In the Emperor's Name [IC]

[Nekraa]

You are the Acolytes' of Inquisitor Praetia, member of Ordo Hereticus, Holy (and dreaded) order of the Inquisition of Terra. You have been sent to the Hive World Malfi to uncover whether or not the rumors of the heretical cult the "True Malfian Brotherhood" holds any truth. They have been one of many smalltime cults hiding in the layered culture of Malfi, but lately, rumors of blasphemous worship has increased, and several of the brotherhood's political enemies have been found dead. Allegedly through accident.

You have traveled with the ship Victor's Humility, and have just arrived to the starport of one of the massive hive cities of Malfi, Krotusith. As you leave the transport shuttle you are met with suffocating heat and the curious interest of the city's inhabitants.

Of note:

The local Adeptus Arbites maintains a "headquarter" within the city from where they can help the PDF with any excessive disturbances and keep ever vigilant. Fellow Arbites should be able to find some information here.

Malfi has a rich underworld of crime, anything is possible to find. For a price.

The nobility (and the rest of the population) of Malfi are infamous for their constant intrigue and deceit, finding an "in" with one (or several) of them would be a valuable resource. Do be careful about their rivals though.

Assistance from the Inquisition is not something you can expect, unless you uncover the cult you seek (or something equally vile). But you have all been given 75 thrones each to facilitate your mission.


Sanctionite Atella, Gunslinger Sorin, Trooper Zetkin, In the Emperor's Name, find and destroy the enemies of Man.

 

[nick012000]

Blaze raises her eyebrow at the briefing. "So, is there any particular group of 'enemies of man' you want us to seek, or do you just want us to randomly purge the Malfian upper classes or something?"

 

[Scia]

Atella looks around and starts to speak in a hushed tone to her fellows "So as I am now groundbound like you are we should start to question where we should go and how we should go there. After all we are not likely to find the enemys of Man by simply knocking on there doors. The question remains how to we aproach them as neither of us looks to be noble enough to do so.Should we try to get a in with there lower deck crew ? "
While she is talking she is playing around with some tassels of her vestment before she straightens herself and looks down at the others.

 

[Guile]

Zetkin

"In my limited experience, Chaos cults are likely to infect both the upper and lower classes," Zetkin grumbles. Wrapped in her leather coat with her bulky shotgun stowed, the mousy Arbite doesn't look too much different than the average hiver. She directs a dead-eyed stare at the crowd, not focusing on any one individual but rather letting the people flow past her, looking for patterns. "The Arbites will have some info on some likely suspects among the criminal element."

"Not the upper classes, though. Corruption, likely, or just being afraid to shake things up." She shrugs, like it's just a fact of life. She offers, "I'd say start with the low end until an opportunity presents itself. I can check with the Arbites if you two want to work the streets, we could meet in the middle."

 

[nick012000]

"Let's start with the Arbites. Unless they're the source of the cult, they'll probably keep things secret from them, if we go there and ask for information; they're supposed to be the 'last line of defense' against rebellion and whatnot. We can't look for the cult unless we know where to look, after all, and the last thing we want is to paint a target on our backs by asking the wrong people."

Blaze pauses, and looks at the others, before reaching out to offer them a handshake. "I'm Blaze, by the way. One of the infamous Gunslingers of Gunmetal Hive, back on Scintella."

 

[Guile]

Trooper Zetkin

Zetkin smirks half-heartedly. "Small Imperium, hey? Zetkin, Scintella Arbite." She wonders briefly if their mysterious Ordo master does a lot of recruiting from their shared planet.

"I agree with keeping it quiet, though. You never can tell where these cults have infiltrated." She is not looking forward to trying to dig them out root and branch.

 

[Scia]

Atella

I blinkend and after a moment talked "My name is Atella and I am hailing from the Ship Deliverance and I am one of the Sanctified." I did not offer my hand yet as most people thend to react negativly to my mere contact after all.

"That is true, we should also think about on which level level of the hive we should search for them and where se should make our quarter to prevent us from getting flushed out."

 

[nick012000]

"Like I said, let's start off with the Arbites. They're unlikely to be corrupted, and they'll probably have an idea of where we should start looking. Even if they tend to be assholes." She glances at Zetkin. "No offense. I suppose the job sort of requires it." She pauses, then adds, "Better you than the Great Enemy." She gestures out with her arm. "So, lead the way, Arbite."

 

[Scia]

Atella Psionic extraordinair

Pleasantly surprised about the lack of reacting from one of my fellow acolytes I smilled for a moment. "Even if they are not cultist might it be of a downside if we all are seen entering there base in case one of them is really corupt or they are being watched? I would prefere to minimise our offical apperances and we would need a story for why a Person of ill repute and a gunslinger acompany you. Searching for quarters and other preperations might work out better. Especialy if we later work with the belly of the Hive. But then I am basing that stuff on shipboard interaction and not on groundbound ones."

