STGOD 4 Game Thread

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-27 11:48pm

The cluster began coming apart into it's subsections, disappearing peice by peice into hyperspace. The Mage's Academy was thoroughly looted, the grimoires and primers hustled in to guarded rooms, where Floater marines protected the expensive horde. It would fetch a hefty price among some of the other powers in Known Space.

An escape pod, full of drugged mage trainees, was launched towards Krynn.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-27 11:55pm

"Good thing all those items were trapped... the spellbooks have glyphs of warding and will explode when they are opened... and no one can use the wands and rods."

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-27 11:57pm

Underneath Manifold, even deeper than the subterranean power generators, a team of massive automated drillers were hard at work, scouring away rock with high powered lasers and sonics. So far, the shaft was 10 meters wide, and nearly 10 miles deep. The massive vein of naquadah they detected was almost 20 miles under the surface, and the further they went down, the slower the work was going to be. Already, a robotic crew was lost due to a faulty heat shield, but the AIs running the operation cared nothing of it. The vein was tremendously long; mining stations had reported that it at least extended halfway around Halo. How such a large and concentrated source of naquadah got there, no one knew. The other mining stations would soon begin drilling bore holes of their own, and several labs in Manifold were already examining how to make use of the compound. So far, the results had been good: naquadah would make an excellent explosive if used right, and it showed some promising properties of being used in AI circuitry.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-28 12:27am

Ix'ador planetary space

"Austin Five, what's your status? Austin Five, I say again, what is your status? You're off your standard patrol course."

The young pilot shook himself. He'd been on patrol in his F-235 for the better part of four hours, and he'd drifted off, and off course. "Uhh... Everything checks out, Commander. Sorry about that, sir. I'll get back on the pattern immedi..." He looked down at the scanner. "Sir, I'm picking up a small ship coming in, over planetary coordinates zero six five bearing 234. Moving to intercept, request reinforcements." Normally his pattern wouldn't take him through here for another twenty minutes. He gunned the engines and moved towards the light freighter.

"Affirmative, Lieutenant Fisher. Sending Austins Six and Seven to your location."

The young lieutenant firewalled his engine and rapidly caught up to the freighter. He broadcast on all frequencies. "Unidentified vessel, this is Lieutenant Ernest Fisher of the Nashtar Republican Navy. You are ordered to power down your engines and prepare to be boarded. Comply immediately or I will open fire."

The freighter responded by firing its engine and hurtling into lower orbit for atmospheric entry.

Aboard the smuggler light freighter So Busted

"SHIT! What's he doing so far off his patrol?"

"Doesn't matter, we have to get to ground. Go!"

Austin Five

The freighter did not respond. "Control, he's running."

"Weapons free, Lieutenant. Try to take him alive, target the engines."

"As ordered." A Peregrin missile leapt out of its launcher and hit the small freighter. It was not designed for combat, and its shields flared badly. Fisher opened up with his cannon next. The remaining shielding didn't stand up five seconds. He then targeted the engine exhaust.

The freighter went into a sharp corkscrew to the right as a small hatch on the top starboard facing opened. Out leaped several small projectiles, almost flechette types. Fisher broke left and barely evaded them. He came back around...

...to find the freighter hurtling at him. He yanked back on the stick, taking him up and over its hull. the fighter couldn't turn around before he made the atmosphere. The smuggler ran for the planet...

...and right into the cannon fire of Austin Six, who walked his gun up the rear quarter of the ship and hit a vital power relay. The engines died, leaving the freighter a sitting duck for the C-420 Pelican that was coming to make the capture, Marine squad on board.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 12:30am

The dreadnought Blight altered its course and used its FTL diviners to track the Cluster through hyperspace. And jumped into the astral plane on an intercept course. Being much faster, it caught up and was ready to jump the moment the floaters came out of hyperspace.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 12:41am

Sol System
Asteroid Belt

The fortified command section of the Inisha Cluster dropped out of hyperspace. Around it, most of the subclusters dropped as well.

Freeman Jon Nobunaga knew some of the local Floaters in the remains of Zarathrustra. Perhaps there he could get some assistance in pawning off these strange boooks, probably to the Skaven colonies on Mars.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 12:46am

And around them Jumped the newly Karsuned 8th fleet Headed by the Dreadnoughts Blight and Malar

"Heave to and prepare to be boarded, you are in possession of property stolen from the Arcane Empire"

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 12:49am

<< Never, Heavy scum! Damned if we'll let you bastards get your hands on what's ours! >>

Inside the Cluster, Floater marines rushed too and fro, grabbing their weapons and fanning out by squad. They moved with precision in the zero-g. Fighting them here, on their home turf, would not be easy.

