julian and Nebdel almost fly down the stairs in their hurry. They can hear dozens of people running and yelling, moving towards them in a frenzied mob. The two duck around corners and jump fences hoping to put enough distance between you and them to fade away and rejoin the others but the Brood has other plans. Julian skids around a corner only to find down the street a mass of knife and club wielding degenerates who turn and begin rushing you. Waving Nebdel ahead Julian levels his las rifle at the mob, flicks the slider to full auto and lets loose a torrent of super hot, red light that burns through the front ranks, slowing those behind as they have to climb over bodies and the injured to follow. From the next alley Nebdel fires a few rounds from his lac pistol to cover Julain when he ducks and rushes to past. Julian kicks open a nearby door and quickly puts two rounds into a thug on the other side before quickly moving into the buildings corridor, sweeping as he goes looking for an exit. An open window is their only hope so they dive through and land on a pile of debris in another alley. They keep moving west as much as possible, working their way towards the drainage system, their only hope of escape. Bruised, tired and with everyone yelling in thier comms at them they finally arrive at the drainage system several blocks up from where the rest of the team is frantically waiting. The Brood isn't giving them any chance to catch their breath and slowly are gaining ground. Nebdel and Julian push their way into a cramped and dimly lit building smelling heavily of methane gases and the smell of old wet garbage where they dive into the brackish waters just ahead of the thugs chasing them and letting themselves be swept away into the current. But not before Julian braves the survafe of the waters to give the Brood his regards in the form of a single fingered salute with the arming ring of his grenade wrapped around it. The last thing Julain sees before the current takes his and pulls him under is the look of understanding cross one of the family members faces before the charge goes off and the grenade and the methane gases explode.

Silence is all that the others can hear on the comm after the explosion and a short burst of static. For a few minutes you wait before beginning to accept the fact that they didn't make it. You begin to head into the pipes, through the brackish, waist deep water but something catches Octus' eye. looking back he sees something floating out farther in the drainage channel. Not wanting to get anyones hopes up he moves to investigate by himself and finds Nebdel face down in the water, not breathing. Yelling at the others he flips Nebdel over and drags him to the entrance before wading out and looking for Julian while Jacques joins him. Occux has taken hold of Nebdel and with Jastilus' help pulled him mostly out of the water and against the wall. Realizing that Nebdel has drowned but may still be rescusitated Jastilus attempts to provide CPR. Seeing JAstilus`efforts, Occux shakes his head and pulls him away. He then pulls out two wires from underneath his robes and without regard for pleantries jabs Nebdel with the wires, burying them several centimetres into his chest. While Jastilus cries out and tries to get the others to help him save Nebdel Occux makes a few adjustments to his potentia coil and literally jump starts Nebdel`s heart. With an enormous breath and much choking and vomitting Nebdel clears out his lungs and warily looks down at the two blackened wires hanging from his chest realizing that the ends have melted and fused to his flesh all he can do is tuck them in and rebuckle his clothes while he looks around for Julian. Octus and Jacques wades through the canal as deep as they dare looking for any signs of Julian when something hits Jacques knees and knocks him down in the water. Regaining his feet he feels around under the water looking for whatever hit him and finding something large and heavy heaves. Out comes Julians unconscious form and the two, Octus and Jacques, pull him to the edge. Occux allows Jastilus to perform CPR this time because Julian still has a weak pulse. Julian opens his eyes to Jastilus leaning over him breathing air into his mouth just inside the drainage pipe.

I hope people don't mind i sped things forward to try and get us back on track and with a more immediate and clear goal in mind. Nebdel mark off one rifle clip and one pistol charge pack. Julian mark off your grenade, two rifle charge packs.

Whoa! Wtf man! I am not down for kissing any dudes! HACK-HACK-HACK

JT sits up and wipes his lips,then runs a hand through his hairline feeling for any new bullet holes in the plassteel plate under the skin of his forehead. Not finding any new ones he holds up the arming ring still on his middle finger for everyone to see as he laughs somewhat maniacally.

"Bro! You should have seen the look on their faces as I showed them this and flipped them the bird as we got sucked down the culvert pipe. That was an Armegeddon pattern Mark III grenade, I had been saving that puppy for a special occasion and man was that it! We smoked those fools Dawg!"

"Oh man you shoulda seen Nebel man he was working that bolt gun like a piston and brood members were getting dead quick everywhere."

[WHOOOP-WHOOOP!, WHAT!? . . .

Hey where is scrate now man?!"

"You damn crazy f#&$heads!" Octus gives a good hearty laugh and slaps Julian across the back, "And here I though I was rid of you lot. I think I mighta felt the ground shake from here mate. Throne damned if they aren't looking for somethin' ta kill now then we aint got a hope in the damned universe."

Well now, THAT was dancing! And I believe it takes care of my bath for this month. Said with a gleam in his eye.

Thanks for pulling us out of the water guys. I'm not really a fish.

JT, next time don't let me stay in the 'zone' so long. I should have just taken a few shots. If we had started running earlier, it wouldn't have been so close.

