On the agri-world of Oremor, at the very fringes of the Malfian sub-sector, acolytes of the Inquisition and their allies must confront a sinister conspiracy that threatens to shake the very foundations of the Calixis sector.
Having followed custom and stood for the flip of my back to the wall lay-down, I return to my seat. Still in the game. I put out my lho and give a side-long glance at Thul, nodding acknowledgement. Examining the tiny figurine in front of me, I feel as if the hand was not won by me. Wondering about the Changeling's callous indifference. It's readily apparent that his brazen attitude is unsettling to both Leprade and Trizo. Who should fear the daemon more at this point, the acolyte's or the heretics?
Modified Gambling Test (45), 1d100 ⇒ 15
Dropping my cards onto the table I look directly at the Changeling. Is there meaning behind its demeanor or is this simply barely-restrained Chaos at work?
A solitary drop of blood drips down from Vincents nose and the coppery taste of blood fills his mouth, but the baleful power of the warp leaves his iron will unscathed. He barely hears the thunderous boom of his shotgun or the his own shouted words.
"Someone get on the stubber."
Semi-auto burst at horde I14, range ~25m is less than combat shotgun's 30m range. Semi-Auto Burst + Higher Ground + Diminished Horde = 36 + 10 + 10 = 56 Roll : 1d100=35 Damage : 1d10 = 9 + 4 = 13, 1d10 = 9 + 4 = 13
Attacking the last of the zombie horde isn't exactly the most logical in character move, but out of character I need to make sure no more random zombies pop up.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended, advantage to be revealed), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10 11-Plague Zombie Horde [40] and spawned Hordes [10] x 2 (Hordes in M12 & M13 merged; new Horde [5] merged with existing Horde [5] in O16, Horde [15] x1 07-Plague Zombie Horde [4] x1 remains. 05-Ryuk, J11. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 50% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 94, no plague zombie appears this round. Chance increases to 55% next round.
Rolling WP tests for Fear (3) tests caused by the Vile Savants, all of Vincent's allies gain +10 to the test which negates the -10 penalty imposed by the Vile Savants.
Guardsman Sergeant's failed Fear (3) test by four degrees, rolling Shock (+40), 1d100 + 40 ⇒ (90) + 40 = 130, screams and vomits uncontrollably for 1d5 ⇒ 1 rounds, drops lasgun, Insanity Points gain irrelevant for this NPC.
Guardsman with Stubber's failed Fear (3) test by one degrees, rolling Shock (+10), 1d100 + 10 ⇒ (68) + 10 = 78, frozen by terror, may make no actions until he snaps out of it, succeeding on WP test on coming turn, Also -10 to tests for the rest of the encounter, Insanity Points gain irrelevant for this NPC.
Guardsman Lasgunner's failed Fear (3) test by eight degrees, rolling Shock (+80), 1d100 + 80 ⇒ (67) + 80 = 147, ouch, crumples to the ground for 1d5 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 rounds sobbing, screaming, and babbling uncontrollably, when sanity returns, is -20 to all tests until end of encounter, Insanity Points gain irrelevant for this NPC.
Launce's failed Fear (3) test by three degrees, rolling Shock (+30), 1d100 + 40 ⇒ (72) + 40 = 112, faints dead away for 1d5 ⇒ 4 rounds, once Launce regains consciousness he is -10 to all tests until the end of the encounter, gains 1d5 ⇒ 5 Insanity Points.
The guardsman manning the heavy stubber jabbers incoherently beside Vincent and Ryuk, his words a muttered spew of insane glossolalia that hurts Vincent's ears nearly as much as the awful droning and whispering that fill his mind from the foul warp spawn. As he raises the shotgun to fire again, the clerk strikes the man firmly across the face with an open-handed slap, yelling at him to man his weapon.
As this is the Stubber Guardsman's next turn following the Fear test, WP = 35, 1d100 ⇒ 68, failed.
Despite the sharp blow, the burly guardsman continues his unintelligible litany looking blankly across the field at the Vile Savants.
Resolving Vincent's turn from above, totally understand the reasoning behind the action, Vincent.
The shotgun booms loudly, and even at range, one of the shots manages to rip most of the upper torso apart from the nearest plague zombie, while the second cleanly parts the head from the body of another. The wash of foul ichor, sprays like black mist across those shambling behind him.
Horde in I15 is now Magnitude: 2.
The sergeant takes one look and expels a violent wash of orange bile from his open mouth, gagging and choking, while his lasgun clatters to the roof of the water truck, nearly going over the side were it not arrested by his arm as he falls to deck himself. He spits the last of it up, shaking his head trying to clear the madness as if it were a physical thing, assaulting him.
He is Stunned for this round.
Launce suddenly goes rigid, his organic and mechanicum components seemingly frozen with shock. A deafening buzzing sound follows, as if his vox-speaker is broadcasting the terrible chorus sung by the trio of daemons; the idiotic, monotonous insanity of a plague of chirruping cicadas.
As the zombies shamble still closer, Ryuk follows Vincent's lead and sets his empty flamer down atop the truck, while pulling the other hand flamer free of Launce's rigid grasp. He turns the brutally effective weapon, clearly his favorite from the Solitarium for its ease of use, on the same cluster of undead Vincent fired at.
Quickdraw talent, as the zombies move closer prior to Ryuk's action, they are now within the limits of the hand flamer's range (J14), automatic hit, rolling damage, 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8, damage is sufficient to damage the horde, 1d5 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 hits inflicted, horde (now in J14) is eliminated, second hand flamer is empty.
The remaining zombies are incinerated by a blast of cleansing flame, staggering and collapsing as their putrefying bodies are rendered into hardened ash. The flamer's pilot gutters out as the last of its fuel is expended.
The final guardsman sees the Warp-summoned interlopers, hears Launce's terrible cacophony, and collapses screaming. He rips maniacally at his clothing, his breath hissing through the rebreather mask until he flings it from his face and begins gouging at his weeping eyes. More terrible, he is barely out of his teens, and Vincent has to turn away as the young man begins ripping the lank blond hair from his own scalp.
