Rogue Trader: The Saga of the Demetrius Dynasty... (Inactive)

Game Master Alexander Kilcoyne

Hand is confident there are no immediate threats in the hangar. Most of the dead crew seem to have been hacked apart by fairly primitive weapons- swords, axes, mutations. Those of the dead crew that appear to have been armed had laspistols, of inferior quality.

When your ready to move on, finding your way to the life support system through the eerie ship without mishap will be an Exploration Challenge- which qill require five successes. Please see page 263 of the RT core rulebook for details on how this works. Appropiate skills are- Awareness, Common Lore (Rogue Traders), Search, Security, Tech-Use and Trade: Shipwright/Voidfarer. I may allow others if you can justify how it will help you.

Lion receiving the 'all clear' over the micro bead steps out into the bloody mayhem that used to be a landing deck.

He kicks bits of arms and legs out of his path as he moves as stately along as he can. His mutant eyes needed no photo contacts to see everything in clear detail despite the gloom.

He does well, maintaining his dignity but the sudden realization that he was stepping on someone's intestines is too much for him.

Momentarily his Void Suit's vision is obscured as it disappears in a splat of vomit. The internal systems work fast to clear the ventilation and recycle the waste but the air is left tinged with acidic smell.

'Wonderful', is all Lion can say as he realizes that he will likely have to spend the next four hours breathing in the odour of his vomit. He wondered if it was too late to head back.

No, a Benetek did not retreat. At least not in the official record. The bodies were dead and could no longer harm him. He must press on and appear to be the leader that history and forced him to become.

He stretched out with his senses but found only quiet on the ship. No sound of the choir could be heard. The silence did not bode well.

Havelock begins to examine the surroundings to try and help figure out which way to go. Using his knowledge of tech, he begins to try and trace the "veins" of the ship, to help guide his way towards the heart of it.

"Oh blessed flesh of the Omnisiah, please guide thy servant, that he may ease the suffering of thy child by restoring the machine spirit..."

After that impromptue prayer to the Omnisiah, Havelock experiences a small moment of heresy when he curses softly at the fact that he did not have a light installed in his servo skull.

Tech use, with a +10 bonus for combi tool (int 43 + 10[:1d100 ⇒ 36

Havelock is able to get a basic fix on your location as you start to piece your way through the vessel. Dismembered corpses continue to litter the corridors of the Casmirre's Pride. Occasionally you hear fervent snarling or cackling in distant corridors, but never anything close enough to get a fix on...

Havelock may no longer use Tech-Use in this challenge. Other characters can still test Tech-Use. Because he passed, the next test someone makes will be at a +10 bonus, but only degrees count towards success (or failure). Common lore (Imperial Navy) makes sense, the cruiser was a navy ship once.

Successes- 0

I will use my Pure Faith talent and burn a Fate point to avoid taking Insanity points for the remainder of the encounter

Praetia steps out of the lander, surveys the hold and swears under her breath. 'When the people forget their duty they are no longer human and become something less than beasts. They have no place in the bosom of humanity nor in the heart of the Emperor. Let them die and be forgotten", so sayeth the Prime Edicts. Perhaps it would have been best to destroy this hulk from a safe distance.'

She steps forward regarding one particular corpse, its face frozen in twisted, sadistic glee and nudges it slightly with her boot. 'Well Havelock, let us get to the machine spirit and then to the bridge quickly. I have a feeling it won't take long for these devils to roll out the welcome mat for us.' Praetia readies her chainsword by reciting the Litany of Castigation. It effortlessly springs to life, whirring softly in the darkness.

'With the Emperor guiding my hand, I intend to be ready for them when they do.'

I don't have any skills which would apply in the search for the engine room.

Hand hated the sense that there were people or mutants lurking around every corner.

It was exactly the danger that his training had told him to avoid exposing his principle to but he had little choice. The Rogue Trader himself was present along with his Arch-Militant and Missionary. Already the Missionary was calling for holy war.

Hand was as religious as the next citizen of the Imperium and made sure to keep his prayer card up to date and carry a thrice blessed charm said to have been carried by an Adepta Sororitas on a Crusade to cleanse a hive world of Orks.

