40K/Inquisitor RPG. The Line of Damnation.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-02-06 09:47pm

"Commisar Prius, I do believe this is your area of expertise. Once we can come to grips with the beast then it becomes mine." Varian looked forward to it with a certain savage glee.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-06 11:30pm

It was as if the mission he had been born for had been laid at his feet.

"Honored Judges," he started. If only the Arbites on Adraxis had been so spirited, he wouldn't have had to exterminate so many of them. "I and the Emperor's Sword," the remnants thereof, to be precise, "Have come to lead you on this strike. We must create enough difficulty for the warp-spawned Tendao to divert forces away from the main strikes which will be landing against his uprising."

Not precisely true. They were to create enough havoc to open the door for Gix's assassination, but there was no need for the others to know this until after the fact, if ever.

"We must begin the planning at once," he said emphatically. So nice to be working with devout servants of the Emperor, unlike the xenos-tolerating filth of Adraxis.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-02-07 02:32am

note if you encounter any daemon or sorceror we have an anti-warp force of Lillith and a team with psychout weapons

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-08 03:45am

"My Lord," hissed the lizard man.

"Speak," commanded the Reaver.

"One of the enemy pods landed some distance away from the others. In the abandoned territories."

"Really? A misdrop. How fortunate. Thank you mighty Tzeentch, Changer of the Ways. Send squads of the Pox Brotherhood into that sector and retrieve the contents. I want prisoners for interrogation. Emphasize that strongly to them."

Gathor considered the situation. The abandoned quarter had been devestated by the fighting, but was a considerable distance away from the his own fortress and the Imperial holdouts. Refugees, scavengers, and the gods only new what else dwelled in those shattered and blasted parts of the hive. And now an opportunity to learn the enemies plans and the composition of his forces had now fallen into Gathor's hands. Truly, the Architect of Fate had blessed him.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-08 11:46am

Prius studied the maps, his metallic finger tracing across the perimeter. He remembered working with Carnis in such a fashion, and being rather impressed with the way the older man so rapidly and instinctively identified some of the more subtle wrinkles available to them, in the pre-mission planning.

He was not so versed in such things. But fortunately, this mission did not call for that.

"We will need the assistance of what members of the Ecclesiarchy you can gather," he said aloud, still focused on his work. He would get them together, do a quick briefing, then pull up the Sororitas and find out just what the hell they were doing here. He couldn't afford to waste the forces, but he might just shoot their CO to make his point.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-08 03:30pm

"We have a few," responded the Senior Judge. "There are a large number of former civilians among our forces. We'll see what we can scrounge up."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-02-08 03:31pm

"Good, see to it you find anyone with PDF experience or for that matter any other military experience."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-08 03:44pm

"We have the survivors over ten PDF regiments contributing to our forces. Those regiments have taken heavy casualties, but they are still fighting. As for the civilians, every able bodied man and woman is now a fighter. There are none here who lack the will to be the Emperor's sword."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-08 10:40pm

A smile quirks on his lips. 'Emperor's sword' indeed. He looks up, and a feeling passes through the air as the spirit passes through him.

"Judge," he says softly. "There can be no doubt that your warriors have performed grandly. You have all done honor to the Emperor here, and I am proud to join your company in this war."

His voice rises slightly as he continues, but still remains at a low fevered pitch, his metal hand thumping lightly on the table. "But this is no longer any mere war. When I say 'crusade', I do not speak figuratively. We intend to do nothing less than light the fire of crusade among every loyal citizen upon Cyrus Gamma. The enemy must be purged here first, then across the rest of the sub-sector. Cyrus Gamma will be where the fire is first lighted, and it will fuel the conflagration that will purge the mutant and the heretic from this portion of space. It is no longer enough to pursue the enemy with zeal and vigor. No, we will burn the heretic from this world. The Ecclesiarchy must reach out to the masses, and let them know that this is the task that He on Terra has charged us with, no matter what the cost." He concluded by bowing his head and making the sign of the Aquila.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-09 03:58am

"Colonel-commissar, every man and woman of the Adeptus Arbites, every PDF soldier, every civilian who has taken up a gun under my command will gladly die if we can help that spark catch light. Our greatest enemy has been despair. To hold the light of new crusade, even dying to kindle it, gives all our lives meaning. There is nothing higher the surving Him on Earth. We have few priests, but I will summon them immediately." With that the Senior Judge turned and left.

Several minutes latter he returned with four men. A wizened graybeard, barely able to move was supported by a powerfully built middle aged man. A stern man in his mid twenties stood next to noviate in his late teens, who was trying to control his nervousness. The greybeard spoke. His voice held none of his body's frailty. "In what way can we serve the Emperor in this darkest of hours?"

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2005-02-09 09:51am

Pater flexed his injured ribs; The ribbed pressure bandage was helping a lot. Keep a global view of the situation he said. He had gotten a nice, clear view of the globe, -at several 100 miles per hour- before striking it. Ah, well. If the Emperor saw fit to drop him in the medical areas it was because there was work to do; Several summary executions later he had mustered all the able-bodied men- some of them now mechanically-bodied- into a fighting force that had, at some point, been declared "The Ache Brigade" with a regimantal banner of a white Skull Imperious and 2 crutches over a dried-blood red background.