 

[nick012000]

Atella Psionic extraordinair

Pleasantly surprised about the lack of reacting from one of my fellow acolytes I smilled for a moment. "Even if they are not cultist might it be of a downside if we all are seen entering there base in case one of them is really corupt or they are being watched? I would prefere to minimise our offical apperances and we would need a story for why a Person of ill repute and a gunslinger acompany you. Searching for quarters and other preperations might work out better. Especialy if we later work with the belly of the Hive. But then I am basing that stuff on shipboard interaction and not on groundbound ones."

Click to shrink...

Blaze shrugs. "Shouldn't be too difficult to explain. You got assigned to help her by your joint superiors, and me, l'm a mercenary who was hired to assist her."

 

[Scia]

Blaze shrugs. "Shouldn't be too difficult to explain. You got assigned to help her by your joint superiors, and me, l'm a mercenary who was hired to assist her."

Click to shrink...

I am unsure are there even any Psionics that are employed by the arbites on ground? After all she is here on the orders of a Arbites Marschall. Of course I could apear as hired help but at least shipwise they usualy do not aquire aid from non members.

 

[nick012000]

I am unsure are there even any Psionics that are employed by the arbites on ground? After all she is here on the orders of a Arbites Marschall. Of course I could apear as hired help but at least shipwise they usualy do not aquire aid from non members.

Click to shrink...

"They're an arm of the Imperium. I'm sure they use Psykers somewhere. Having people that can rip information out of the heads of suspects is too useful to ignore." Blaze pauses, and then looks at Atella more closely. "What witch-powers do you have, anyway?"

 

[Scia]

"They're an arm of the Imperium. I'm sure they use Psykers somewhere. Having people that can rip information out of the heads of suspects is too useful to ignore." Blaze pauses, and then looks at Atella more closely. "What witch-powers do you have, anyway?"

Click to shrink...

Atella sounds a bit defensive for the moment "Contrary to Holo dramas that is not something that is common to each of us. I can knit your flesh back together in case you are wounded and willing to bear that and I can make myself harder to see and to hide by fading in the backround."

 

[nick012000]

Atella sounds a bit defensive for the moment "Contrary to Holo dramas that is not something that is common to each of us. I can knit your flesh back together in case you are wounded and willing to bear that and I can make myself harder to see and to hide by fading in the backround."

Click to shrink...

Blaze shrugs. "No offense intended. Healing sounds really useful, too. You're just the first witch I've ever met, other than the heretics my gang and I killed before the Inquisition recruited me." She laughs slightly, and adds, "Never really watched holo-dramas either, what with living in the underhive and all. You hear stories about the Wyrds, though, that lurk in the dark underbelly of the Hive."

 

[Scia]

"Well I never did watch to much of them either as they where are are comodity on ship and more usefull to sell them for a good place to rest for a night in the bright zones. And well my powers quite quite usefull in a dark zone because you newer know what you will find in there after all exept for danger and usefull stuff to sell. And no need to wory i was sanctioned in holy Sol after all." While we talk I raise my hand and rub my bald head that is glittering in the sunlight, or at least those parts that are visible under my helmet. Of course reading Atellas facial cues is a bit hard as she is lacking eyebrows.

 

[nick012000]

Blaze grins. "Fair enough." Her arm snakes out, and wraps around the witch's waist, pulling her close as she begins to walk. "Come on, let's get going. Daylight's burning, the cult is scheming, and I've got more Thrones than I've had in months sitting in my wallet. I think I'll buy another gun; I lost my second pistol right before I got recruited by our new boss." She glances at Zetkin, and adds, "Or maybe we can talk the Arbites into letting us into their Armory while we're there, eh?"

 

[Scia]

Blaze grins. "Fair enough." Her arm snakes out, and wraps around the witch's waist, pulling her close as she begins to walk. "Come on, let's get going. Daylight's burning, the cult is scheming, and I've got more Thrones than I've had in months sitting in my wallet. I think I'll buy another gun; I lost my second pistol right before I got recruited by our new boss." She glances at Zetkin, and adds, "Or maybe we can talk the Arbites into letting us into their Armory while we're there, eh?"

Click to shrink...

Atella is shreaking for a moment as the small ganger is touching her out of the blue and moves her of her feet.

"Execuse me, execuse me you surprised me there."
She takes a moment to colelct herself before she answers
"And I do not think that it is likely that we could do so despite our Emperor given duty. And is the sun realyl important if we enter a hive after all it is not like we could see it from inside like from a ship. And I will think what to do with my money but I might help you with the hageling"The last sentence came out a bit desperate.

