WP test(42) =
I can't win for losing with dice.
"Don't know if they have picked up our scent, but the smell of freshly burnt flesh, and the sound of bolter fire will. Lictors are the vanguard of larger forces. We should expect more of them. I say down the hole, and see where it leads. What do you say Quintus?"
Seeing he has the most experience fighting the Tyranid menance. My expertise being focused on Dark Eldar, and more sinister matters.
Hrothgar switches a fresh clip into his bolt pistol.
"I encourage everyone to restock and repair."
d100 = 5
Not to nit-pik (ok, maybe I am) but if you allow the combi-tool on this roll, to succeed I would need a 55 (skill 45 + tool 10). Just checking that my roll of 05 would still result in only one degree of success. Thanks for your patience!
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Inside the Comm Uplink Tower
241.817.M41
Brother Quintus' Chrono Reading: [3:41:05]
Not to nit-pik (ok, maybe I am) but if you allow the combi-tool on this roll, to succeed I would need a 55 (skill 45 + tool 10). Just checking that my roll of 05 would still result in only one degree of success. Thanks for your patience!
Brother Emeric remains perfectly still by the service cogitator, his heavy gauntlet still pressed over the units annunciator, even though the alarm was only a brief blare of noise. You all hear a strangely querulous hiss form above, followed by the crunching of metal under clawed feet. Brother's Caledonii and Syne press the bulk of their armored bodies against the inner curve of the tower as tightly as they can, so much so that they can feel the whole structure vibrate when the shrikes launch themselves from the tower into flight, their alien screeches calling over the howling wind, the wrenching sounds of straining metal sounding; three, four, five times announcing the Tyranid's staggered departure.
Risking a glance through the doorway, Brother Syne watches them soar into the snow-filled sky, effortlessly flapping their long, leathery wings in the direction of the primary refinery complex. They are soon lost to sight as their altitude takes them above the level of the storm.
Hrothgar takes the lictor's head as a trophy. He looks at the others saying, "This may provide vital information."
Hrothgar, snarling, proudly lifts the dead lictor's head and deftly threads a chain through the cracked carapace, linking it to his webbing. He reloads the bolt pistol and surveys the bunker.
Looking around now that the violence has ended, Brother Hrothgar and the others can see several bodies of Munitorum enforcers strewn about around the bunker's central command console, some with grisly wounds to their craniums, obviously inflicted by the infiltrating lictor. Although a great many of the cogitators and pict-screens have been destroyed or disabled in the fighting, a few still flicker with life. Many of the secure equipment lockers have also been overturned or otherwise opened, spilling their contents across the floor. These items mostly consist of a number of shotguns and autopistols with their attendant ammunition, along with pieces of enforcer armor that have been scattered about.
Troubled by the fact the doors opened at my request with no one alive inside. I take a look at the still operating view screens on the command console.
"Sepheren, what is the estimated time of death of the enforcers?"
With the ground being frozen you figure they would have heard the lictor digging for awhile. Then again with the automated defense guns they likely wouldn't have heard a thing til it was to late. Rest now soldiers you are with the Emperor now.
I check some of the longer scythes of the Lictor to see if any dirt was encrusted upon it to see if it was the one breeched the bunker. Did the dirt collapse into the hole, or was it dug out?
If a Lictor has managed to learn how to use imperial technology. The ramificiations are disasterous.
Since danger of combat is no longer imminent with the departure of the shrikes, I take a moment to access the encoded binary information retrieved from the communications console. Specifically, I am searching for clues as to the fate or location of Magos Vyakai.
"A moment Brothers; extracting code; cogitating."
"Sepheren, what is the estimated time of death of the enforcers?"
Brother Sepheren kneels down and examines the corpses before moving on to treating his companions' wounds.
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Inside the Comm Uplink Tower
241.817.M41
Brother Quintus' Chrono Reading: [3:41:05]
"Emeric, the others need to know about the shrikes, I cannot reach them on my microbead."
Since danger of combat is no longer imminent with the departure of the shrikes, I take a moment to access the encoded binary information retrieved from the communications console. Specifically, I am searching for clues as to the fate or location of Magos Vyakai.
"A moment Brothers; extracting code; cogitating."
