40K/Inquisitor RPG. The Line of Damnation.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-03 03:12am

There but for the grace of the Emperor go I,Prius thought as he looked at Pater. He hardly remembered his confrontation with the Iron Man... shouting, a blur, pain. None of the medicae had been able to tell him much, beyond the fact that the machine had been defeated, and that his chainsword had been destroyed in the confrontation. He'd been somewhat upset over the loss of the chainsword- it was a weapon with a long and notable lineage, carried into battle by several commissars of great repute.

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2004-12-03 03:16am

Nathan winced as he looked at Pater.He knew he was fortunate after his encounter with the Iron man and his much earlier encounter that led to him being Here in the 41st Mellinium.He hecked each person out and noted that Lena was doing the same thing he was.Gauging the crowd to see where it was headed. He smiled at her breifly before turning his attention back to there host as he continued his 'lecture'.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-12-03 02:07pm

Log entry #2 of Senior Judge Xerxes al-Khalid, Adeptus Arbites of Adraxis, Precinct XXXI...

My sensor unit pinged alarmingly, throwing up a holograph of an incoming Chimera. It was the Sergeant. I gave a grateful sigh, and opened a channel. "Sergeant, good to see you. We would love a lift."

Tasoth · Post by **Tasoth** » 2004-12-03 05:09pm

'Good, we don't have to ask.'

The Huntsmen can already be seen clambering from the hatches and up onto the hull, where they seem most comfortable at. The troops greet the judges happily, passing jokes, smokes and various shows of friendship. The start out for the Citadel's gates once the judges load up.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-04 03:07am

Pater noticed the Commissar on his left, holding the lasgun. He caught Prius's attention and held out his hand which, Prius noticed for the first time, was also mechanical. Prius heard, or rather felt a voice in his head. May I?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-04 03:23am

Prius recoiled at the touch in his mind. No matter that he knows that the Inquisition is one of the organizations that possesses sanctioned psykers, his entire upbringing has revolved around fear and loathing of the witches. His features pale, he passed the lasgun on to Pater.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-04 03:42am

Pater took the weapon and began examining it. His home planet specialised in craftsmen and artisans, and any new weapon interested him professionally.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-04 03:58am

Prius was torn, visions of glory mixing with fears of apostasy dancing in his head, with his nagging fears whispering off to the side. He stared at the map projector, envisioning striking out at the alien scum, crushing heretics, and bringing greater glory to the Emperor and the Imperium.

But even leaving aside the potential apostasy in going against the word of the Adeptus Mechanicus, there was the sheer physical challenge of confronting an organization that had its roots at the heart of the sacred Sol system, and whose forgeworlds provided the muscle that allowed the Imperium to strike at its foes. No vessel of the Imperium sailed the warp without a large compliment of tech-priests to keep it in order, and without the Titan Legions there would be precious little to counter the foul gargants of the orks or the corrupted titans of the heretics.

On its face, it seemed to be an insurmountable task to undertake.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-04 04:07am

Gix stroked the scar on the left side of his cheek. It was surprising to hear so many of his fellows already believed that the Adeptus Mechanicus had failed in their calling. Prius was merely accepting that it was unwise to argue with inquisitors, but the others were surprising. Nathan's revelations weren't, the man was from the Golden Age of the Founding of the Imperium. He knew answers to questions that the histories merely alluded too. So much had been lost, he had so many questions for him. But the others knew it too. But they were senior, they had seen so much more of the galaxy. And they were inquisitors. They would have been able to reason it out from the pieces of evidence that were available to them.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-04 05:40am

Gix murmers to Pater, "I had heard you were badly injured and I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you well enough to attend?"

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-04 05:42am

Kruger leaned across to Pater and whispered, "You really shouldn't be here. I won't let you return to active duty for a few days yet, even if you terrorise the Chirgeons into releasing you."

Pater's bandages shifted in what seemed to be a grimace. He whispered back, probably the most he could do under the circumstances. "I've had my fill of hospice beds and medical incense, master. Nothing the galaxy can throw at me will stop me seeing this through."

"You'll get a lot more time in a hospice bed if you push yourself too far. I know you feel that you have a lot to live up to, but you can't live up to something if you're dead."

Kruger sat back, annoyed despite himself. It wasn't in his nature to get angry, or chew out Lord Inquisitors, for that matter, but Pater always brought out his strongest emotions.

-----

Pater turned to Gix. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Inquisitor. How did we fare, after I was injured? The Medicae didn't know much, except that more people seemed to return wounded than had originally left."

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2004-12-05 04:53pm

"Lord Inquisitor....As most of you have gueessed by now I am relatively New to this Era of the Empire. I believe our first job is yes to secure the cults poping up in this sector and find the Administratum members who have allowed this to happen to be ...punished."