At least that was the tale the charm seller had told him on the steps of the temple and it would be a foolish man to make such a claim and have it not be true. It wasn't like the fake charms said to have come from some bit of broken piece taken off the throne of God-Emperor. Everyone knew that if you gathered up all the metal with that supposed claim you could likely rebuild half the Imperial Fleet.

Despite his faith and the charm, Hand knew that Holy Wars were won with the spilling of Holy Blood. Hand had many desires to complete in life without being in any rush to do that in the name of the God-Emperor.

Personal desires had little to do with the situation. Hand's Principal had to be here and Hand had to do everything possible to keep the mutants from making Lion end up like some of the deck offal that he was stepping through.

Lion had spent some of his early youth preparing to serve amongst the God-Emperor's Imperial Fleet. He held a reserve commission and knew several of the admirals.

If it hadn't been for his foolish relatives getting themselves denounced as belonging to some strange heresy then he would be serving there now in a profitable berth with civilized wines and foods to indulge his appetite.

Here he was stuck in some synthetic balloon smelling of vomit and squishing his way through countless cadavers. Was there no end to the indignities he must suffer for the sake of the Benetek line and returning it to its proper station in the universe?

Lion looked at the bulkheads and turned and pointed.

'That way My Lord. The bulk-heads list the frame of the ship on the side of each rib. The environmental controls from my early days with the Imperial Navy would be clearly this way.'

Praetia has awareness and search as basic skills which could be used at some point if you wish.

Successes- 1/5. Next test is at +20.

Going to test Security on Jerol's behalf.

1d100 ⇒ 43 Under 65, success + 2 degrees.

As you are travelling through the eerie vessel, you hear a strange howling noise up ahead. You end up at small T junction somewhere near the ships quarters. The route you believe leads towards the life support system is locked, and Jerol gets to work with his tools on the locked door. The howling begins to draw closer, but Jerol promptly unlocks the door and gets you through before jamming the locking mechanism behind you with a small piece of metal.

Successes- 3/5. Next test is at +30.

Will Power: (38+10 = 48) 1d100 ⇒ 60 for Insanity Check

Slipping out of the hatch into the carnage of the landing deck Minerva feels the world spin and her leags shake beneath her. The hideous spectacle greeting her eyes imediately transporting her back to the horrors of Persephone VI. For a moment her gaze became unfocused and she clutched at the opening of the entry-hatch to stop her legs from folding beneath her.

Breathing deeply the young woman composed herself and, drawing the twin bolt-pistols from their holsters, peered around. When satisfied that there was no danger in the loading bay she motioned her companions forward.

As they made their way through the corridors of the abandoned craft Minerva peered about watching for danger, her senses straining for any sign of danger...

Awareness: (38+30 = 68) 1d100 ⇒ 84 for Exploration Challenge

... However the images of the carnage in the landing bay keep intruding on her thoughts, preventing her from concentrating.

Ouch- You may want to spend a fate point and re-roll that, it will be a failure + a degree, leaving your total successes at 2/5 and the next test to be made at +20. Let me know either way :).

Good idea...

reroll: Willpower (48) 1d100 ⇒ 56
d10 to not loose fate point: (9 on d10) 1d10 ⇒ 10

Only failed by a bit that time so the post stands - and don't keep the point .... :(

I think AK may have meant reroll the awareness test, and if that is what you rerolled you succeded right?

Oh and a question AK, can the tech use skill of the Servo skull be used? Or does that still count as Havelock using it?

Fair enough..., retcon previous post to reroll perception instead.

(sorry, still getting the hang of this system)

Praetia has awareness and search as basic skills which could be used at some point if you wish.

I think it would be best if someone with actual skill tried to make a roll first, my target number would be 9 or less to get one success with an untrained perception test.

Hand has some skills that could be helpful. Is it alright if I have Hand use a skill like Awareness for the investigation?

Hand has some skills that could be helpful. Is it alright if I have Hand use a skill like Awareness for the investigation?

Yeah. But i'm going to say no for the servo-skull. So Minerva you re-rolled willpower and still failed from what I can see? Note down the IP you gained and note that you've spent a reroll.

Hand continues to scout ahead using his photo contacts to scout each corner and look for routes to move the principles away from the following fiends.