"Sepheren, what is the estimated time of death of the enforcers?"
Brother Sepheren kneels down and examines the corpses before moving on to treating his companions' wounds.
1d100;1d100
Brother Sepheren moves among the dead Munitorum enforcers while Brother Vex examines the shattered body parts of the slain lictor, conferring as they go about their tasks.
Brother Sepheren moves amongst the dead with practiced ease, turning bodies, checking wounds, and using his advanced medicae training to evaluate their fatal injuries. There is no question that the majority of the men were slain by the lictor, the severed limbs and impalement wounds would verify this to green Guard medic. Two of the bodies, however, give the Blood Angel pause. One sits slumped at the circular command console in the center of the room, the other sprawled on the deck-plating beneath him. Both have severe cranial injuries near the brain-stem that suggest that some other portion of the lictor's anatomy inflicted them.
Brother Vex checks what little remains of one of the lictor's mantid-like forlimbs, and it is clear that the razor-sharp, bone-hard, chitinous appendage is strong enough to burrow through the ground beneath the bunker. In many of the spur-like nodules on the limb's underside, he can quite clearly see slivers of harder rock still embedded. As Brother Sepheren describes the injuries to the two enforcers near the console, the Librarian makes his way over to Hrothgar, checking what is left of the horrid xenos' ruined head.
"Emeric, the others need to know about the shrikes, I cannot reach them on my microbead."
Before attempting the data extraction, I act upon the request.
"Of course, Brother Eli, we must warn our Battle Brothers. Good thinking. Forgive my single-mindedness of purpose."
I unstrap the vox-caster from my armor, speak the proper litany, and direct a message towards the bunker complex:
<<Brother-Techmarine Emeric to Brother-Leader Quintus, Brother Emeric to Brother Quintus, be advised: airborne tyranids en route to your position. Repeat: airborne tyranids, classification SHRIKE, en route to your position. Advise concealment to facilitate mission objectives.>>
<<Data-Core and Magos still undiscovered. Attempting to decode binary message; com-tower team then returning to bunker complex. The Emperor Protects. Emeric out.>>
Forbidden Lore Xenos (1d100=59)
I just shake my head my head when trying to assist in determining how the Lictor killed the other two men. I am just too unfamiliar with the physiology. All I do is quickly enter Sepheren, and mines findings with the hopes someone more knowledgable than us can provide an answer.
Registering that the extracted data is still encoded, once more I run a data-probe from my forearm to access a port on the communications console. "Machine-spirit, I am thy loyal servent, as I commune with thee, reveal thy secrets. Praise to the Omnissiah."
Looking around now that the violence has ended, Brother Hrothgar and the others can see several bodies of Munitorum enforcers strewn about around the bunker's central command console, some with grisly wounds to their craniums, obviously inflicted by the infiltrating lictor. Although a great many of the cogitators and pict-screens have been destroyed or disabled in the fighting, a few still flicker with life. Many of the secure equipment lockers have also been overturned or otherwise opened, spilling their contents across the floor. These items mostly consist of a number of shotguns and autopistols with their attendant ammunition, along with pieces of enforcer armor that have been scattered about.
"What are the chances these machines can help us locate our quarry?" Hrothgar muses out loud. "Seems to me we need an Iron Priest."
Forbidden Lore Xenos (1d100=59)
I just shake my head my head when trying to assist in determining how the Lictor killed the other two men. I am just too unfamiliar with the physiology. All I do is quickly enter Sepheren, and mines findings with the hopes someone more knowledgable than us can provide an answer.
Brother-Librarian Vex examines the grisly wounds that the apothecary points out on the backs of the two Munitorum enforcer's heads, but cannot make any sense of what they may mean. It almost looks as if the back of the cranium was peeled up like the skin of a ripe ploin on both men.
Uncertain as to what it all may mean, he instead decides to catalogue his findings for those that may know more of the peculiar Tyranid's physiology. He dictates his observations through the vox-link with his data-slate while using his helmet pict-corder to record the scene.