Vincent watches as the trio of blurring, containment suit clad figures eerily stride toward them, the air rippling with a mind-bending foulness, almost like heat haze, the sere grass and low growing fungoids of the pasturage blackening to ash with each plodding step.
The Vile Savants take a Full Action move, bringing them that much closer to the water truck and the companions. Their movement is reflected on the battlemap for Round #10.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
As the initial Plague Zombie Horde [20] was eliminated, there is no longer any chance of them appearing by chance.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended, advantage to be revealed), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10, Helpless for 3 more rounds. 11-Plague Zombie Horde [40] and spawned Hordes [10] x 2 (Hordes in M12 & M13 merged; new Horde [5] merged with existing Horde [5] in O16, Horde [15] x1 05-Ryuk, J11. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10, Prone and Helpless for 4 more rounds. 05-Vile Savants
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Guardsman with Stubber tries to snap out of it again, WP = 35, 1d100 ⇒ 83, failed..
The guardsman manning the heavy stubber continues his mindless babbling in the face of the horrors, dropping to one knee while rubbing at his head and wide eyes obsessively, tears running down his filthy cheeks
"Fate is a fickle thing. Isn't it Intelligencer? Win one hand, lose the rest."
As Leprade receives his cards, he stares daggers at Savalos Thul, and it is clear that the traitor Arbites is losing his resolve, bit by bit from the tensions of the game within the game.
He practically growls at the acolyte this time, "Remember then, Thul, Fate is never fair; before you even make your choice, it has already conspired to make it so. Or were you one who was spared the gift of such a bauble?" The Intelligencer looks pointedly at the tiny bone figurine sitting before Wardja. "You fools still have no inkling of what you are dealing with."
The Changeling merely smiles grotesquely with Rico's stolen face, apparently enjoying the crumbling of the arbitrator's facade of confidence.
"Swinthosa Wardja wrote:
Having followed custom and stood for the flip of my back to the wall lay-down, I return to my seat. Still in the game. I put out my lho and give a side-long glance at Thul, nodding acknowledgement. Examining the tiny figurine in front of me, I feel as if the hand was not won by me. Wondering about the Changeling's callous indifference. It's readily apparent that his brazen attitude is unsettling to both Leprade and Trizo. Who should fear the daemon more at this point, the acolyte's or the heretics?
Dropping my cards onto the table I look directly at the Changeling. Is there meaning behind its demeanor or is this simply barely-restrained Chaos at work?
Wardja eyes the Changeling as the cards are dealt, trying to fathom the unfathomable, wondering at the method behind the thing's madness. It is only when he pauses to consider who should fear the daemon more; he and his companions, or the heretics they oppose, that it slowly dawns on him what the smirking, mischievously disinterested demeanor reminds him of: a precocious and impatient child, one who is all too eager to spring a surprise, long in the planning, on his captive audience. Most disturbing, it is as if the Changeling already knows precisely how it's surprise will play out, yet it eagerly anticipates it nonetheless.
As the last of the cards are dealt for the seventh round, the dealer turns to Wardja for the opening bid.
The Gran Pallazzar Casino, Secondary Vermillion Ring Service Annex Corridor 9L, Storage Cell AA44
Uriah Trantor wrote:
<'I am here. With the positioning of everyone, do you have a suggestion of their placement. I was thinking that they should be prepared to take out the guards at the stairway, but if you have another suggestion, I am willing to listen.'>
Dunkan pauses, and the others listening in on the microbead can visualize him poring over the schematics at hand.
<'I was thinking the same thing, Uriah, it looks as though they can access the foyer at the bottom of the Grand Stairwell to the Pinnacle of Pearl by following a circuitous route through the primary damper conduit, the egress is from an adjoining generator room that opens on to a service corridor linking to the room below you. Kaltos, I've uploaded the schematic data to your auspex and bypassed the secure doors between you and your destination, I will re-secure them as you pass, but there are no guarantees there won't be someone else trying to follow you through. I'd recommend you proceed with caution, and haste.'>
Kaltos and Uriah can hear Dunkan tapping away at his cogitator.
<'Things outside of the casino are getting worse, there is some unrest in Vaxus District and it is bleeding over into the Grey Way, Oktammor is moving the cargo-8 and its occupants into the Gran Pallazzar's lower parking structure to get off the streets. There are elements of the Oremor 1st everywhere. Something bad is happening in the Underhive. I'll let you know as a I find out more.'>
<I hear you, everyone be careful. The situation is becoming that dangerous.>
"Tilkeen, I suggest you warn your people that it is getting bad in the underhive. There is trouble in the area around us, and the Oremor 1st has pockets all over."
"You work with the cards you have been given. Your hand is what it is. You win some, and you loose some. How you play the game and what decisions you make is how you will be remembered, and judged by others. You try and cheat players and dealer..."
I casually glance over to Trizo, before return my gaze to Leprade."
"...You will find you will soon be out of Aces."
"I raise by 10."
I realize the Daemon has been showed us how to beat Trizo's Psyker. Granted I already looked at my hand. So I seperate the cards I don't want to keep. But I put my hand face down on the table and wait for the next draw.
"You don't look comfortable in your chair Arbiter. Should we ask the house to bring you another?"
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Ellipsis, sorry about that, I neglected to record the damage to the horde in I15 in the round before your last action. I'm going to retcon that Ryuk did not fire, and still has one more shot in the hand flamer he took from Launce. In addition, since he technically missed a turn, I'm going to rule that he used Bio-lightning in his last turn, which I'll resolve here now.
The psyker inclines his head beneath the tattered hood of the cloak he wears, one hand clenching at the foul-smelling air like a hooked claw. The air around the truck crackles with the lingering Warp energy that brought forth the Savants, Ryuk shaping and channeling it, re-weaving it into himself until a nimbus of emerald energy flickers in his hand. Flicking his fingers toward the containment suit wearing warp-spawn in the middle, a bolt of blinding green lightning arcs forth from his fingertips to strike his foe.