That was nerve wracking even for me. But I can't let anyone see that I'm shaken by it.

Your agitation of the cult's forward environs appears to have been efficacious.... almost fatally so, in the future a modicum of caution maybe considered. Occux says without inflection.

"Hey this time it wasn't me that got all wrapped up in it. I thought we were going to shoot like one or two cultist dirtbags then Skrate starts talking all like, "I will strike down those who oppose my God-Emporer with swift vengeance and furious anger and you will know that I am his will made manifest!" I was like wow far out man! I thought I was the only one that got jiggy like that sometimes. He said a whole bunch of other s@*# too, but I was like, wow man how many more times are you gonna shoot. I thought we were gonna stir them up not wipe out the whole brood in one session. Then it was runnin and gunnin the whole way. I was melting down the barrel they were so packed in coming at us with knives I couldn't miss . . . Come to think of it though . . . Nebel, it was kinda like everyone in the area was on their side now right? Well anyway, I just killed them all, I'll let the Emporer sort em out! Then we were about to get lynched and we jumped in the poop pipes and blew em up with their own ass gas! It was sweet!"

"We did good right?! Hey Occux can you get some vid feed from any of the street cams? . . . Damn Nebel those are some weird body piercing wires, is that how people roll on your home planet?

The drainage pipe is dark and fetid. What little light that filters through the vents above your head barely allows you to see your own hand before your face. Using what little light you dare you move slowly down the five foot high/wide pipe hunched over and sloshing through waters that vary between ankle deep and well above your thighs.

Can I get a movement order and what your using for a light source

Hey I think Nebel should go first then I can take up behind him. . . Damn it I knew I should have got one of those Insight Tech LED weapons torches to stick on here. Hey Occux you got and light source attachments or whatever? I got a lighter but I am wondering if I should flick my Bic down here, might light something else off like upstairs.

Hunched over, Occux looks at JT, then reaches into his robe and pulls out a glow lamp. Adjusting it to it's lowest setting so as to illuminate their path but be as unobtrusive as possible, he takes position behind JT .

Skrate takes point and prepares to set off down the tunnels in the direction indicated by the tech guys research.

Let's go scrub the filth out of this toilet.

He has sword in hand to hopefully keep things silent. Autopistol on right hip. Compact las pistol in shoulder rig. Hunting rifle on sling over shoulder. Trying to move as silently as possible.

Taking Nebels lead JT slings his rifle and gets out his mono blade and puts the scilencer on his heavy pistol. "Okay, going quiet, got it."

You know, the worst part of the forums being inaccessible for me is I get to miss out on this pbp, and that just can't happen.

"It's good to see you two still alive and kicking, especially after that mess. I'll take a rearguard position, make sure nobody tries to get the drop from behind us."

Jacques has his primary laspistol in his right hand, his secondary laspistol in the shoulder rig and his shotgun slung over his shoulder.

You know, the worst part of the forums being inaccessible for me is I get to miss out on this pbp, and that just can't happen. ...

Yeah, they have been down alot the past couple days for some reason.

Octus will take position in front of Jacques.

Nebdel, Julian, Occux, Jastilus, Octus and Jacques
Using Occux' glow lamp set to minimal you begin you trek inwards. Sloshing through the spill waters and refuse for several meters before turning sharply to join up with a larger tunnel running at a 45 degree angle. The tunnel is larger and thus deeper, bringing the water up past your waists and slowly you notice it climbing almost to you shoulders before the pipe climbs and brings you out of the water. There is a service hatch in front of you, on the roof of this pipe just out of reach that leads to a service chute you need to use to connect to another pipe. The hatch is pad-locked with an old style mechanical lock.

Skrate quietly says, If JT and I hold you up, can one of you open that lock without a lot of noise? If I break it, the sound will echo up and down these tunnels.

Jacques reaches into his pocket and pulls out his Arbites Lock Breaker. We'll see. Octus, can you give me a boost?

Jacques then sets to work on the lock.

I don't see the lock breaker in the core book. How does it function? Do I have to make a check for that, because I don't have the security skill. If it does require that skill, Jacques hands off the lock breaker to Occux, hoping he has the requisite skills.

Julian, Nebdel and Octus help Jacques reach the panel and with much fiddling, cursing and a praying Jacques manages to get the hatch open and jump out of the way as it drops down under the weight of water and the collapsible ladder attached to it. You climb up the ladder and crawl through the service gantry before it opens above another pipe way. This pipe has rapid moving water and appears to be at least shoulder deep. You can either wait in the service tunnel in hopes that the water level goes down or swim for it. If you want to swim please make the swim checks for me (its a basic skill for those that don't have it).

Let's wait a minute to see if the level drops a bit.

Skrate anchors himself as best he can against the rushing water. He intends to wait just a minute or so to see if the water level is going down or if the flow starts to ebb a bit.

"I concur, even should we attach ourselves with rope, navigating that torrent will be problematic"

Occux also consults his records, whether there are any flow control mechanisms he can access.