Nathan took a quick sip of water. "Dealing with this technology can wait for now.We will have time enough AFTER we remove the threat of Heretics and the Ruinous powers from this aea.Also in doing so we lessen the chance THEY find this wounderous technology"

"All I know is we were alerted to the fact that someone tried to murder anInquisitor and that a Space Marine Company had been nearly wiped out on this planet. I, like the others ,assumed it was the cultists that did it ,having infiltrated the Adeptus Mechanicus local group"

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-05 07:14pm

Jolan pitched his voice low to Pater, "Bad. We made progress, but payed a price in blood. The Ad Mech troops took heavier loses than we did, but those Men of Iron are deadly. Nothing short of Astartes is comparable. If we have to cleanse this place and they are present in any kind of numbers, it may cost us a lake of blood."

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-05 07:22pm

"Hrmf. A battle-brother or two would be welcome at this point, though I'm not sure if they'd be too pleased about this meeting. Having a few of these remarkable Lasguns might level the playing field." He said as he reassembled it.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-05 07:28pm

"He's laying down a good line, but I doubt we will be fielding any technology superior to that of the Eldar. And the Eldar haven't been in decline for 10,000 years. And the Adeptus Mechanicus cannot simply be disposed of. We're discussing something that could plunge the Imperium into a civil war from which it will never recover."

And that's not the worst of it, Jolan thought. Titans can't perform their own maintenance, can't build more of themselves. The Men of Iron can and they hold us in contempt. To entrust the future of humanity to souless beings who consider us contemptable, what could be greater folly than that?

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-05 07:47pm

"We might not have to destroy the Mechanicus; Over a period of time, it could be altered to be more.. Progressive."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-05 10:08pm

"A civil war with the Adeptus Mechanicus on one side would devestate the Imperium. No matter how deluded the priesthood of Mars may be, they contribute immensely to maintaining the high technology of the Imperium. We cannot move against there power directly. They are essential and they are not blind. They will not allow a rival to spring up. Everything here is dangerous in that it may cause a fatal split in the Imperium. We must not be so blinded by possible rewards that we miss the dangers inherent in this operation."

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-12-06 05:22am

"I don't suggest destroying it; The Mechanicus is made up of people, or at least," He made a wheezing chuckle, "Partial people. People can be changed, and thus the organisation they belong to."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-06 05:40am

"I wasn't saying you were. But implementing technological change of this scale on the Imperium is a task of some delicacy and not a little risk. We must be cogniscent of the potential consequences of our actions."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-06 05:50am

"Is there... some way that this could be declared a joint province of the Inquisition and the Guard?" Prius speculated quietly. "The Mechanicus may well feel itself a match for one leg of the Imperium, but not two... and if the Astartes are included in the mix, it would make three. The great Vivaldo of the Ecclesiarchy spoke of the occasional necessity to cloak the iron fist within the velvet glove..."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-06 06:17am

"This is no business of the Guard. The Guard must never know what anything that occurs in this chamber. We are discussing how to integrate new technologies and advance the ancient sciences without have a civil war. Such an occurance, regardless out its outcome, would be a disaster. That is why a new Ordo, a secret Ordo, is being proposed. To push through the changes without tearing appart the social fabric of the Empire. To even mention that a part of the Inquisition is actively plotting the down fall of the Adeptus Mechanicus, for that is how they will surely see it, could do untold harm."

Gix pauses and then resumes speaking. "You now know far too much Commissar. There is no future for you in the Imperial Guard. The Guard fights the enemies of mankind, it does not keep its secrets. You future lies with us commissar, and your duty to Him on the Golden Throne demands that you fulfill it. You are now part of the Inquisition."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-06 06:25am

Prius tensed at the words 'You know too much', which in the Imperium are commonly the polite way of informing someone that they are about to receive the final absolution. He stared at Gix for a long moment as everything he envisioned for his future was washed away in a simple few sentences.

Such was the power of the Holy Inquisition.

"Understood, Lord Inquisitor. I serve where the Emperor wills."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-06 06:30am

"There are many people in the Inquisition who are not Inquisitors. My own sergeant Hethor was once of the Guard as well and Lieutenant Valin served in the Navy. A place for your talents will be found, commissar. In fact, you will that you will serve the Imperium in a far greater manner than you had previously. But you will share, to some extent, our own heavy burden of knowlege. Knowledge of matters like this, which if improperly shared, could destabilize the Imperium."

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-06 06:36am

He nods. "I understand the necessity, Lord Inquisitor. Will I be allowed to see to my replacement with the Rifles?"

He will not be allowed to follow through with his vow to see the unit to combat fitness, but he can make one last effort to do right by his old responsibilities.

Old responsibilities. His first true battle against the enemies of the Emperor, only they turned out not to be enemies of the Emperor, and now... what? Who here will take his services?

Will he be expected to consort with xenos further? The very thought makes his flesh crawl.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2004-12-06 06:38am

"Probably commissar. We all do what necessity and our vows demand of us."