The defensive armaments on the command asteroid activated. They were light- nothing more than PD missile tubes, laser batteries, and an ageing set of railguns used to ward off pirates.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 12:53am

"Unfortunatly for you, you do not have what is yours, but what is OURS. Therefore you force our hand."

The transmission ended

Fleet Admiral Nellar an aged Elf Mage-blade with the spellcasting capability of the best of battlemages turned to his second.

"Give them a broadside, let them know we are serious"

The command was relayed calmly with military precision down the chain of command to the gun crews. Sedconds later the guns sounded. Hundreds of irons spheres each moving at .2c slammed into the shields of the the Floater cluster. The shields flared and the guns were reloaded.

The guns of the other vessels in the fleet were loaded and prepped, the gun crews waiting to let their missiles fly.

A transmission went through again.

"Consider yourself warned. You ahve thirty standard seconds to lower your shields, power down your weapons, and stand by for boarding"

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 12:56am

The command Cluster's fortified bulk shook as it's shields absorbed the impacts, and flared. They would not last for long. The Cluster's pair of ageing railgun turrets moved slowly, tracking an Arcane escort. A quartet of slugs flew, plowing into the craft at c-fractional velocities. A slim Floater technician's eys flew wide as an entire board of indicators went red.

"Gun 3's coils are fused! I knew we shoudl have cleaned her out more often..."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 01:00am

The Runes that powered the shields of the Destroyer Aggrippa glew hot, but did not burn. They still had some power left in them as the vessell took evasive action and the Astrokinetics got docused on deflecting such projectiles.

Admiral Nellar gave the command to open fire until shields dropped.

The ships opened fire, and it literally rained iron upon the cluster...

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2004-04-28 01:03am

Serial Peacemaker

Kallis smiled brightly and nodded to Ellana, "Of course. Also, while I am not gifted, I have been trained in certain mental techniques to allow me to passively communicate with telepaths," Diego offers a mental image of the technique used to communicate with Kallis to Ellana. It was a simple technique, but the parts of the mind involved might be slightly different from how the Viethans normally communicated.

~We would be delighted to share information about our own culture with you, and we are of course eager to learn as much about you as you are willing to share.~ Diego's mind reached out lightly to the group.

Da'Noth continued, ~If you would please come with us, we shall lead you to a conference room, more suitable for this sort of discussion.~ Assuming the Veithans are agreeable, the Diplomats would walk through the interior of the ship towards the designated conference room. The inside of the ship is very neat and clean, and despite the recent retrofitting, it is easy to tell that this ship was not originally designed as a luxury liner.

The room itself is relatively spacious, and a circular table with numerous data consoles at each seat. The walls and ceiling give off a soft, warm, ambient light with concentrations at certain points. Water containers and light snacks are available at a quartet of side tables at each corner of the room.

~We are unaware of your specific nutritional and dietary needs, but we can accomedate any personal supplies you have brought with you, or we can have our chefs prepare a wide range of consumables as you require them.~ Da'Noth transmitted as he offered seats to the Viethan delegates.

Between themselves, the Ravenlock diplomats discussed the information the Veithans had already shared.

Kallis sat down and began calling up a few files from his data terminal. ~Our decision to reveal ourselves at this point was not one that we arrived to lightly. For quite some time, we enjoyed our status as relative unknowns. However, an isolationist policy is not always beneficial. Suffice to say that we are attempting to learn from mistakes of our past and move ever forward.~

Diego continued, ~Even if the galaxy is a hostile place at the moment, we hope that perhaps by our entry into the sphere of interstellar politics, we may be able to help return the galaxy to a point of stability and prosperity. Obviously, we cannot achieve this on our own, which is one of the reasons we are attempting to reach out and make positive contact with others.~

~In any event, let us begin the exchange of information. Ambassador Kallis has queued up much relevant data involving the Consortium and its history. If you have any queries, please feel free to ask and we shall do our best to answer.~

At this point, the transfer of information begins. Basic societal information, technological levels, and a brief overview of the Ravenlock-Dra'kol war, and the aftermath thereof.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 01:04am

Orders were 'cast back and forth across the Cluster. Orders from the fortified center of the Cluster, where jamming devices would make teleporting a dangerous option.

<< Shields are failing! Boundmen and Women, Freemen and Women, stand strong! All squads, prepare for enemy bording forces! For Inashi, we will stand strong! >>

The Floater marines wore the traditional iridescent black armor, and carried the deadly zero-G weapons with which they were so proficient. The Cluster's entire fore numbered no more than 500 men and women, but they were better trained for zero-g combat than any force in Known Space, with the possible exception of Monacoran Marines or Ouster strikers.

Hellthrowers were primed, Fletchers were loaded, and gropener-swords were unsheathed.