 

[Guile]

Trooper Zetkin

"Time or two, I'd have been glad to have healing on hand," Zetkin reflects aloud. Honestly, psykers kind of make her skin crawl a bit - didn't feel quite natural - but she's good enough to keep her reaction off her face at least. They'd be working together, maybe for a long time, and a pet psyker was probably more valuable to their current master than Zetkin was.

In response to Blaze's comment about the Armory, Zetkin has to snort. "You're welcome to try. Trying to get gear requisitions through was damn near impossible when I was local, nevermind an off-planet Arbite passing through."

No matter, they'd figure something out when they got there.

 

[Nekraa]

Atella, Sorin, Zetkin

The walk to the Arbites office takes around 15 minutes. The establishment is easy to find as Zetkin manage to get hold of directions and you all enters the waiting room of the Arbites office.

The clerk behind the desk gives you an unpleasant look as you enter. There are two couches and a table in the room, with a stack of old magazines on the table. Behind the desk counter there's two doors. One is marked "personnel only", while the other is unmarked. At the side of the room there's a door marked "WC".

"And what's your business here then?" His name badge informs you that his name is Merni Iariani.

 

[Guile]

Trooper Zetkin

Zetkin's slouched walk transforms as they enter the building into a brisk, authoritarian stomp, her boots pattering out a rapid staccato on the floor. It turns out she's actually pretty tall, and she uses that height to lean over the clerk metaphorically and just a bit literally.

"Zetkin," she says firmly. "Arbite, long mission for Lord General Heisama. Here to check in and make sure we don't step on each other's toes. Who do I talk to?"

Left unsaid but implicit in her bearing is for this guy to stop wasting her time and kick her up the chain of command to someone who can make decisions.

 

[Nekraa]

Zetkin

He straightens as he hears that she's an Arbite. "Ah, I thought that you were another one with complaints, there." He explains, somewhat apologetic as he glances at Atella and Sorin.

He taps on some buttons on the runic interface on the desk and looks at the screen.

"Lord General Heisama? I need your ID, then." He nods towards Atella and Sorin. "Are those two with you, then?"

 

[Guile]

Zetkin

Zetkin has it handy and passes it over to Iariani. The quicker they move this along, the faster they can get on with things. "Yeah, they have some skills I've been glad to have on my side, and they're tied in with the case now."

She smiles. It transforms her stone face and dead fish eyes into something warmer and friendlier. Even if its a smile that gives the watcher the vague impression that she's probably laughing at you. "I like to think of them as my deputies."

(OOC: Well, if I turned into the party face somehow...)

 

[nick012000]

"Yup, that's me. Just a regular old mercenary-turned-deputy." Blaze nodded along, trying to act more relaxed than she really was. Fact of the matter is, a place of Imperial law and power like this was really quite intimidating. The fact that her fingers never stopped tracing the grip of her pistol in its quick-draw holster was a bit of a clue, there.

 

[Scia]

Atella simply nodded as that was after all a somewhat familiar room of order here, even if it was more lax then those that she was used to and of course cleaner.

 

[Nekraa]

Iariani accepts the ID and examines it. "Everything looks to be in order, then. The Commander is busy right now, so you could either return in two, three hours, or wait here, then."

He bends forwards a bit. "So you are here for the 'Brotherhood murders', then? Tiresome business, that. Nobles get upset when the masquerade of civility is broken. At least when it's not their doing, there."

 

[nick012000]

Iariani accepts the ID and examines it. "Everything looks to be in order, then. The Commander is busy right now, so you could either return in two, three hours, or wait here, then."

He bends forwards a bit. "So you are here for the 'Brotherhood murders', then? Tiresome business, that. Nobles get upset when the masquerade of civility is broken. At least when it's not their doing, there."

Click to shrink...

Blaze leans forward onto the counter, cupping her breasts between her upper arms. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do to ... speed things up a little bit?"

 

[Guile]

Zetkin

Zetkin rubs the bridge of her nose. It's not impossible the clerk can clear his superiors' schedules in exchange for a quick bit of fun later - not likely, but not impossible. Oh what the hell, it's not like they're losing anything from the gambit except for pride.

"'The masquerade of civility broken'," she muses blandly. "I kind of know what that feels like."

 

[Happerry]

Drake

Meanwhile, the silent tech priest that has been with them since the start somehow watches in disapproval.. yet another sign of the weakness and urges flesh forces on mankind..

 

[Scia]

Atella
Simply standing there and not trying to attract attention unlike the other members of the team was a worthwhile endeavor for the Voidborn and so she removed her helmet and tried to appear relaxed.

 

[Nekraa]

[Sorin rolled 81 on Charm against the arbite. 4 degrees of failure.]

"Tha- that! Arbite Zetkin, keep your companions under control." Merni exclaims offended. "It puts you in poor light if you let them act in such crude manner."

He turns to Sorin. "And you, don't think that it is possible to tempt an arbite so vulgarly. And that means no. It is not possible to speed up the process. Hmpf."