# Brotherhood of Malice (Action)



## Romero's Own (Apr 10, 2012)

It was clear from the tone of your master that you all were not the ideal candidates for this mission. Indeed, he seemed to hesitate as he gave you the rundown of the situation on Sepheris Secundus. 

There was a recent uprising that necessitated force to put down and so a platoon of Imperial Guard set down in the heart of the rebellion and silenced the mobs. Once the worst of the fighting had passed, they secured the area, which included an exploration of the Gorgonid Mine, where the 
fighting was the heaviest. 

The reports are murky, since a number of squads went missing in the dark, but suffice to say, the Commissar sealed shut the mine and quarantined the entire region. 

Under ordinary circumstances, the Inquisition would have looked into this matter at its own pace, but the damage to the world’s economy and by extension the entire sector’s economy could prove too severe if the problem 
was left unattended. 

Hence they sent you and your companions. This is a bit unsettling since you are all young and not experienced in these kinds of missions, but you 
were the closest servants of the Inquisition and it was a 
small matter to divert your vessels to this harsh and frozen world.

As the small landing craft plummets through the atmosphere you have a chance to look around you and engage in conversation or simply sit back ad think, readying yourself.

OOC: This is a very introductory update. Just talk to the other characters or just wait for the action to start


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## Moxen (Dec 11, 2012)

Caius did not like being stuffed in a small metal craft with a handful of hired men. He espesically did not like that they were hired by the Inqisition. What he liked least of all was the fact that he himself was forced to work for te Inqusitors. Him, a _rouge Psyker_, who had tried very hard to avoid the notice of The Empire.

At least he was off the damned Hive-World.

The Psyker thought back to when his so-called "Adopted Family" had told him he was going on an Imperial mission for them. Told. Not asked, told. Another thing he didn't like was being told what to do. He was powerful, he should not be taking orders! Not that he wanted to be in charge of anything. No, Caius just wanted to be left alone. A solitary world, away from Empire Scor would be perfect. As long as there were no Dæmons.

Caius shuffled his feet and toyed with his Laspistol. This was going to be a long mission, no doubt...


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## Glasses man (Oct 31, 2012)

Jackson lent back against his headrest and looked up at the ceiling. He could feel every shock and reverberation that came through the craft from it's orbital descent. The craft was small. Cramped even with the other members of his new squad sat around some trying to converse in light conversation or just waiting for the operation to begin. Jackson put his hand into his pocket and dug out the picture of his old squad. He smiled as observed him and two off his squad mates: harry and tyrit smiling at a camera in the center with each others arms around their necks. other members of the squad smiling and generally looking happy and the commissar who stood at attention at the rear of the group. 

A voice piped up from beside him "Who are they then?" asked the voice. Not bothering to turn his head towards the voice Jackson put the picture back into his pocket saying "My old squad" and the place was silent again.

Jackson looked up and saw what was his new "squad". Very few of them actually looked like they had seen combat before some looking more like criminals then actually trained soldiers. 

Jackson put his hand back in his pocket to get the picture out when his hand wrapped around something hard and cold. Jackson slowly pulled out the object one which Jackson was both proud and disgusted with. The horn of the blood letter. Jackson stared at the black horn in his hand and spun it around in his hands. Even now he could remember the fight. The red daemon charging and Jackson only just breaking out of a trance of fear to wildly slash at the thing advancing towards him. Jackson put that in a different pocket.

A sudden shock rippled through his seat and he assumed that they where finally entering the atmosphere. Holding onto his lasgun Jackson braced for hell


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## son of azurman (Sep 19, 2010)

The silence had gone on too long, the small landing craft carried the squad of hired guns that were to liberate the planet and amongst them sat Ferrum, the tech-priest sat awkwardly tinkering with his right arm on his left arm playing with the mechanism extending and shortening it like flexing of muscles. Very few people talked,next to him sat a guardsmen looking over an old picture, the picture was of a squad of troopers under the watchful eye of a commissar.

“who are they then,” asked Ferrum hoping to start up conversation but was met with the guardsmen sliding the picture back into his pocket.

On his other sight sat a psycher,strange folk they were. both had unique traits and were often misunderstood but wile tech-priests were tought and learned their traits the psychers were born that way and so never experienced normal life. This was a ver bad squad of men to send on this mission as most were most likely thugs dragged off the street,his brother must have been the supposed leader of the squad being inquisitor but without a leader this group of men were more likely to be a time bomb then a liberation force.

This mission was suicide but Ferrum knew that he must keep his brothers promises to destroy the resistance and to discover the truth.