Marcao · Post by **Marcao** » 2004-04-28 01:14am

Grand Empire Space

The VNS Sulama emerged from hyperspace on the edges of the system which the Grand Empire had provided. The two thousand meter long ship hesitated for only a moment before gracefully accelerating, a channel opened in an already agreed upon frequency as it cautiously stalked her way towards the system proper. “This is the VNS Sulama carrying representatives of the Veithan Empire. I believe we are expected, our present location is as follows our velocity and vector are being sent for confirmation and verification.” The Grand Empire was unusual in that it claimed a relatively small amount of space. Nonetheless, their industrial capacity was impressive especially when one considered that their primary habitat were floating cities orbiting gas giants.

Veithan science was capable of building large constructs as Veithan shipyards and orbital bases attested. Nonetheless, it was not surprising that a good percentage of the Veithan population saw the Grand Empire as a bit unusual and highly mysterious. Very little was known of their actual way of life, and for a people that was as bound to planetary bodies as the Veithans were the idea of an entire civilization living in floating cities was…odd. The Sulama slid into the system proper, maintaining her course and speed. There was no escort as the need for one had been considered to be slim. The Grand Empire was very capable of patrolling its space. It took a mere minute for the Sulama to be joined by a proper escort. As the Sulama and her escorts moved closer within the system, the diplomatic crew awaited patiently. Aware that their new home would be a floating city unlike any they had previously encountered.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 01:16am

Arcen vessels moved very close, and the onboard mages activated the dinging spells that would link the two ships and create a passage of magic energy between them. Staff guns were used to blast a hole in the hull. Much easier that cutting through.

Arcanian troopps cast spells of vaccuum protection on themselves and entered the breach, Defensive spells up, they let looks arrows of fireball into the hole to clear the way.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 01:19am

The Arcane troops found themselves in the outer galleries of the Cluster. Vast, open halls, filled with docking rings, and abandoned trade-stands littered the huge, spindle-shaped chambers. No signs of life could be found in them.

Smaller tunnels lead towards the center of the asteroid.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 01:26am

The Legion that just boarded from the Dreadnought broke of and began exploring each corridoor.

they moved in cyclical waves. Each small group covering an advancing party before advancing themselves. They used fly spells to navigate in the zero-g environment.

Their swoprds and bows wer drawn amd they had spells at the ready.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 01:34am

A team of mageblades began moving deeper in to the Cluster. The tunnel was fairly spacious, probably minor thoroughfare when the Cluster wasn't an armed camp. They hung in mid-air, gliding along with their fly-spells. Their feet moved a foot over the "floor."

That's when all hell broke loose. A peice of debris at the side of the hallway was blasted towards them by a small explosion. The thick sheet of metal spun lazily as it scythed towards them.

Revealed were a dozen Floater marines, feet adhereing to the wall with their magboots. They were in a dip in the "floor." Two of them had manhandled a heavy Fletcher into position. The weapon opened up with a high-pitched whine, it's three fat barrels rotating as it sent a spray of thousands of hypervelocity needles into the oncoming group of Arcanists. A spray of fire ripped out towards the Mageblades, as the rest of the soldiers fired their fletcher-rifles.

One woman opened up with a jazzer, sending a swarm of small, sphereical grenades towards the Mages. Surprised, half of them were cut down while the rest scurried for cover, buffeted by the explosions, their movements uncontrolled in the freefall.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 01:44am

As they scrambled for cover, the archers behind them opened fire with arrows of fireball. The arros struck their targets and exploded doing horrific damage to the Floaters defensive position, the spells of the mage blades were forumalted specifically to avoid casualties from friendly fire, and held agaisnt the magical onslaught as they drew sword and moved to melee range.

The Arcanist squad had been reduced, but it was still kicking. The two mage blades had charged into battle using a visual range teleportation spell, their blades sang in the zero-g environment, cutting through the men with a heavy flachette launcher like hot knives.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 01:49am

Thee mage-blades spun theeir weapons in vicious cutting attacks, slicing their targets in half- and kept spinning, helplessly, as their own momentum turned them away from their enemies. The two nearest Floater soldiers brought their Gropener-swords around in carefully controlled arcs, their weapon's counterthrusters stopping the powered blades at the end of short blows aimed at their enemy's exposed backs. The two hulking mage-blades kept spinning, stupidly in place, as their blood fountained out in massive bubbles.

The Floater troops retreated. taking long, measured jumps. As they ran, they fired at the enemy archers. A few fell back, their flesh horrifically maimed where the explosive darts had exploded beneath their skin.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 01:58am

"Well that was stupid.." said the combat mage, as the rest of the entire legion cast Spider climb on themselves to they could actually adhier to the walls and stil take advantage of the zero-g condidtions.

