40K Dark Heresy: The Danse Macabre

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2008-03-23 01:33pm

Varnius began systematically shooting the wretches in the head.

Block · Post by **Block** » 2008-03-23 01:44pm

Verum shook his head, trying to shake off the overwhelming sense of dread. He had seen worse things in his life, but not many. Pulling his blade from it's sheathe once again, he moved to behead one of the chanting prisoners.

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » 2008-03-23 01:47pm

Quintos was badly shaken by the sights before him, the horrors these scum had inflicted upon once loyal citizens. He was shaking. This... this was terrible. He knew that right now if he started shooting he would probably be a hazard to those around him, as evidenced by the empty shotgun lying on the ground by Verum.

However, Quintos did have the bayonet on the end of his lasgun handy. Squaring it up with one of the wretches, he bellows "For the Emperor!" to try and steel his rattled nerves and charges.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2008-03-23 02:02pm

Xerxes has set out to the dome, though he knows he is too late to join the others in descending on the lift. If anything happens outside, he knows that Nixios will need someone to protect him while he attends to the machine spirit.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2008-03-23 03:28pm

"Before we burn everything, let's be sure to get some pictures first. We need to document what the heretical scum have done."

There was very little life left in the wretches by this point. Lazarus paced about, a grim look on his face, as he attemptd to clean off his face and hands.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2008-03-23 04:54pm

"That's fine to say, but I haven't seen anyone carrying a pict-slate. We can't record any of this without something to record it on." Gelt cast his light about, shining it into the darkest corners, but not firing on the unfortunates with his shotgun. He wasn't hurting for shells at all, but these poor souls deserved something more personal in his estimation.

RIPP_n_WIPE · Post by **RIPP_n_WIPE** » 2008-03-23 07:56pm

"Do we have something to draw with? Some scrolls or something? Can't you psykers burn these image into your minds and then unto ours?"

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2008-03-24 10:58am

The wretches howled in agony as they were shuffled off the mortal coil, the strange yellow substance oozing out of their wounds. It didn't take long to dispatch them, even with the fear that had overtaken nearly all of the acolytes.

Block · Post by **Block** » 2008-03-24 12:07pm

"Camilla, get pictures please so we can get out of this Emperor forsaken place. Greis will want to see this. Everyone get back on the platform so we can go, and the Adept can cleanse this place in flame," Verum snapped, clearly shaken. Trying to steady himself, the assassin once again began to whistle.

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2008-03-24 09:56pm

Camillia reached into a pocket and retrieved the compact pict-recorder she had taken from Greis's supply drop. Walking around carefully to avoid stepping in large puddles of ooze and gore, she documented the work done by the gangers, now and again stopping for a close-up of a particularly noteworthy feature. She soon had several dozen pictures and was feeling faint from being in close proximity to the wretches. Her mind had seen the equal of these terror before, but her physical senses were unaccustomed to the experience.

Stepping back, Camillia said "It is done. We should leave as soon as we can."

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2008-03-24 10:42pm

I couldn't agree more. Fuck this place and fuck these gangers. They all have to die. Now we got the guns to do it with too. Damn it, stay focused on the mission. Sylvanus is the target, not these assholes.

Lazarus had managed to clean off most of the gore, but his uniform was essentially ruined.

"As soon as we burn this shit, I assume we'll be off. Zakary's got some incendieries."

As much as I want to shoot every one of those ganger heretics, we got another job to do. But I want to at least identify the damn gang leader.

"Once we are clear of this place, I want to set up an observation post up where Diver's at so we can identify the rest of the heretical garbage when they show up. A small detail aught to be able to handle it."

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » 2008-03-25 12:44am

Wiping the blood and ichor off his bayonet, Quintos nods and says, "Let's wrap this up, burn this place to the ground, and then get the frak out of here."

He almost volunteered to stay behind, but he was shaking badly and with the heavy stubber he knew he would not be able to run very well if it came down to that. Let a stealthier individual stay behind.

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2008-03-25 11:29am

Havelock moved among the corpses, chanting a litany of forgiveness and mercy for the dead over each corpse before sprinkling it with a bit of ash from the vial he carried with him at all times. He was still angry with himself for freezing like that, but even the messages over the vox and the brief glimpse he'd caught from above didn't prepare him for the full horror of the wretches.

He chimed in over the vox.

"Indeed let us give these poor souls a pyre.. this ABOMINATION must not be allowed to go unpunished however."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2008-03-25 11:49am

Varnius reloaded. "One does not simply drag a mass of prisoners into a building and perform unholy rites without the locals noticing. We need to find more gangers and squeeze the identities of the perpetrators out of them."