Ryuk's Focus Power, 3d10 + 5 ⇒ (9, 1, 5) + 5 = 20, surpasses Threshold of 14 by 6, psychic phenomena incurred for result of 9, rolling, 1d100 ⇒ 9, Mounting Paranoia (benign effect). Overbleed of five yields another bolt, for a total of two.
The twinned bolts explode in a shimmering, coruscating flash of light across the front of the Vile Savant, illuminating its glass faceplate, making Vincent regret until the end of his days what he briefly perceived within.
Damage is 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 in Energy damage, reduced by TB (6) and AP (2), for a total of two Wounds inflicted, the second bolt deals 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12, for four Wounds inflicted, reducing the Vile Savants Wounds by a total of 6.
When the crackling aura fades from the Warp-spawned nightmare, Vincent can see that the filth-encrusted containment suit is burnt and seared from the occult energy, and the foul thing almost seems staggered from the effect. Emboldened by this, he aims the unwieldy shotgun and fires.
Vincent, four degrees of success are scored, but all three attacks do not possess enough punch to bypass TB (6) or AP (2).
The senior clerk watches the slugs rip into the suit, but they do not seem to stagger his target in the least. Instead, he watches as foul, greenish-black sludge begins to ooze forth from the rips in the suit's ablative fabric.
Mumbling to himself incoherently, spitting the last of the vomit from his lips, the Guardsman sergeant raises his head and his lasgun, following the senior clerk's aim and firing a burst from his weapon.
The sergeant also fires upon Vile Savant #2, BS = 40, +10 (Short Range), +10 (Higher Ground), Semi-Auto Burst, modified BS = 60, rolling, 1d100 ⇒ 26, a hit, successful by four degrees for three hits, damage is 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10, even substituting degrees of success does not result in damage on the first two hits, final hit deals two Wounds damage, for a total of 8 inflicted this round on Vile Savant #2.
The las-fire rakes the front of the shambling, flickering impossibility, the first two hits scoring the containment suit with blackened smudges of carbon, while the final shot pierces the armaplas faceplate, cracking it, and causing a beam of foul, mustard-colored light to shine forth. A discordant hiss begins to permeate the foul buzzing in the companion's shaken minds, and Vincent wonders if perhaps, just perhaps, they somehow hurt the thing.
Launce remains perfectly immobile all the while, his vox still groaning, eyes, augemtic and organic, staring blankly into the distance.
Looking behind himself in wide-eyed unease, Ryuk follows the plague zombie's steady advance behind him with narrowed eyes. He finally rips his gaze away and turns back toward the Vile Savants.
Now that they are within range, he unleashes the remaining promethium in the hand flamer, engulfing the rightmost Vile Savants.
Automatic hit for Flame Quality, rolling Agility tests for Vile Savants to avoid damage, Savant #2, 1d100 ⇒ 61, failed, Savant #3, 1d100 ⇒ 10, succeeded. Rolling damage for Savant #2, 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10, Pen (2), four Wounds inflicted after TB (6), for a total of 12 Wounds inflicted on Vile Savant #2 this round. Rolling second Agility test to see if it catches on fire,1d100 ⇒ 86, failed, Vile Savant #2 is on fire.
The cloud of molten fire engulfs the creatures, but one stalks through unharmed, flames licking at its suit with puffs of steaming smoke. The central Vile Savant is not as fortunate, and the damaged suit catches alight, purifying fire licking up and down the legs and arms of the monster. Vincent watches one smoldering glove fall free to the ground, liberating a host of burning flies, followed by a putrid pouring of brownish liquid. He barely has time to react as the Nurglite-spawn whips its arm forward, flinging a torrent of the toxic filth in their direction!
Half Action move for Savant #2, the attack targets: Stubber Guardsman = 1, Sergeant =2, Guardsman Lasgunner = 3, Vincent = 4, Ryuk = 5, Launce = 6, 1d6 ⇒ 1, hit is on Stubber Guardsman, unable to roll Agility test to Dodge, damage is 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5, bypasses AP (4) with Pen (6), one damage inflicted after reduction for TB, this single Wound received also has the Toxic, Infectious, and Flame quality, unable to roll the Agility test (frozen with Fear) the Stubber Guardsman is 'alight', although this mostly reflects the insidious, flesh-eating, corrosive effect of the sludge expelled by the Vile Savant.
The babbling words of the burly guardsman are instead replaced with a horrifying, mind-raping shriek of absolute agony, as the acrid, nauseating fluid sloshes across the front of his face and chest. Vincent sees the skin on his face, where a single drop has fallen begins sizzle and blister, a great, weeping pustule forming in a moment, before bursting and spraying rancid yellow pus across his chin and the roof of the truck. Where the majority of the fluid hit his flak vest, toxic smoke begins to waft upward, the clinging fluid burning through his flakweave to the flesh beneath.
He screeches like a madman.
Vile Savants #1 and #3 choose to advance with a Full Action Move.
The guardsman lasgunner continues to writhe and rip at his own clothing and face upon the top of the truck, his nails tearing runnels of flesh from his pale cheeks. His screaming is almost welcomed by the others, because it serves to partially drown out the terrible buzzing in their heads.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
As the initial Plague Zombie Horde [20] was eliminated, there is no longer any chance of them appearing by chance.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended, advantage to be revealed), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 (Stunned, On 'Fire') 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10, Helpless for 2 more rounds. 11-Plague Zombie Horde [35] and spawned Hordes [10] x 1 (Hordes in M12 & M13 merged last round; new Horde [5] merged with existing Horde [10] in O16, now Horde [15] x2 05-Ryuk, J11. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10, Prone and Helpless for 3 more rounds. 05-Vile Savants, Vile Savant #2 (On Fire)
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Guardsman with Stubber tries to snap out of it again, WP = 35, 1d100 ⇒ 16, success..