The doors were set with standard locking mechanisms and Hand easily opened them allowing the group to move through the subsidiary maintenance tunnels and avoid the main tunnels where the corpses hung from beams like some monstrous meat locker.

The path was clearer this way and there was less chance of something ambushing them along the path.

Note Praetia- When you said you burnt a fate point alarm bells started ringing for me. For the purpose of what you did, you "spent" a fate point. That means you effectively spend the re-roll so you used one until they refresh. "Burning" a fate point is for averting death, horrendous mutation, and some special missionary uses. To burn a fate point means it is gone, forever. Aside from the missionary uses, the use of spending fate points are to (page 233)-

1. Re-roll any failed test once.
2. Gain a +10 bonus to a test pre-roll.
3. Add a degree of success to a successful test.
4. Count as though having rolled a 10 for initiative.
5. Remove 1d5 wounds as a free action.
6. Instantly recover from being stunned.

Hand has led you to the life support systems chamber quickly and efficiently.

Bigger update later :).

Note Praetia- When you said you burnt a fate point alarm bells started ringing for me. For the purpose of what you did, you "spent" a fate point. That means you effectively spend the re-roll so you used one until they refresh. "Burning" a fate point is for averting death, horrendous mutation, and some special missionary uses. To burn a fate point means it is gone, forever. Aside from the missionary uses, the use of spending fate points are to (page 233)-

1. Re-roll any failed test once.
2. Gain a +10 bonus to a test pre-roll.
3. Add a degree of success to a successful test.
4. Count as though having rolled a 10 for initiative.
5. Remove 1d5 wounds as a free action.
6. Instantly recover from being stunned.

Sorry for any confusion on the terminology, thanks for the clarification.

With Hand skillfully leading the way to the life support room, you finally arrive. The room that houses the life support systems on the Casmirre's Pride is absolutely massive- larger than your own bridge or even Constantine's private chambers aboard the Void Wolf. A three-way corridor lies just outside of the room.

The room itself is a true testament to Imperial architecture and glory- solid iron flooring with two massive long pipes running from the main life support system console on the north end of the chamber down towards the main door; veering off to the west and east, these two huge pipes are the start of the blessed machine spirit's life lines that ordinarily pump out clean, life-giving air throughout the ship. Each pipe has a couple of smaller consoles running along its length, but they are dwarfed by the collosal main console and the impressive throne facing it- no doubt normally monitored and watched by one of a dynasty's Explorators favourite technical crew. Four glorious and enormous statues of Imperial saints stand tall and proud within the chamber- two of the blessed monoliths flanking the door on the inside and one each on the east and west side. In the abscence of power, the room appears to be lit by several large torches- and it is by this torchlight that you can see that something dark and terrible happened here.

Between the five feet high pipes, a makeshift wooden barricade facing the door stands, littered with bodies of the fallen. Some grotesque chaos worshipper has created two piles of corpses at the very feet of the Imperial saints; perhaps seeking to mock the blessed heroes of the Imperium- one pile a seething, fleshy mass that still oozes out fresh blood and another skeletons with their flesh flayed off- a pile of skeletons. It seems that a last stand, perhaps one of dozens throughout the ship, took place here.

The dark and twisted nature of Chaos has left a faint taint within this place. Everyone except Praetia- please roll a +20 Willpower test, failure gains a point of Corruption. If you fail by two or more degrees, also gain 1d5-1 Insanity points (mininum 1). Heres a map of what i've tried to describe.

Link

Hand is first into the Life Support Room and takes the full brunt of what he sees.

He has trained to react to problems in an instant and to not let the sight of an allies head being lobotomized by a bolter shell affect him. All that preparation and training and Hand still doesn't recall how the autopistol got out of his holster and into his hand.

All he knows is that the sight of the oozing form and him waking up having emptied over half a clip into the disgusting thing. What happened in-between? He doesn't know.

Note- Hand does not have the mental reserves and fortitude of a PC. If he ever gains either 10IP or 10 Corruption please inform me in a spoiler.

Will do. Hand is already half way to insanity, hehe.

Lion hears the sound of the rapid firing autopistol. His paranoia instincts kick in and he immediately starts to look for the nearest exits while he draws his Hellblaster Laser Pistol. Some might be willing to die to save the Rogue Trader though it didn't have to be him.

