And thus we found ourselves on a drenched shuttle platform at the spaceport of Sinophia Magna.
We spoke briefly with a clerk at the fairly abandoned starport and begged his services to take us to the Adeptus Arbite compound, which he agreed to by way of watercraft down a channel. I didn't like this one bit, but the ride was nice, despite the pouring rain. Then, ahead, we saw what appeared to be a destroyed crane boom across the channel, blocking a barge that was under attack from channel pirates.
We assumed this was one of the skirmishes between gangs and nobles we had heard about, and that was confirmed by Charon, our friend from the spaceport, who then cowered behind the console of our craft, as he was not combat trained.
We joined the fight on the side of the outnumbered guards of the noble house and were able to chase off the assailing marauders after a few short moments of exchanged gunfire and the taking of one of their boats. I will say now that firing upon these Imperials, be they criminals or not, made my heart heavy. We don't know the true reasons for these little wars on Sinophia, and it worried me to my soul that our shots were fired in vain. I've never thought of combat like this. Perhaps the constant feeling of fighting for our lives on Quaddis has left a bitter taste for the moment.
At any rate, we conducted ourselves onto the barge and confronted a commander of some sort who appeared with late reinforcements in the form of the Enforcers, what serves as the planet's PDF. Growing tired of their attitudes and hard questioning, Nico bade me reveal the Rosette and we revealed our work for the Holy Ordos. This only lightened their tone a little, but we were shown quick escort to meet with the Arbites.
Once at Haarlock's Folly (a significant name, if I say so myself), where the Arbiters have made their base on this world, we were met with a Junior Marshall, where we were met with another of our Interrogator's agents that was there to aid us, and then made our way to the latest crimescene, where a murder matching the others that have given the authorities a rise happened just short hours before.
One Bal Grey, mangled in his 4th floor hab, blood and gore spread to his door, which had been shut then battered in. The body ripped and bludgeoned, lay across the floor next to a mangled shotgun that had been recently fired. An ammo box lay nearby as well, with a spare bit of money, some shotgun shells, an Infantryman's Primer and a piece of cloth that held something jagged and small at one time, as the imprint was still noticeable in the material.
There was also a body lay out in the alley, possibly one of Bal's attackers, but who appeared dead a bit. This one had fresh shotgun blasts to the chest and abdomen and lots of old stitched up wounds. Later, when speaking with an agent of the Arbites, we would find this one to have been dead roughly three days, with some of its organs removed. Dark sorcery of the Ruinous Ones is at work, I am sure!
An exciting and dangerous part of our day came when we were investigating the scenes around Grey's hab, when I noticed a dark-clad figure atop an opposite hab building watching us work. I meant to rush over to question the person, but they took flight, prompting me to try to take a leg out from under them. My shot hit home, but they merely staggered and continued on.
A chase was initiated, with all of us after our mysterious voyeur, and though we caught up to him as he leapt upon a bike to make his escape, and many of our shots found home, a couple of well-timed grenades, one a hallucinogen, which made me feel as if I had died and was unable to act. The other, a flash-bang dropped by our mark, if I'd heard the story right, allowed for his escape.
We finished up our investigation at the hab and returned to the Folly to report to a Marshall Scarmen, whom I did not share all information with, as I had not ran it by my fellow Acolytes yet. I am not prone to deep thought, so what I feel might be important could be nothing, anyway, but I have a hunch.
I am worried about Nico, and our newest member. Both are very withdrawn. I don't even remember the new guy's name, honestly. I think that's a symptom of war. Don't get close to the new guy. He might be gone tomorrow. Nico, though...he's usually watching my back, and I fear the effects of the hallucinogen may have been too much for his older brain.
Cast of Characters
Rhia, Gunpoint (Hive World) Investigator (Arbiter 5) - Angela
Xantippa Thebe, Son of Nightmare (Void Born) ?? (Imperial Psyker 5) - Paul
Nicodemus, Regulus (Imperial World) Scholar (Adept 5) - Taylor
Mohrdecai, Cadian (Fortress World) Veteran (Guardsman 5) - Me
??, (Feral World) Assassin (Assassin 5) - Sam
Jon didn't make it this session, and I hope he does return, though the last session he showed up at, we got next to no actual playing done, and just a lot of talking and horsing around. Our new arrival, Sam, seemed rightfully overwhelmed with making a Rank 5 Dark Heresy character, but she seemed excited to play
No comments:
Post a Comment