The searing agony of the corrosive matter burning a hole into his face brings the stocky guardsman back to the terrible reality of the here and now with awful immediacy. He continues screaming, dropping to one knee, hands going to his face, but cognizant enough not to touch what eats through his flesh with his bare hand. His own eyes burning and running with water from the caustic stench of the sludge, Vincent can only look on as the man shrieks.
Hard Agility test to Extinguish himself, 1d100 ⇒ 47, failed, rolling damage, 1d10 ⇒ 6, no reduction for Armor, 2 Wounds inflicted.
Vincent keeps firing, hoping the rounds will at least slow the daemon down.
Semi-auto burst on Vile Savant #2, range ~8m is less than half combat shotgun's 30m range. Three rounds remain in the shotgun's magazine. Semi-Auto Burst + Higher Ground = 36 + 10 = 46 Roll : 1d100=83
Wardja raises, adding ten chips to the pot, which is quickly called by Savalos.
Remastering his composure, Intelligencer Leprade does not respond or even acknowledge the acolyte's jibe, preferring instead to peruse the hand he has been dealt.
When the dealer reaches the daemonhost, its gaze flicks down to Savalos' hand, face-down on the table, and it follows-suit with its own cards, grinning amicably, but showing nothing human within the leering, cobalt-blue eyes.
"Call."
The chips are pushed across disinterestedly, and the dealer moves on to Trizo, who merely grunts, pushing across his own chips to call as well. He continues rapping his golden fingers on the table, a cold glare moving from player to player.
Leprade looks askance at the Changeling before nudging forward his own ten chips, then turns his razor-sharp focus back again to his hand.
When the dealer reaches Blitz, the rogue trader sighs, feigns waffling for a moment, and then tosses in ten of his own.
The rogue trader mutters under his breath, just loud enough for all at the table to hear, "This promises to be interesting."
With everyone committed to the hand and Wardja's opening raise, the dealer turns his attention back to the erstwhile Skaelen Har representative, prompting him for his choice in the Draw.
Will try not to meta-game too much here. Conservative Draw--Modified Gambling Test 45, 1d100 ⇒ 39
Blitz' comment makes me think there is more than a couple of very good hands in play right now. Looking to improve my combo, I toss in a couple of cards. Don't care much if Thul's hand is better than my own--it's fine if my chips fall to him.
Trizo despises everyone at the table, Changeling and Leprade included. The Duct Wolf is right to go after Leprade--he's the weak member of the heretic herd. Feigning indifference I focus my attention on the interplay between the Yellowbouros and the corrupt arbite.
Hoping to make an Awareness Check when appropriate.
Strengthening an already good hand is not meta-gaming at all, Wardja, just good sense.
Fairly certain that with everyone still in the round, there are more than a few good hands amongst his opponents, Wardja runs the risk of swapping out one of his lesser cards.
He is rewarded with the Empty Chalice, and yet another Greater Array. He stifles his reaction, trying to keep it even from his eyes as he uses his Inquisitorial training to effectively mute his own body language.
Feel free to make an Awareness test, Wardja. Remember, sussing out the strength of hand of your opponents in the game is largely dependent on opposed Awareness or Scrutiny tests against their Deceive. Success on one of these can give you a better idea of where you stand against the rest of the table.
After Wardja draws his card, the dealer looks next to Savalos.
Sav, standing pat, Conservative, or Aggressive Draw?
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Short Range bonus would apply here, too, Vincent, but even adding it in, it will be a miss.
Vincent's next burst from the booming weapon is largely ineffectual, the wavering haze that seems to shimmer in the cloying air before the Warp-spawn making it impossible to see the result of his fire.
His stomach knots in fear as the two Vile Savants flanking his target slowly stalk forward through the shimmering miasma of their corruption, now much nearer to their redoubt upon the overturned truck.
The sergeant seems about to make some attempt to help his brother-in-arms when he notices the desperate madness in the man's eyes as the substance eats through skin and armor. Half standing, he falters, and focuses instead upon the threat, loosing another burst at the horrid thing that injured his friend.
The sergeant fires upon Vile Savant #2, BS = 40, +10 (Short Range), +10 (Higher Ground), Semi-Auto Burst, modified BS = 60, rolling, 1d100 ⇒ 32, a hit, three degrees of success yields a second hit. Damage is 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6, even substituting degrees of success does not result in damage on the two hits, as the daemon's TB (6) is enough to soak that result.
His fire is accurate, but the daemon merely continues to stride forward, two more coin-sized holes burned through the containment suit, weeping foul ichor.
As the plague zombies continue to stagger and creep forward from the irrigation canal, they seem infused with a ravenous renewal of purpose and effort now that the Vile Savants have manifested. They groan and low even louder now, massing into a massive tide of rotting flesh and gnashing jaws as they press forward.
Fingers still crackling with corposant witchfire, Ryuk reaches within himself and unleashes another volley of blinding green lightning at the daemons.
Ryuk's Focus Power, 3d10 ⇒ (5, 5, 9) = 19, exceeds Threshold (14) of Bio-Lightning by 5, yielding greater range, but also invokes Psychic Phenomena with a '9', rolling damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7, one more Wound to Vile Savant #2, for a total of 13 thus far.
The bolts score the flaming containment suit, burning away the suppurating foulness oozing from the many tears in the fabric before dissipating along the horror's body like a grounded object.
Rolling for Psyhic Phenomena, 1d100 ⇒ 53, Psy Discharge, Ryuk floats 1d5 ⇒ 2 meters into the air.
The static electricity from the discharge does not fade from the air this time, however, and a crackling nimbus or greenish-light, wails and moans around the psyker, lifting him off his feet and into the air as it pulses around him.
The final guardsman at Launce's feet continues to buck and thrash, and has propelled himself dangerously close to the curving edge of the truck on the side the legion of undead are marching toward.