Brother-Captain Gaius · Post by **Brother-Captain Gaius** » 2008-03-25 11:53am

Zak was horrified by the sights, standing dumbly as the rest of the team cut down the grotesque creatures. As they finish, he manages to stutter out a weak couple of sentences.

"I... I... I have t-the incendaries. Are we- are we done here? Let us begone from this place, though perhaps someone else would care to do the honours?"

He lifts the firebombs, offering them to someone less shocked out of their wits.

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2008-03-25 04:54pm

Camillia took the firebombs, more out of concern that that the shaking adept would accidentally trigger them than any real talent at using explosives. They were simple enough in concept, and from the quality Camillia suspected that they were not some homemade equipment, but rather stolen from some local military or law enforcement agency.

The bodies had already been placed in a largish pile, with assorted scraps of flammable debris tossed in for good measure. Camillia looked around at the group of acolytes and said "With all those oily rags and whatnot, I think we only need one firebomb for this pyre. Does anyone have experience with these types of things?"

Block · Post by **Block** » 2008-03-25 06:05pm

"Pull the pin and run, Lady. And the sooner, the better. Let us purge this heresy and depart."

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2008-03-25 11:53pm

Camillia waved everyone back, then stepped towards the pyre cautiously. Still wary for any wretches still miraculously alive, she cleared out a small depression for the grenade to settle in when she tossed it. Stepping back a ways, she pulled the pin, gently tossed it into the pile of bodies, and ran for cover.

A few long seconds later, the firebomb exploded with a roaring sound and a billow of flame. Camillia could feel the heat on her skin, even as far back as she was. The fire burned white-hot for a moment, then the bomb's fuel ran out, leaving only the red-orange flames of the burning corpses. Smoke started gathering in the room, rising up and swirling under the ceiling of the dome. Camillia took several pictures of the pyre, then said over the vox-bead, "The task is done. We should leave, quickly."

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2008-03-26 12:41am

While he'd been waiting, Nixios had been growing steadily more concerned at the amount of time they'd spent in the base, nervous about the possibility of a counterattack. So when the psyker's call came over the vox, he released the closest thing he was capable of to a sigh before replying with "Understood." Hurrying as best he could, Nixios set about operating the lift once again.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2008-03-26 01:02am

The door opened once more, bringing the pungent aroma of burning flesh up to the acolytes above. Below, the smell was overwhelming, and mixed with something else. The yellow ooze began to burn as well, a bright green flame spreading throughout the chamber as the bodies and equipment were consumed. As the platform steadily rose, the smoke grew thicker and more foul-smelling. Finally, the platform locked into place, stopping any more smoke from wafting up, but still the smell lingered in the air around the dome.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2008-03-26 10:26am

Varnius exited the dome in hurry, barely keeping his gorge down. He leaned against the dome wall. "Throne," he mumbled. The smell was ghastly and lingered in his mouth and nose. "Merciful Emperor."

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2008-03-26 12:29pm

Havelock nodded, wishing his nose didn't work. Wishing he could forget what happened in there would be nice to, but unlikely.

"Indeed. We should get out of here quickly.. and firebomb one of those armories on the way out. Those men deserved a final purification, but we should leave as little of these blasphemer's equipment operational as we can. Might I suggest a fast runner for that task though."

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2008-03-26 04:34pm

Gelt shut off the glowlamp and put it away again. "I'll do it. I'll grab a few more guns and ammo, pile up the rest and use the incendiary." He held out his hand to Havelock for the grenade. "We'd better hurry it up now, but I agree that watching who comes back might be a good idea. We need to tag who was responsible for this and start establishing connections. I just hope that there isn't anything down there that will cause some kind of secondary explosion or something critical to the Hive itself that will blow us all the way to Terra if we stand around here."

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2008-03-26 07:30pm

Xerxes makes the sign of the aquila and mutters a little prayer when the acolytes come out of the dome - he knew the scent of burning flesh, and knew that they had purged the heresy below.

RIPP_n_WIPE · Post by **RIPP_n_WIPE** » 2008-03-27 09:09am

The priests blessing had been good, but his psyche and been shaken. He would simply have to build upon his faith with fervent prayer.

But to the task at hand. "I'd like to accompany Lazarus and bring the force of the Will upon those blasphemous filth for their crimes against Him. I can not upon my commission as a servant of the Emperor let this deed simply slide idly by." He needed to do something make himself feel clean and whole. Killing more heretics would fill him the sense of righteous fury, and completion of justice.