Yeah let's see if it goes down a bit. I don't wanna get flushed down the sewer again just yet. Eh, we do have an idea where we are and how to get out again right?!

Hooray for slow yet servicable internet access.

I'd rather weeren't washed away before we make it to the actual complex. As far as extracation was concerned,I hardly think the front door is an option. Once w get into the complex we'll see what our options are, assuming we don't run straight into another throne-damn firefight straight away.

Jacues shifts his body around so he's facing towards the tech-priest. He has to yell over the din of the rushing water. Occux, are you able to tell how far it we have to swim in this s%%+ before we reach the main portion?

There are no controls to manage the flow in these main spillways, only the lesser tunnels that feed into these. You'll need to travel roughly 0.6km to get to the next access hatch

Deciding to wait on the water proves both a boon and a hindrance. The water level continues to rise until there is only thirty to forty centimetres between the waterline and the top of the tunnel. The current has subsided though to a much more reasonable level allowing you all to drop in and swim until you reach the hatch and pull yourselves up. Weaving and moving through pipes, access tunnels and service corridors for what seems like hours finally leaves you standing upon an upper gantry-way overlooking the processing plant several hundred meters below. The plant is a large cluster of pipes and canisters over a kilometer wide with small gantries spiralling around it. There were two bridges that allowed access to the plant from this side but both seem to have fallen from disrepair or tampering. From the looks of things around you, the gantry you are on spirals around the complex moving through the vast cavern within which the building is housed.

Jacques continues around the gangry, following at the back of the group, making continuous checks around the area looking for traps or hiding enemies. "We need to find out where we are, at least in comparison to the old maps Occux got from the Biologus facility."

"Yeah, this is getting to be a drag nothing to shoot at, deep in enemy territory . . . Covered in s%#&! Man, this makes me start to get twitchy."

"I will attempt to determine our proximity to our target location"

Pulling out his cogitator, Occux performs a comparative location analysis versus the Biologus geo-data.

tech-use 1d100 ⇒ 8
logic 1d100 ⇒ 4

DM-ARC, was the water we were in raw sewage, storm drain run off, or relatively clean. Trying to get an idea how bad we smell. it may be difficult to sneak if we stink to the stars.

Just to make things clear, you are overlooking the processing plant below you. You have entered an enormous artificial cavern with the processing plant suspended within it over the darkness below. The cavern has service gantries criss-crossing the surface of the walls. The plant has two bridges connecting it to or you can try climbing to the roof of the cavern and see if you can find a way down the supports.

It was mostly storm drain and street run-off.

"Man those bridges will be watched like a heretic standing in front of a double headed eagle. I think we should get up on high to see what we can see. After that we can shimmy down the supports like death from above or we can pop smoke and build on the intel we gathered."

That's good, storm drain shouldn't smell any worse than anything else down here in the dank and damp.

Skrate checks to make sure the actions of his gear are clear and unhindered.

Agreed. I'll take point. See you the way to the top?

He looks around for what appears to be the least observable route to the roof of the cave.

What about you Occux, does your map show a route to the top? Hopefully one without a lot of traffic.

Making your way up higher in the cavern by way of the gantries is fast turning into a harrowing experience as you are forced to save each other from falling through rusted out or shoddily maintained walkways and ladders on more than several occasions. When you finish the climb to the 'roof' of the cavern you can see more walkways suspended from the ceiling that look more like ancient rope bridges you'd see on a trideo set upon a medieval world than something you'd find buried in the bowels of a hive.

Once you reach the first support column for the complex below you are all very winded from winding your way around the cavern and your trek just to get here. Plus the fact that when you look down all you see in blackness and can hear the sounds of heavy machinery churning and grinding away unseen somewhere beneath you.

The column support a simple ladder down into the depths.

Unless you're going to try to find another way please make climb checks at (-10)

"Great, look up fellas. It looks like if we keep going up there is going to be a village and hopefully not cultists, but I am betting they are. Going down is going to be tough going too, but I guess what goes up must come down. Hey Nebel remind me to buy some binocs next time we go to the outfitter shop . . . Hey, Occux, you don't happen to have telescope eyeballs or something do you? Any ideas on how we can get down safely?"

Leaning over a railing to look down, Occux levels his gaze at JT "I have not yet had the good fortune to improve upon my organic ocular facilities with blessed auspex's"

"Okay . . . I'll take it you mean no. Well crap too bad we can't just blow the place and jump off planet. Looks like we are going to have to sneak inside that thing. What the heck is its function anyway?"

DM-ARC, when you say climb check at -10, do you mean subtract 10 off the roll (meaning easier) or subtract 10 off the target number (meaning harder)? It doesn't seem like a ladder should be all that tough unless it is hundreds of feet down.

Can anyone tell how far down it is is?

btw, can we feel any air movement here that we have to contend with?

Whatever, we should not try it without at least some safety lines to hold us to the the ladder.

You subtract ten from the target number since it is more than one hundred metres down. The air is stagnant.