He doesn't know where the trouble is coming from but he is ready for anyone attempting to leap out of cover to attack.

Paranoia talent so GM can make perception checks for Lion to note hidden dangers.

Any paranoia rolls will be made off the forum, am keeping tabs on it don't worry ;).

Already shaken by the recurring memories of past horrors Minerva's legs collapse beneath her as the sight and feel of Chaos sweeps through her, threatening to overwhelm her already battered psyke. Eyes darting fitfully in all directions, she moves to place her back to the wall and raises her bolt pistols before her. Amazingly to her companions her hands, normally as steady as a rock, are shaking in fear.

why do i always roll high when its bad?

Havelock falls to his knees at the horrible sight before him, covering his eyes with his hands and weeps openly.
Then a metallic growling emanates from him and he slowly gets up to his feet again.

"Defiles, despoilers...heretics and traitors to all that his sacred to the Omnisiah...this will not be forgotten..."

Havelock begins to inspect the damage to the live support systems, trusting in the others to keep an eye out for any trouble while he ascertains what needs to be repaired and re-blessed.

"I hear the machine spirits voice, it cries out in pain, such terrible distress..."

Remember you have re-rolls for horrid rolls like that, if you choose to use them. You only roll for trauma on a failed Fear test, or every 10 Insanity points, so if you just went from 19 to 20+ then yup you had it all right Minerva. Constantine andJerol when you catch up please make these rolls retroactively.

Lion, seeing what Hand has fired upon struggles with the proper words to use. He struggles to remember his training in the core worlds of what is the proper action in such a time and place.

There had to be something. The Imperium had rules for everything and every occasion. There was no part of the day or an occasion that did not have a proper rule.

Unfortunately, Lion could mostly recall the various banquets and wine tastings that he had attended while learning the scholarly names of those within the priest hood. He never felt that he would ever have to personally call upon the Rites of Final Unction.

'My Rogue Trader, I suggest that you take Hand and the Arch-Millitant and set up a perimeter of security. I suspect that Explorator Iacton will be a while in caring for the Machine Spirit.'

'Your worship, I'm afraid that I have need of your aid in performing the Rites of Cleansing. I'm not sure if I can recall all the proper words for the prayers and could use your aid in this matter.'

'I advise you all to avoid looking at me as I open my third eye and blast this corruption back to the warp. For from corruption this thing was born and to corruption it shall be returned.'

It would be tiring doing it but the third eye and the Lidless Stare were the only way to properly cleanse the bodies of what might still be left inside the too piles.

Having said his piece, Lion moves forward putting his pistol back in its holster and raises his staff to begin the Rite of Cleansing.

'Oh, Most Holy God-Emperor, we call upon your beacon of light in our dark times ... '

I'm planning to use the Lidless Stare in a story way to bathe both piles of bodies and bones. The range is 15m per usage; so, I don't know if this can be done in one usage or needs to be done in two usages. Also, is a roll required as this is more for a colour scene then anything?

Remember you have re-rolls for horrid rolls like that, if you choose to use them. You only roll for trauma on a failed Fear test, or every 10 Insanity points, so if you just went from 19 to 20+ then yup you had it all right Minerva. Constantine andJerol when you catch up please make these rolls retroactively.

Yeah, thought about it. However, since i just used one and i'd like to see how the system works i thought i'd let this one go through.

eventually Minerva manages to pull herself away from the wall spining slowely to scan the room, including the roof, for any sign of danger. Carefully she creeps back towards the door and takes up position keeping watch down the corridor, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow, seeking any sign of chaos. Her voice shaking she pleads:

My lord, please get to the barricade, get back, please get back, we can hold them there, we can hold them, it won't be like Persephone, it won't, please get to the barricade.

I'm planning to use the Lidless Stare in a story way to bathe both piles of bodies and bones. The range is 15m per usage; so, I don't know if this can be done in one usage or needs to be done in two usages. Also, is a roll required as this is more for a colour scene then anything?

I think i'll have you do it in one usage but make the WP roll as I believe if you fail too badly you gain fatigue.

As the rest of the party goes about doing what they feel is most appropriate, Havelock begins to do what he can to ease the machines pain and awaken its righteous fury to once more serve the purpose of the empire and the Omnisiah.