"Is everyone here today in the Emperor's service?" He bellowed.
"Yes, Inquisitor!"
"Have you suffered in his name?"
"Yes, Inquisitor!"
"No! You have not suffered and you cannot suffer as much for Him as He did for you. Death is not sufficient to honour your debt. You will suffer before this day is out but the Enemy shall suffer more!"
The cheering of 100-odd augmented men and women shook the staging grounds.

Pater turned to the regimental Techpriests, who were, until he turned up, expecting a nice, easy shift tending injured vehicles.
"I want the transports ready to move out on the hour. No excuses."
"My lord, we can't rush the rehabilitation, the Machine Spirits will become angered! We-" The man's head disintegrated with a flash. Pater reholstered his Laspistol.
"No excuses."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-09 12:19pm

Prius bowed to the aged Ecclesiarch reverently, making the sign of the aquila as he did so.

"Honored elder, Inquisitor Varian and myself bring word of Crusade to Cyrus Gamma."

He paused for a moment, straightening to look the Ecclesiarch in the eye. "Where there was despair, the Emperor gave hope. Where there was fear, the Emperor gave fury. Where defeat threatens, the Emperor will give victory. There are no longer any here but warriors of the Emperor, young and old, strong or infirm. I look now upon you and ask 'Who will be the next martyr for the glory of Him on Terra?'"

The words are obscure these days, lost to all but the most devout of the followers of the Emperor. Seven thousand years before, Brother Chaplain Skeldos of the Black Templars spoke those very words in the Hexlian subsector, a distant portion of the Ultima Segmentum. A massive ork rampage was threatening the very integrity of the subsector, and the resulting crusade sparked by the Templars stand on Mesallic went on to liberate nineteen worlds from the rampaging greenskins, and save countless others from their depredations. Children, the elderly, the infirm threw themselves at ork battle lines on world after world. It was horrendous. It was glorious.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-09 05:14pm

The Ecclesiarch bowed. "You speak an ancient truth. We will prepare our flock for what comes." He turned to the others. "We have much work to do."

--------------------------------------------------
"Our sssseerss report that they have landed with a clussster of refugeeessss and are pressssent in numbers."

"Send three companies of the Pox Brotherhood to finish them off," the Reaver ordered. "Reinforce the defences along their route to the holdouts. Say another regiment of cannon fodder spread along their probably approach routes. I don't want any survivors except those brought before me in chains. See to personaly Gilix."

The lizard man bowed. "I will gather my lifeguard and depart immediately, dreadlord."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-09 09:29pm

An ancient truth indeed, to be born anew. It was as he had taken to thinking of the undertaking inspired by Lord Vonyirental, to bring a new fire to the hearts of the followers of the Emperor. It would be too much to think, perhaps, that the entire Imperium could be moved by their small actions. But if the Emperor himself was truly inspiring a new crusade among them to rival the Great Crusade of yesteryear...

Such a time to be alive. He gave silent thanks before turning back to the Judge, producing a dataslate from his pack.

"There is more," he said. "The contents of this slate must be copied and spread widely, both to hearten the martyrs of the Crusade, and to give our foe measure of that which they face."

It was another inspiration of Carnis', one that Prius was not entirely comfortable with. Upon it were recorded the images of several of their encounters with the scum of the Black Legion. Only the good parts, however. For example, no image of the battle for the Ramilies showed him flying around with only his one leg. But the glorification of himself personally was to his mind unseemly, if necessary to lure away Tendao's defenses.

Other scenes included his, Varian, and Nathan's battles with the terminators, although Nathan's image was carefully excluded so as to aid in keeping his presence on-planet covert. Regrettably it also included Pater's defeat of two of the heretics at the Ramilies. Prius again gave thanks to the Emperor for taking Pater home with him, and made a silent vow of vengeance in his name. For Pater, a hundred dead heretics by his hand, and ten thousand by his order. Prius Ristani had no friends, but those who were analgous to friends in his world were few and precious indeed.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-02-10 02:46pm

Varian winced at the slates. The whole notion of the Crusade while inspiring, also filled him with a nagging fear. War was simply not his business, at least not the war of machines and men upon the field of honor. Prius could take pride in his martial accomplishments but Varian fought a different war.

And right now he was afraid, he had seen with his own eyes entire sectors bled white of men for Crusade-fodder. Would these men hold when the enemy came crashing against them? The Traitor Legions were out there, the infamous Black Legion, the Sons of Horus, and they would fight hard.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-10 05:54pm

The pathfinders of the Pox Brotherhood lead their brethren through the wrecked hive levels, closing in on Pater's holdouts. They were hardened killers, blessed by Father Nurgle to survive where others perished.