Rolling Fire Damage for Vile Savant #2, 1d10 ⇒ 6, no reduction for TB (6) or AP (2), damage is sufficient to destroy the daemon.
Rolling for the Horror Within special ability, 50% chance that the destruction of the Vile Savant releases a Plague Swarm, 1d100 ⇒ 59, no swarm released.
Perhaps it is the flames or lightning, perhaps it is the cumulative effect of the sustained volley of weapon's fire, but it is finally altogether enough to cause the Vile Savant in the middle of the line to stagger forward, drop to one knee, and collapse. The containment suit appears to swell spectacularly, the foulness within expanding with some noxious expansion of gas until it finally bursts like a wet thunderclap. The churning corruption of the daemon is consumed by the spreading flames, as buzzing blue-bottle flies set afire flit off drunkenly in all directions as they crawl forth in the millions from the remains.
Something about knowing that the horrors can be defeated buoys Vincent's waning hope that they might survive.
His optimism is short-lived, as the remaining Vile Savants finally reach the base of the truck after sloshing through the muck surrounding it, one clutching a rusting scalpel, the other carrying a serrated bone-cutter. They grab for handholds on the water truck and begin to climb up the side.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
As the initial Plague Zombie Horde [20] was eliminated, there is no longer any chance of them appearing by chance.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 (Stunned, On 'Fire') 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10, Helpless for 1 more round. 11-Plague Zombie Horde [30] and spawned Horde [5] x 1, Horde [10] x 1, and Hordes [15] x2 05-Ryuk, J11. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10, Prone and Helpless for 2 more rounds. 05-Vile Savants, Vile Savant #2 has been destroyed
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Hard Agility test for the Stubber Guardsman to Extinguish himself, 1d100 ⇒ 98, failed, rolling damage, 1d10 ⇒ 4, no reduction for Armor, damage is soaked by TB (4).
Still screaming, now on his knees, the large Guardsman begins ripping at the clasps and buckles of his flak vest, trying to ear it free, even as the small circular hole in his face continues to smoke and sizzle with whatever corrupted effluence struck him. A horrible smell like cooking meat mixed with a latrine comes from the wound.
Facing the daemon bare meters away, Vincent fires again and again into its putrescent form.
Semi-auto burst on Vile Savant #2, range >3m is point blank. Shotgun is empty. Semi-Auto Burst + Point Blank Range + Higher Ground = 36 + 30 + 10 = 76 Roll : 1d100=86 Fate Point Reroll : 1d100=91
Savalos elects to decline the Draw, keeping his attention affixed upon his opponents and their choices, watching their faces and mannerisms for any advantage it might create.
When the dealer moves on to the Changeling, Thul's eyes follow and he is met with an unnerving grin of satisfaction from the daemonhost. The thing masquerading as Juan Rico looks upon the acolyte's unorthodox decision with an expression that is something akin to admiration.
Unsettling, to say the least.
Without even deigning to look upon his original hand, still face down upon the table, the daemonhost randomly picks three placards with fickle stabs of his index finger and takes an Aggressive Draw, never once even glancing at what is returned to him, his entire hand still unseen. The audience mutters in a muffled chorus of confusion, and even the dealer finally becomes disquieted, hesitating for an overlong, awkward pause before turning to Trizo.
Trizo regards the Changeling with the disdainful superiority of a man indulging the peccadilloes a somewhat touched relative, and declines the Draw with a dismissive wave of his hand.
The dealer comes to Leprade and the Intelligencer hesitates a good long while, his eyes darting back and forth between the unseen hands of Savalos and the Changeling with look of frustrated bafflement. He finally elects to hold as well, and the Draw comes finally to Blitz.
The rogue trader shrugs his shoulders in passive amazement, and elects to take an Aggressive Draw himself. While rearranging his cards in hand, he lets out a low chuckle.
"Win or lose, I've never seen a showdown the like of this, so I guess I'll stay around a bit longer."
With this, the bidding goes back to Wardja.
Bid is to Wardja. Feel free to make an Awareness test.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
With a triple boom the shotgun jerks in Vincent's hands, nearly falling free from his benumbed fingers, the madness-tinged fear growing within him as the droning buzz grows louder inside his head. Some of the shot rips through the bulging, roiling folds of the swelling containment suit the thing wears, leading it to weep or spray forth more of the noxious fluid.
The sergeant steps past his screaming squadmate and fires a burst, point blank into the thing, his charge pack running dry with an exhausted hiss.
The shot blasts clear through the Vile Savant's chest, causing more filth to squeeze through the hole created, along with deformed, asymmetrical, maggoty worms the size of swollen fingers. The creature, hands robotically clenching the sides of the truck as it climbs, turns its disturbingly vacant, mirror-reflective face plate upward to face the companions as it makes its ascent. The sergeant backs away as the corrosive liquids spit forth, scrabbling for his chainsword.
Vincent's troubled mind is beginning to pick out the faintest, buzzing words in the white noise of the continued psychic assault, and when he looks at the reflective glass of the daemon's face plate, he sees a sickly black sun, wreathed in eddying Warp-stuff looking back at him like some blind, idiot god.
Vincennnnnttttttt...commmmme to ussssss...heeeeere theeere isss noooo sufferrrring...liiiifffe withhhhhooouttt enddddd...Graaaandfaaatherrr is callllling....callllling forrr yoouuu Vincennnnnttttttt!!!
With a wet plop of leaden legs into ankle deep mud, the first of the plague zombies begin to trudge close to the side of the truck, their empty hands slapping with lobotomized rage against the side of the toppled vehicle. As the undead slowly spread out, Vincent is cognizant that they soon will be surrounded.
The senior clerk notices that even Ryuk's ears are bleeding as the psyker urgently unsheathes his Witch-blade while striding forward to interpose himself between the other Vile Savant and the still-rigid Launce.
"Stand strong friends! Stand strong in the face of the Hag's children!"