Havelock mutters to himself, saying prayers and quoting the faith under his breath, his servo skull obediently hovering just over his left shoulder as he works.

The scene in the life-support room, causes the bile to rise in Praetia's throat. Such an affront to the Emperor and the Saints shall not be tolerated.

'Lion, do what you can to cleanse this filth.'

I would like to make a Common Lore (Imperial Creed) check to determine the proper Rites of Cleansing.

1d100 ⇒ 28 out of 45, one degree of success

At the appropriate moment of the rites, Lion opens the third eye. The eye that sees the raw fury of the warp and can open a small window into its heart.

He works hard to squint and focus the fury into a small trickle of the unimaginable power. The energy in raw form licks along the decking burning things as if they were touched by melta gun. It is creation in a bottle with the cork pulled.

Controlling the forces of the Warp are taxing on Lion but he does what he can to remove the filth from the temple of the machine spirit.

The temple would take much more to properly scrub all the taint from its decks if it could ever be declared clean again. Lion suspects that Praetia is correct that the ship should likely be sent into the heart of a sun for a proper searing from the existence of the Imperium.

Still, machinery, even with a foul past as this one, had a high value in the Imperium. The ship might not get top coin on the sale and require a few of the more strict permits be less completely filled out then is proper. It could still help build a bit of a nest egg for the Rogue Trader as he sought to raise fortunes in the Korvos Sector.

Better the history and problems of the ship end in a competitor's pocket then Constantines.

If Lion felt any guilt on such thoughts then they were quickly assured knowing they had a temple on their ship and he would not have to travel far to make his confession and do penance.

Jerol begins to think over what has happened since they arrived on the ship.

He remembered when he stepped onto the ship, the rest of his companions reactions were less than dignified. Some even vomiting in their void suits, something well worth avoiding. He personally had seen far worse scenes, remembering the mutant slaughters back on his home planet, bodies piled up against doors to be used as barricades.

Despite being used to corpses, especially considering what he had already seen on this ship, he barely managed to keep it together when he saw the arrangement of bodies at the life support. The blood oozing, the way that two separate piles had been made, with the bodies stripped of their flesh. He didn't want to imagine what kind of mind would do this. But he managed to keep it together. Giving a sideways stare at Minerva, so it seemed that the girl was mental in more ways that one, blabbering about some past conflict he assumed. She was a liability.

Minerva continues to scan the corridor leading to the life-support chamber, her bolt pistols extended protectively in front of her as she whispers, babbling inaudiby to herself.

They'll come, they'll kill everyone and i'll be alone again, i must protect my lord, if they kill him i have failed, i'll have no purpose. The blood, the blood, they rip and tear, they eat the dead. I can't be alone again, must protect my master, they'll tear the skin, they'll wear the skin, they'll play with the dead like puppets. I must perform my function, must protect the lord, the others aren't important my master must be protected, I must fulfil my function. If they come I'll Kill them, kill them all!

DM Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:

Remember you have re-rolls for horrid rolls like that, if you choose to use them. You only roll for trauma on a failed Fear test, or every 10 Insanity points, so if you just went from 19 to 20+ then yup you had it all right Minerva. Constantine andJerol when you catch up please make these rolls retroactively.

Yeah, thought about it. However, since i just used one and i'd like to see how the system works i thought i'd let this one go through.

eventually Minerva manages to pull herself away from the wall spining slowely to scan the room, including the roof, for any sign of danger. Carefully she creeps back towards the door and takes up position keeping watch down the corridor, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow, seeking any sign of chaos. Her voice shaking she pleads:

My lord, please get to the barricade, get back, please get back, we can hold them there, we can hold them, it won't be like Persephone, it won't, please get to the barricade.

"No, Minerva. My place is beside you, both as your Lord and as bearer of Emperor's Writ. Have faith. We shall prevail."

1d100 ⇒ 3

1d100 ⇒ 64

Jerol made sure he was as far from the entrance as feasibly possible and withdrew his long las, he was getting a bad feeling, and his bad feelings rarely turned out to be nothing.

Constantine gain a point of corruption for the failed WP test, but no Insanity as you didn't fail by more than two degrees.