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Inside the Comm Uplink Tower
241.817.M41
Brother Emeric's Chrono Reading: [3:39:55]
Registering that the extracted data is still encoded, once more I run a data-probe from my forearm to access a port on the communications console. "Machine-spirit, I am thy loyal servent, as I commune with thee, reveal thy secrets. Praise to the Omnissiah."
d100
Brother Emeric attempts to decrypt the binary data extracted from Magos Vyakai's recurring message once again, but cannot fully bypass the countermeasures put in place. Disappointing, but not altogether a failure, as he has at least been able to download the entirety of the original message, including the encoded binary burst. He is fairly certain that if he runs a brute-force decryption protocol on the data, he should be able to eventually translate the message. It may take an hour or more, but he can run this process in the background of his internal cogitation engine with a minimum of effort..
"What are the chances these machines can help us locate our quarry?" Hrothgar muses out loud. "Seems to me we need an Iron Priest."
Brother Hrothgar considers the implications of the techmarine's warning while surveying the cogitator equipment that is still functional inside the bunker's command center. Brother Emeric's presence is sorely missed at the moment. The views from the grainy pict-feeds remaining show no signs of activity to the west and south of the structure, it is impossible to say what is happening to the east or north, however, as it appears these displays were blown out during the Tyranid assault.
He is fairly certain that if he runs a brute-force decryption protocol on the data, he should be able to eventually translate the message. It may take an hour or more, but he can run this process in the background of his internal cogitation engine with a minimum of effort..
The decryption subroutine runs automatically in my cranial circuitry while I focus on more pressing matters.
"Brother Eli, is the way clear? Shall we endeavor towards the bunker-complex?"
"Being inside this bunker should be an advantage for us against airborne tyranids. What you think, brothers?"
Hrothgar takes the safety off his bolt pistol and makes a few swings with his chainsword.
The decryption subroutine runs automatically in my cranial circuitry while I focus on more pressing matters.
"Brother Eli, is the way clear? Shall we endeavor towards the bunker-complex?"
"They are gone for now, we must watch the skies for their return. If there is nothing further to learn from this place we may rejoin the others."
"Emeric, we discovered some machines here in the bunker that you should look at," sends Hrothgar over the vox, "do you copy?"
"They are gone for now, we must watch the skies for their return. If there is nothing further to learn from this place we may rejoin the others."
"Very well. Brother Caledonii let us go forth. Maintain maximum vigilance."
"Emeric, we discovered some machines here in the bunker that you should look at," sends Hrothgar over the vox, "do you copy?"
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Sixty meters South/Southeast of the Pyroclast-Gamma-9 Security Bunker
241.817.M41
Brother Emeric's Chrono Reading: [3:29:31]
"Emeric, we discovered some machines here in the bunker that you should look at," sends Hrothgar over the vox, "do you copy?"Spoiler:Can I hear this over the microbead? Emeric has re-secured the vox unit safely within his back harness. Rook, may Emeric constantly monitor vox-traffic with the caster or would there be consequences to his effectiveness in other areas? If it's possible to run a functional auditory lead from the caster to Emeric's ear then he will do that. Irregardless, Rad, we are on our way back!
The trio of Battle-brothers complete their cautious descent from the rocky tor surmounted by the Comm Uplink tower, double-timing it back to the Security Bunker. The rough and muddy track they had followed to reach the base of the mount has largely been snowed over by this time, but as they near the outskirts of the fenced-in yard, it is clear from the wide swath of strange tracks that a swarm of the Great Devourer's progeny have recently passed in this direction out of the southern hills.
Their fate is revealed by the stench of charred organic matter, vaguely fruity and acrid, that grows ever stronger the nearer they get, nauseatingly mingled with the heady stink of blessedly purifying promethium. Coming around the bunker from the same, circuitous southern approach as before, the three marines can see the black smoke rising from the dozens and dozens of immolated hormagaunt carcasses piled up near the bunker's wide open bulkhead doors.
Awareness (40) + Senses (20) + Auger Array (20) = 80
I signal with a quiet voice through the vox-caster: <<Bunker-Team, this is Brother Emeric. Approaching your position.>>
While in the bunker I will do a search. Remembering my time on Solace there was more than one time where I would find a child hidden in a cupboard, or up in the rafters of a house to hide away from the nightmares. Even grown men confronted with terror will revert back to there most basic instincts; flight or fight.