He waits almost patiently for the thing to nearly reach the top of the truck before lashing out with a reckless two-handed swing, the amber-bladed weapon crackling with bright emerald light from his channeled psychic energy.
WS = 38, +10 (Higher Ground), +30 (All-Out Attack), modified WS = 78, 1d100 ⇒ 70, a hit. Damage is 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18, rolling second WS test for Righteous Fury, 1d100 ⇒ 87, unsuccessful. Penetration (3) exceeds AP (2), and the Sanctified Quality of the force sword negates the Daemonic TB doubling (6 to 3), damage inflicted is 15 Wounds, slaying the Vile Savant.
Roaring with the pent-up fury of his endless imprisonment, the clone swings the blade in a flat, descending arc with such power that he cleaves clean through the collar of the containment suit, effectively severing the head of the daemon. A great, vomitous geyser of brownish-black corruption sprays outward from the decapitated containment suit, but through some quirk of fate it is projected outward on to the muddy field surrounding the truck as the creatures falls.
Rolling for the Horror Within, 50% chance a slain Vile Savant releases a Plague Swarm, 1d100 ⇒ 80, failed.
The corrosive filth begins to steam and hiss as it burns its way into the soft ground, wriggling many-legged things splashing through it as they try to burrow back into the spongy earth.
Vile Savant #3, armed with a chain bone-cutter finishes climbing up the truck and is now adjacent to Vincent, the Sergeant, and the mad Stubber Guardsman.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
As the initial Plague Zombie Horde [20] was eliminated, there is no longer any chance of them appearing by chance.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 (Stunned, On 'Fire') 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10, No longer Helpless. 11-Plague Zombie Horde [25] and spawned Hordes [10] x 2, and Hordes [15] x2 05-Ryuk, J10. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10, Prone and Helpless for 1 more round. 05-Vile Savant #3, J11; Vile Savants #1 and #2 have been destroyed
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Hard Agility test for the Stubber Guardsman to Extinguish himself, 1d100 ⇒ 6, success.
As the Vile Savant comes to its full height, the screeching, desperate guardsman finally manages to yank free his smoldering flak vest, his cheek a clawed furrow of torn, bloodied, and blackened flesh where he has managed to rip away the steaming corruption sprayed by the Vile Savant, using only his bare hands.
Just as his keening diminishes, he notices the mockery of all that is good and holy standing over him, and frantically begins to crawl away on hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably as the abomination strides forward. Reaching out like a plaintive child for his sergeant as the other man's jaw drops open in horror.
With one fluid motion, Vincent draws the Sliver of Calyx from its makeshift scabbard and draws the shimmering blade across the daemon's tainted flesh, pealing open soiled chem-suit and rotted flesh like the skin of an overripe fruit.
Ready action to draw, standard attack to attack.
Standard Attack + Proficient + Best Quality + Ganging Up = 24 + 10 - 20 + 10 + 10 = 34 Roll : 1d100=1
Damage : 1d10 + 5 + 1 + 2 Damage Roll : 1d10 = 8 Total damage is 8 + 5 + 1 + 2 = 16
Bid is to Wardja. Feel free to make an Awareness test.
With so much going on both in and outside this game, I need to stay focused. On the cards, yes, but more importantly on the dynamics between the damned and damnable at the table.
Awareness 50, 1d100 ⇒ 30
Games within games, schemes within schemes. What to tell, what to tell...
Awareness successful, opposed by his opponent's Deceive results (rolls not shown).
Wardja tries to gauge just what is happening amongst their adversaries, both mortal and daemonic, but it still remains largely unclear. There is certainly some manner of rift between Trizo dol Soulard and the Intelligencer, one that seems to be growing as the tournament progresses and the tension ratchets up. It is beginning to seem as if Trizo is far more confident over his control of the Changeling than his partner, and it appears to be this arrogance that is troubling Leprade, who is far less sure of things now. As an acolyte of the Inquisition with commensurate, troubling, first hand experience with the Ruinous Powers, Wardja is certain Leprade is more fearful at this point of he and his associate's bargain with the devil than with any potential punishment that could be meted out at the hands of the Imperium.
As far as the cards, it is fairly apparent that both Leprade and Trizo are holding good hands, but the daemonhost and his peculiar manner of playing make it as inscrutable as ever. Wardja looks at Leprade again, watching him finger the tops of his placards before going to his brow---something he was doing on the last hand he won...
Wardja, just let me know if you intend to raise, after that the raise/call goes to Savalos.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Something about the shouted cry of defiance from Ryuk, so long a prisoner, so long a shackled pawn in this great game, buoys Vincent's stricken spirit, and he draws forth the Sliver of Calyx, summoning further strength from the visceral pulse of cold purity that radiates from this sanctified relic.
With perhaps the bravest act of his life, he steps forward and plunges the shining sabre into the filthy, condensation dotted faceplate of the Vile Savant, splitting the opaque armaplas with a liquid fluidity of motion that encounters almost no resistance. The weapon's power field flares with an almost incandescent flash of silver and the spewing putrescence that spatters out of the massive crack created is incinerated in midair with a pulse of white light and a crackling of ozone.
The daemon staggers as the terrible buzzing in Vincent's mind briefly stops, and he sees the ancient, withered visage of the Heresy Era Officio Medicae that once occupied this suit aboard the hospital ship he served so long ago, formed from the writhing effluvia and tumescent corruption within the suit. It seems to scream wordlessly at him as it lunges forward, reaching out to pass on the blight within it.
Vile Savant #3 sustains 13 Wounds total after reduction for TB (only 3 of 6 due to the Sanctified weapon). In addition, rolling a natural "1" grants an added bonus by house rule, GM's ruling is that the Vile Savant's Telepathy and Horror Within abilities have been neutralized by the attack of the sacred saber.
The Guardsman Sergeant lunges forward, slashing with his chainsword, inspired by Vincent's courage in the face of the abominable.