Everything but their weapons were filthy. These were were clutched in scaborous hands as they neared their enemy. Only half of the Pox Brethern infantry were armed with las weapons. The other half carried autoguns and stubbers loaded with hollow point bullets filled with the vile contents of their plague cauldrons. Soon they would deliver pain and suffering to their enemies.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-02-11 07:27am

The sisters were making their rounds amoung the rag tag group that the commisar had assembled, Tech sisters were handing out weapons just recently repaired or cobbled together from spare parts. The Apothecarian Sisterhood administered a special sacrement, even the most ragged, weary and wounded of them seemed to move a little faster afterwords. The sisters administering it knew what it was really, painkillers, they would fight without fear or pain now, vut in doing so many would die, many others would do stupid things. Still it would help to hold their own against the onslaught.

"Well Sister Magdalyne there's still Grail Panacea?"
"No sister Rebekka, only administer that if you or one of those deemed important to the cause have been struck by the minions of the bloated one. It is contrary to the orders to take a medication that is so close too poison otherwise."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-02-13 10:27pm

"Gentleman, do we have scouts and sentries out? I must confess a growing unease with the situation. And I assume you can humor an Inquisitor."

Varian's tone was pleasant enough but he let his will slip into it. He didn't know what the Arbites had done to prepare. But the growing shadow in his mind didn't bode well. Surely the Enemy must be moving?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-16 09:26pm

"There are always scouts and sentries, Inquisitor," one of the eldar judges responded. After a moment he continued. "There are snipers as well. We have the enemy under constant observation."

A helmeted Arbitor entered the room and handed a data slat to the senior judge. She glanced at it and then past it to her colleagues. "It appears that some of your comrades landed off course. The enemy appears to be sending forces after them."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-02-16 09:29pm

"Who and how many?"

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-16 09:32pm

Prius' head snapped up. Pater.

He awaited the reply to Varian's question.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-16 10:09pm

"We can only guess, but new troops have been moved up to secure the positions held by the Pox Brotherhood. From that it seems likely that signifigant numbers of the Pox Brotherhood are being deployed against your comrades. Having to guess, I would say at least two companies, probably more."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-16 10:22pm

Prius did the math. His shattered Sword unit could field approximately the strength of a reinforced platoon. Against two companies, the numbers were poor, even accounting for the superior quality of his troops. But if the survivors could be signaled to launch an assault as the Sword maneuvered into position behind them and struck hard, they could perhaps route the enemy.

Bearing in mind again the foe's willingness to obliterate his own. That was a perfectly reasonable strategy, but it made close assaults rather risky.

For any others, he would simply dispatch troops to the effort, but for Pater Novum, he would do this personally. The inquisitor's life was worth a regiment, at least.

"My men will be passing through your lines shortly," he told the judge. He pondered for a second telling the man about Pater's possible presence among the holdouts, but he wasn't entirely certain of the security and integrity of this group just yet.

Without waiting for a response, he voxed the surviving lieutenant of his battered 'company' and ordered him to gather the troops.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-16 10:37pm

"Do you require any assistance, colonel-commissar. We have observers and snipers near that area and can muster additional troops if necessary?"

-----------------------------------------------------

The Pox Brotherhood was one of the best units under Gathor's command. Cruel, fatalistic, hardened, and obviously touched by Nurgle they were monsters in every meaning of the word. He had deployed them in overwhelming numbers against the Imperial contingent because they would get the job done. But the brute standing before him was cut out of an entirey different cloth.

At eight feet tall, he towered over the inhuman mutants that made up Gathor's Life Guard. He wore black ceramite, studded with brass fittings. A spike rack projected from his back. On each spike was a skull. His eyes burned with inhuman wrath. His six fingered hands gripped a bolter. He was a Skull Taker, nominally devoted to Chaos in all of its Undivided glory, but closest to Khorne. And he was only a captain.

"My colonel sends his greetings," the monster sneered. He had the arrogance and physique of a Traitor Legionnaire, even though he was not. Gathor wasn't either, but he enjoyed the personal favour of one of the Great Powers. This one did not and would someday learn the difference.

"Where is he now?"

"Coming. He approaches at his own pace."

"How unfortunate. Your regiment will arrive too late to take place in the battle. All of that glory will fall onto the Pox Brotherhood. I guess you are not that hungry for battle after all. Do not worry, there will be other opportunities to see if you merit your reputation."

The captain glowered in hatred, but the room was full of the warlord's life guard. He turned and stomped out. Gathor smiled. The Skull Takers were so easy to manipulate. Now he had them right where he wanted them. Now about this Imperial miss drop. The Pox Brotherhood should have some results for him soon.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-02-16 10:43pm

Prius nodded. "We cannot afford to risk too many troops in close engagement at this stage of affairs. However, we can use all the fire support you can muster for us..."

A plan was forming in his head. It was risky, but if they could shatter two companies of enemy troops, it would go a long way toward setting the tone for the resistance effort, as well as doing nicely for drawing the attention of Tendao's loathsome followers.

"What can you give us?" he asked, his lips quirking in a small smile.