Havelock begins to work both incredibly quickly and efficiently- a subtle reminder in contrast to the incompetence of most of the tech crew that his presence aboard the Void Wolf will no doubt save lives, if it hasn't already. Although the job looks sure to take a few hours, Havelock gets the life support system back up and powered within half an hour, although the machine spirit protests a little, as if aware the ship has been somehow tainted by the Dark Mechanicus. Just as the life support system begins to function, the vox caster Jerol has strapped to his back begins to hail...

Jerol answers the vox, to hear Trask (a junior officer) on the other side.

Is this thing working now; i'm never quite sure. I'm transmitting now? Oh... ahem...

J...Junior Officer Trask of the Void Wolf, Flagship of the Demetrius Dynasty. My lords, we have detected power from the life support so we assume your endeavour was successful. Boarding teams are prepping as I speak. ETA fifteen minutes. We thought you should know- there are dozens of life signs converging on your position sir. Expect company within moments.

As Trask finishes, you begin to hear a howling in the distance; very faint at first, but rising in the number of screaming voices and drawing rapidly closer...

Jerol grumbled. He always gets that spine tingle when somethings wrong, he was never wrong. He checked his long las; sight was clean, over charge pack attached. Good, he climbed over the barricade, trained his las on the southern door. He looked down the sight, ready to blast the first thing he saw come through that door right between the eyes.....assuming it had any.

'Hand, the barricade.'

Lion barks out the command as he moves to the wood barricade drawing his hellblaster pistol. He turns on the switch to the power pack giving a brief prayer to the Emperor for the blessing of burning light that sears the Emperor's enemies.

Hand puts a fresh clip in the Autopistol and moves to stand next to Lion.

'If we are going to buried in the pirate scum, I'll invoke the cleansing fire by shouting the name of the Sainted Sanguinius. If I shout out that name make sure you avoid your eyes from me as those touched by the gaze may be burned by the Emperor's light.'

'Hand, when the first wave rushes in the doors, throw your Blind grenade into their midst. It will hopefully break up their charge and give us precious seconds to fire in their broken ranks.'

Hand hearing his primary's orders gets the grenade ready for throwing.

Still muttering to herself Minerva backs up slowely to the barricade with the others, keeping lookout for any sign of movement from the corridor. Once at the barricade she takes up position next to Constantine, her breath coming in short sharp gasps. As the enemy approach her eyes seem to lose focus, her breath slowes and her hands stop shaking. The arch-militant's stillness seems unnatural in contrast to her earlier panic.

This is assuming that Constantine moves back to the barricade with the others. Otherwise Minerva will stay with her lord.

Constantine readies his sword and blaster."Come, Minerva. Let us take some more defensible position. I feel darkness taking hold of me."

"We do not know what approaches, but it may not be friendly...And as it say "Forewarned is forearmed", perhaps now is the time to cleanse this holy place in the blood of heretics..."

Havelock readies his bolter, toggles it to full out and hunches down behind the barricades, ready to unleash the wrath of the faithful on the corrupt if they dare to show their faces.

"Ideally we should have the cleansing fire to burn the corruption from the Casmirre's Pride. I believe the ship itself may now be on our side, eager for us to restore its pride through blood."

Havelock aims down the corridor, preparing the killing grounds in his own mind, the mono dagger popping out of his utility mechandrite, ready to parry the attacks of anyone foolish enough to come so close.

The howling reaches a crescendo as what sounds like a stampede begins to approach the life support chamber. Screaming, shouting and bestial roars drown out any speech as dozens of mutants begin to round the corner...

Everyone please roll for initiative- if I don't see a roll by the time I update i'll roll for you. Initiative roll is 1d10 + AB (agility bonus- the first digit of your agility). Any hive worlders get a +2 bonus and those with the Paranoia talent also get a +2 bonus.

Lion has Paranoia; Initiative 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Hand; Initiative 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

'Great Emperor for the bounty that we are about to receive, we are truly greatful. May our ...'

freely join in with what ever you want to add.

Initiative:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

"...blades strike true, may our aim be steady, our will unbreakable and our purpose clear. Maybe we stand before the onrushing tide of blood thirst as one, and may we find glory in battle as we bring death to the unclean."

1d10 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

"And may Morkai count the dead."

1d10 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Jerol trusted his honed reflex's as he saw something rounding the corner. Time to put a hole in it.