WS = 40, +10 (Ganging-Up), modified WS = 50, 1d100 ⇒ 27, a hit, rolling damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15, or 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 for Tearing. Wow, either will do, rolling for Righteous Fury, 1d100 ⇒ 94, unsuccessful, total damage inflicted is 9 Wounds after reduction for TB (6), sufficient to destroy the Vile Savant.
His chainsword strikes the daemon seconds after Vincent's desperate blow, and it cuts clean through the grime-caked containment suit's midline, cutting whatever is within clean in half. As the blade penetrates the horrible ichor within, the weapon rusts out in the very act, the serrated chain slipping from it tracks, the housing crumbling into slagged bits of metal and oxidized dust. The suit collapses in a fetid splash of spilt ichor that begins to pool and hiss, burning like a corrosive acid through the rear of the tanker truck, the reinforced suit dissolving before their eyes, before blinking out in a flash of pupil-burning blacklight as the Warp reclaims its own.
The burly guardsman that was manning the stubber less than a minute ago backpedals on his rump as far as he can from the sizzling pool of toxic sludge, still yelling hoarsely in horror.
Once again himself, Launce looks on in awe as Vincent turns toward him, the Sliver of Calyx clutched in the senior clerk's hands, and begins to laboriously screw another flask of promethium into his flamer.
"We must hurry, they will surround us soon, and if this happens our salvation will be short lived."
Launce begins reloading.
The horde of undead is still moving en masse in their direction, those already at the base of the truck dispersing to surround it from all sides.
Ryuk reaches out with one hand, grasping the forearm of the final guardsman, who was slowly sliding down the side of the truck, pulling him back up and pressing his weight upon the respirator-masked man's chest as his seizure begins to abate.
"I call" in a very relaxed manner. Focusing on the on the other players.
Figure if I manage to live through all of this. This game would be a story to tell that no one would believe. Back to betting packs of lho sticks, a few throne, a bottle of rot gut over a smile girls smile.
Wardja's raise and Thul's call are met with narrowed eyes from Trizo, and nary a reaction at all from Leprade, who continues to adjust the order of his hand almost obsessively.
The Changeling unnerves the table further by giggling childishly, a completely unnatural sound coming from Juan Rico's body, before pushing forward twenty markers with a sweep of his hand.
Trizo's eyes dart venomously to his left, and the gang-lord of the Yellobouros grunts dubiously, his cold disregard for the daemon beginning to slide toward irriation.
He pushes across twenty chips of his own. Thul thinks he can sense a hint of reluctance in the act.
"Call."
The dealer moves to Leprade who waits a good long while before sliding across twenty of his own markers, hand holding his jaw as he studies his cards intently. Without a word, he shrugs and pushes across another twenty chips with his white knuckles.
"I will call, and a raise of twenty more."
The substantial raise gets Jeremiah Blitz's attention, his eyebrows arching in exaggeratedly comic surprise.
"Well, well, then. It appears I must bow out once again prematurely. I suppose it for the best, I would never be able to live with myself if I missed the tournament's final two rounds at this juncture."
He folds his hand, sitting back in the chair to assess Wardja's next move and whether he truly believes in his hand or not.
Heretic's Wake Tournament Round #7:
First Player: Swinthosa Wardja
Current Stakes: 186
Gambling Skill Results:
Wardja: 15, three degrees of success, Conservative Draw successful, now four degrees of success.
Savalos: 07, four degrees of success.
Johnnie/The Changeling: Unknown strength of hand
Trizo dol Soulard: Likely strong hand.
Intelligencer Leprade: Likely strong hand.
Jeremiah Blitz: Folded.
Remaining Chips:
Jeremiah Blitz: 201
Wardja: 143
Savalos: 147
Johnnie/The Changeling: 76
Trizo dol Soulard: 130
Intelligencer Leprade: 17
Jashar Dol Geim: Eliminated
Lady Cinzia: Eliminated
Keramiah Tor: Eliminated
Raise of 20 to Wardja, you may call, fold, or call and raise again if you so choose.
I haven't won a hand since the first. Time to make my push. I am guessing Trizo's isn't as sure of his hand as he would like. Leprade I think is bluffing. I can taste a hint of desperation in his move. Granted I was wrong earlier with Trizo. But if I get them to both push, then I will force one to play against the other. Another thread to snap in there alliance.
"Excuse me for speaking out of turn Gentlemen, and Lady. I have to say Intelligencer your move has me intrigued. I was content to let the hand ride with a simple call. Now...Regardless of what anyone else does. I will match you throne for throne this hand til I see your bottom dollar."
I give him a warm reassuring smile, and take a sip of beverage to wet my lips. I wait for Wardja's answer. Lets see if Leprade bluff's as well as Trizo or blinks and folds his hand.
Leprade watches Savalos intently, his jaw set rigidly.
'Savalos Thul' wrote:
"Excuse me for speaking out of turn Gentlemen, and Lady. I have to say Intelligencer your move has me intrigued. I was content to let the hand ride with a simple call. Now...Regardless of what anyone else does. I will match you throne for throne this hand til I see your bottom dollar."
The Intelligencer's voice, when he speaks, is dry and emotionless.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
As the initial Plague Zombie Horde [20] was eliminated, there is no longer any chance of them appearing by chance.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, J11 12-Launce, J10, Reloading Flamer. 11-Plague Zombie Horde [15] and spawned Horde [5] x2, Hordes [10] x 1, and Hordes [15] x2 05-Ryuk, J10. 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, J10
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 7 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
As the undead begin to encircle the crumpled water truck, Vincent wipes blood away from his earlobe, his head still ringing even though the horrific droning has abated, his nose and mouth still filled with the awful, stinking, foulness of the putrescent daemon's passing.
As Vincent looks away toward the irrigation canal, his watering eyes pass over hundreds upon hundreds of the staggering plague zombies, all moving in a tightly-packed tide of rotting flesh and filthy accoutrements, like a great decaying sea of penitents, marching toward them as if on an unholy pilgrimage.