A second squad came to take the place of the fallen, and this time they would be intelligent.

The cast Prying eyes and 4 disembodied eyes scouted ahead while the rest of the squad moved forward.

It was then that chanting could be heard from the combat mages. A portal opened up into the Abyss and fromm it came forth a creature sop horrible it can not be named. A pit Fiend from the depths of hell, it was completely controllled by the mages, and it was deadly. It was sent forth.

Marcao · Post by **Marcao** » 2004-04-28 02:09am

[VNN] Veithan News Network

Government focuses on economy

The Veithan economy already booming due to various factors chief among them being the increase in arms sales in these troubled times as well as the avoidance of costly entanglements in wars shows no signs of slow in the near future. In order to continue this trend, the Veithan government has announced a series of packages designed to expand growth and encourage trade with neighboring nations. Demand for Veithan goods has caused unemployment to reach all time lows, and at a time when many nations are focusing outwards the Empire is not forgetting to focus inwards. Although the Naval budget has grown over that of last year and that growth is expected to continue, the profits which the government has reaped offsets those costs. The government announced that it is expending over twenty billion murans in education, health care and infrastructure. With another ten billion murans channeled to various incentive packages. It is believed that secondary systems and colony worlds in particular stand to benefit from the government’s renewed focus on the empire proper. Esha Nabas a member of the cabinet of the interior was quoted as saying the following ~The Veithan Empire’s primary concern has always been its people and its territories. With the influx of resources and funds at the government’s disposal, it is logical and fair that the funds be used for the benefit of the empire as a whole. Every aspect of the government and military exists for the protection and preservation of our people and our way of life.~

University of Caille receives record grant

The University of Caille one of the most respected institutions for higher learning within the Empire has received a record breaking grant from the Veithan government. The grant covers research into high energy physics and hyperspace technologies, two of the Universities fields of specialization. When reached for comment Dean Alrik Myera had this to say. “We here at the University of Caille are honored to have been the recipients of the grant. Our people have worked hard in order to develop cutting edge techniques into researching and understanding the fields in question. By studying hyperspace and its effects, we can increase our understanding and learn to harness it more effectively. The end result could have a wide range of civilian and military applications. We at the University of Caille are ready for the challenge that such studies shall provide.”

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-28 02:09am

<< Squad Four, continue retreating. Pull them farther away from the exterior of the Cluster.>>
Bondman Sergeant Suleiman tongued his freecaster.
<< Roger that, Command. We'll keep moving. >>

<< Torres, Wu, Michales- Lay covering fire. Wu, make sure to...>>

<< Sweet merciful Voidmother! What the fuck is THAT?>>
the paniced voice of Bondman Private Michales reached across the command net.

Sgt. Suleiman risked a quick backwards glance and almost lost his grip on the wall. The thing was--- indescribable.

His eyes narrowed behind his armored faceplate.
<< Wu. Deal with it. >>

Pvt. Wu's big, attractive eyes sighted down the barrel of her jazzer as she slapped a new clip of the fat little grenades into her weapon. The rounds were HEAT shells designed to deal with heavy power-armor or light tanks. Each one held a self-forging iridium projectile that could peirce the side- armor of a battle-tank.

The weapon hissed, hurling four of the fat hypervelocity rounds into the massive beast. At these ranges, two of the rounds were clean misses , blasting holes in the wall behind the twisted ... thing. Another clipped what passed for a leg, and the other impacted high on it's right torso. The round's shaped plasma explosives went off, propelling spikes of molten iridium into the disgusting beast.

Not taking time to evaluate the damage she had done, Wu turned and kept running as Torres and Michales laid down bursts of fire, forcing the enemy to slow their pursuit.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-28 02:12am

Ambassador Stuart Ashton, Nashtaran ambassador to the United Protectorates, arrived at the tunnels of the U.P Ministry of State and walked inside. His coming had been announced several hours before, of course, but there were protocols to be followed. He gave his business -- an audience with the Lord Protector -- to a functionary who already knew it perfectly well, and went to pass along the word to messengers who already had their message. Such was diplomacy...

Like the functionaries, Ashton already knew the answer, but he sat down to await the formal reply anyway, as protocol dictated. He was rather junior in the Ambassadorial Service, and too inexperienced to know when protocol could be broken. Fortunately, he was smart enough to know what he didn't know, and therefore never broke protocol unless asked to.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-28 02:13am

The shells pierced the skin of the beast, but the molten iridium did little. This creature lived in the pits of hell, it was uccustomed to such things.

(It is much like a balrog)

Its massive whip lashed out and grabbed Wu Torres and Muichales and brough them toward the hulking greatsword it wielded single handed. In a second their life was snuffed out.