Over my Vox: "Be wary approaching the bunker. Hrothgar's Ghost is still about."
No way the Lictor that attacked us in here was the one that shadowed us outside. The speed, and agility for it to remain camoflauged, and to cover such a distance on the surface, and back through the hole would be simply astounding.
Something about how the door to the bunker was opened bothers Hrothgar.
"Vex, would you know if these xenos are familiar with Imperial technology?"
Something about how the door to the bunker was opened bothers Hrothgar.
"Vex, would you know if these xenos are familiar with Imperial technology?"
1d100
"Not that I am aware of. I have marked it in my report requiring further investigation."
Hrothgar suddenly had a mental image of these Tyranid devouring devout and loyal Imperial citizens and absorbing their memories, not remotely dissimilar to the ability inherent in Astartes.
"I agree with you there, Dark Angel."
"But we shall have words later on a different matter."
"But we shall have words later on a different matter."
The Space Wolfs ego surely can't be that fragile? Can it?
"At your convinience."
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Sixty meters South/Southeast of the Pyroclast-Gamma-9 Security Bunker
241.817.M41
Brother Emeric's Chrono Reading: [3:29:31]
I keep the spacing we had before in our now tilted triangle keeping my eyes open for anything that might come up through the snow that thought to hide while the others were crisped.
Over my Vox: "Be wary approaching the bunker. Hrothgar's Ghost is still about."
Bolter is out. I read Caledonii's hand-signal and take station opposite Eli while the Storm Warden advances ahead of us.
Tantalus Sub-Arctic Zone, Grid Zone Rho-Upsilon-12
Sixty meters South/Southeast of the Pyroclast-Gamma-9 Security Bunker
241.817.M41
Brother Emeric's Chrono Reading: [3:29:31]
Eli scans the rocky landscape as the marines approach the bunker.
Hrothgar looks out of the door of the bunker to see if the others approach.
As the marines returning from the Comm Uplink tower warily watch the leaden sky and the snowy hillocks around them, Brother Emeric detects an abnormal reading on his auger array at the very moment that the Storm Warden on point holds up his fist to signal a halt. The techmarine's advanced auspex has detected with its terrain tracking topographical sensors an anomalous patch of ground two meters to the right of where Brother Caledonii stands. As close as he is to this 'anomaly', Brother Caledonii needs no further explanation from his counterpart; a roughly two meter wide hole opens in the permafrost a few steps away from him, the pit glowering at him like a black eye staring out of the newly fallen snow.
Scanning the stormy horizon after their sudden stop, Brother Syne carefully watches the swirling sky above them for any signs of the winged Tyranid. Hole or no hole, he is very cognizant of their vulnerability loitering in the open patch of terrain between the tor and the bunker compound.
While in the bunker I will do a search.
Perhaps his mind is still taxed from the exertion of his psychic abilities, but Brother Vex finds his thoughts wandering back once again to his time on Solace. The fears the men of this facility must have confronted or ran from are not entirely dissimilar from the terror and brutality of the Ruinous powers.
Hrothgar looks out of the door of the bunker to see if the others approach.
1d100
Brother Hrothgar stares out into the blinding sleet and snow, and sees very little, even with his acute eyesight. The weather perhaps troubles him considerably less than the others, it is not altogether that different from home.
"Emeric, I don't see you yet. Vox the moment you sight the bunker, over."
... a roughly two meter wide hole opens in the permafrost a few steps away from him, the pit glowering at him like a black eye staring out of the newly fallen snow.
"Brother Vex we might have found the other end of the hole you have in there. Strike leader Quintus do you want us to investigate or head to your location ASAP?"
"Emeric, I don't see you yet. Vox the moment you sight the bunker, over."
"Copy. Beware, we have made a discovery in the ice. Brother Caledonii, what is your assessment?"
"Brother Hrothgar, from the carnage it looks like you have been busy. What is your tactical situation?"
"Time is off the essence. If you think it will not delay you go ahead, otherwise come directly here.
"The xenos have been purged, Emeric, and a suitable trophy has been recovered."
"No sign yet of them flying tyranids, you sighted, though, over."
"Time is off the essence. If you think it will not delay you go ahead, otherwise come directly here.
"Roger." I take a cautious step closer and look into the hole.