He returns to himself when he hears the guardsman that was once manning the stubber muttering incoherently again, he turns toward the shattered man, finally making sense of his jangled, imploring words.
"Please---please help me---I feel it---I---I don't feel well---please---please help me..."
The once formidable looking guardsman, burly and fit, now looks wanly pale, sweat beading his knotted brow where he sits disconsolately by his still smoking weapon, the horrid black hole in his cheek weeping a gaggingly foul-smelling trickle of greenish fluid.
The sergeant, with his chainsword now silenced, begins to lean in to him, a contradictory expression of concern and disgust creasing his features.
"We'll Intelligencer if your right it will gain you 17 more throne, and I will be a bit poorer. If... But if I am right, you are out of cards. All that sits before me is false resolve, and bluster."
Not sure if that would be an inquiry or deceive test for my part? Trying to see if I can make him crack under the pressure of the hand.
Leprade says Thul will lose. But to who? Or better yet what? Does the corrupt arbite believe he has the better hand? Or is he resigned in that the Ruinous Powers are about to consume all of us?
Observing the Changeling and Trizo's responses to the banter.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
As Vincent reaches down to aid the babbling, pleading guardsman, he hears Launce's modulated voice shout loudly from behind him, "No, DO NOT TOUCH HIM!"
The terrible intensity behind the tech-priest's words make Vincent hesitate, and he takes a quick step backward as the wounded guardsman begins to quiver and shake, his arms hanging slack at his sides where he is seated awkwardly atop the curve of the tanker truck. His knuckles begin to rattle spasmodically upon the metal surface, his head lolling back limply, and the putrid ichor begins to spurt again from the wound on his face, which has gone ghastly pale; web-worked with a tracery of dull black blood vessels, burst beneath his skin. Only the whites of the man's eyes now show, leaking an awful, rusty colored fluid that stinks of decay. His stuttering, pleading words have changed to become unintelligible grunts and croaks, until finally, they sound like nothing more than a low, continuous groan.
Most horrifyingly of all, it happened so quickly.
The former guardsman scrabbles to his feet, perhaps emboldened by the hungry moans of his kindred swarming around the base of the tanker truck, and lurches toward Vincent and the sergeant.
It is still your action, Vincent.
Let me know how you wish to proceed. Given the proximity of the newly born plague zombie atop the truck, it would prove perilous to scamper down on the far side of the water truck (a Disengage action that would result in a Climb action to descend would still provoke a free Standard Attack from the plague zombie on yourself or the sergeant, a Disengage action to jump down on the far side of the truck will not provoke a Standard Attack, but could come with other perils). At a glance, Vincent can clearly see waiting overlong (beyond one more round) atop the truck will almost certainly end up with the companions being surrounded atop the truck as the zombies forming the closest hordes spread out. The final complication is the gas-masked guardsman, who still lies dazed on Ryuk's side of the vehicle.
"Well Intelligencer, if you're right it will gain you 17 more throne, and I will be a bit poorer. If... But if I am right, you are out of cards. All that sits before me is false resolve, and bluster."
Not sure if that would be an Inquiry or Deceive test for my part? Trying to see if I can make him crack under the pressure of the hand.
Savalos, if you wish to push Leprade into a fold, it can be attempted through one of two ways; either using an Intimidate skill test, using force of personality and certain knowledge of a strong hand to cow your opponent into submission, or through Deceive, by tricking your opponent through a convincing bluff or by forcing doubt into his mind, weakening his resolve. Both are Hard [-20] skill tests in this case, opposed by Leprade's Scrutiny. It is a Hard test because the Intelligencer is already backed into a corner, with only 17 chips remaining to meet the most recent raise. In other words, getting him to fold at this point is difficult, as he is pretty much at the end of his rope in the tournament anyway. If this round doesn't go his way, that is.
Intelligencer Leprade stares down Savalos as he speaks, betraying nothing, his visage set, and rigidly unreadable.
The dealer turns to the Changeling as this contest of wills takes place, and the daemonhost eagerly pushes his own chips forward.
Chortling to itself, it watches with barely constrained mirth as the dealer next turns to Trizo.
The gang-lord tries his best to ignore the daemon's laughter, but it is clear that the glowering anger in the man is fast returning, goaded on by the Changeling's mind games. He glances to Leprade, then back to Savalos and for the first time in the tournament appears vaguely uncertain. The raise is a steep one, it seems.
He favors the daemon with a final, furious glare, itself promising some punishment yet delivered upon, and with a disgusted flick of his hand, folds.
The dealer then turns to Leprade.
I'll await the outcome of your skill test before proceeding, Sav.
Heretic's Wake Tournament Round #7:
First Player: Swinthosa Wardja
Current Stakes: 246
Gambling Skill Results:
Wardja: 15, three degrees of success, Conservative Draw successful, now four degrees of success.
Savalos: 07, four degrees of success.
Johnnie/The Changeling: Unknown strength of hand
Trizo dol Soulard: Folded.
Intelligencer Leprade: Likely strong hand.
Jeremiah Blitz: Folded.
Remaining Chips:
Jeremiah Blitz: 201
Wardja: 123
Savalos: 127
Johnnie/The Changeling: 56
Trizo dol Soulard: 130
Intelligencer Leprade: 17
Jashar Dol Geim: Eliminated
Lady Cinzia: Eliminated
Keramiah Tor: Eliminated
Raise of 20 Leprade, waiting on skill test from Sav.
Just as a reminder, here is the link to the Heretic's Wake Gameplay post from OOC. You might want to use every option remaining at your disposal now that we are nearing the climax of the Tournament.
Rook, can I use assistance here? Something Wardja can do verbally like Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites) or Intimidate, although I used the former once on Leprade earlier in the evening. Let me know if I can simply give Sav a +10 to his roll or would I make my own separate roll? Also thanks for reposting the rules for Heretic's Wake. I was wondering where that was! :)