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## andygorn (Apr 1, 2011)

*IC: Jerren Colis (Guardsman)*

_[ OOC: This character has arm and chest badges displaying the surname of "Colis". If anyone has experience of Imperial Guard or PDF rank badges...up to you if you know this or not...he has the rank badges of Private. However, these seem deliberately incomplete and unfinished, rather than a complete badge which has been damaged and not yet repaired. (e.g. If the correct badge was a single chevron, for example, his badge would be a half-chevron) ]._
++++++++++

Even as they had started to board the craft, Colis had appreared apprehensive, clearly perturbed about the forthcoming journey.

With a medi-kit clanking emptily at his side, he was obviously unused to off-world travel or planetary drops; he had looked uncertain about where to sit or how to stow his gear away properly.

Casting nervous glances around, he didn't display any additional worry about the various appearances of his companions.
However, one of his eyebrows does raise slightly at the sight of the man with metal arms. (Perhaps he is unused to the adepts? Or to enhanced / replaced limbs in general?).

Every so often, he rubs a small axe-pendant between his gloved fingers and thumbs.
He doesn't say anything or make any prayer-movements during these interludes: whatever his thoughts in these moments, the actions seem to bring him a degree of comfort, as he gives a half-smile after each time.

Is it his imagination, or does he catch sight in some eyes of disdain?
He's not sure exactly what to call it, but Colis thinks he might have seen those same kind of looks before: in the eyes of the veterans when they were training raw recruits back on Mortressa.
It's the same look the experienced troopers had of "You're not going to last five minutes out there".

Yet -at the same time- it is also not the same look: Back home, the veterans were bothered about you, because they all had the common goals to explore the planet and defend the compounds.
Even when they knew that half of the novices wouldn't return from an expedition, their stares had still held a small amount of pity and regret for what had to occur.

Yet, ever since boarding the craft...no, ever since the Inquisitor's arrival...Colis had been reminded time after time of off-worlders' lack of concern.
Was it like this all across the galaxy? Or just amongst these particular individuals? Colis didn't like to think badly about people, so he hoped neither was true.

Maybe he actually is outgoing? Or just wanting to calm his own nerves? Or is he trying to justify his place amongst these people? Whatever the reason, Jerren introduces himself, speaking a little too quickly:

_"My name is Colis...Jerren Colis. You may already have guessed, but this is my first drop to another world._
_"Actually, it's only my second time of flying anywhere: the first was when the Inquisitor took me off my planet._

_"__Back home, I used to scout for trails and keep a watch-out for beasts in the forests, deserts and swamps._
_"Despite this parade-uniform I still wear, it wasn't 'pretty' work, so I've seen some injury and death. __No big battles though, just skirmishes and the odd incident, really._

_"Perhaps this is why I am here? To gain fighting experience? Or maybe it is because he has nobody else to send? Either way, I am sure that the Inquisitor is doing the right thing."_

_"I probably won't share everything about myself with you._
_"I guess you might not want to know it all anyway, as my background hasn't been very _eventful_ thus far._
_"However, I don't have any particular interest in dying anytime soon, s__o I'll do my best to help everyone with the mission between now and...my end-time..."_

Jerren laughs nervously -almost as though humour could stave off the inevitable- then continues:
_"I don't think I recall meeting any of you before in our master's service._
_"I know we're not the same but, s__eeing as we'll be comrades -or at least working together- for the time being, maybe you'd like to introduce yourselves, too..?"_

Although his eyes occasionally display a sense of 'having seen more violence that he should at his age', Colis' voice and actions almost always override this and he shows an undiminished spirit of youthful naivety, belief and hope.

Jerren's body language and tone of voice are open; he seems genuinely interested in talking, rather than 'trying to pry secrets out of people'.

_[OOC: Of course, it's up to the other characters whether they believe him, or not, though]._


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## Moxen (Dec 11, 2012)

Caius listens vaguely, paying just enough attention to absorb some information from the seemingly Neurotic man. Jarren's unease gave Caius a sense of catharsis, however, and it calmed him at least a little to know that he was not the only one not at ease. Everyone on this ship must surely know that they're being sent to death, yes? The Inquisition does not hire mercenaries, from what he knew of the Imperium. No, there was something more to this, Caius was sure. Then again, that might simply be the paranoia... but he swore that something was off, and it bothered him to no end.

Caius smirked at Jerren's eagerness to get to know the crew. He had his way, it seemed, of dealing with stress, and Caius had his. He spun his wrist around and around, making a sickening popping and crackling noise. Meanwhile, his eyes scanned the craft relentlessly, searching for every detail of every crewmate. If he was to fight with them, he wanted to know their tell, their nervous ticks. He was good at picking out characteristics of people, a talent he picked up back home. 

He was used to feeling surrounded by people he didn't trust, and he knew to keep his mouth shut. Maybe he would open up and speak, but only if his knowledge was required, or he was given reason to trust these hired men. For now, however, Caius would say nothing, even in response to the overly friendly Jerren.


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## son of azurman (Sep 19, 2010)

the boy had spirit Ferrum would give him that,The private Jerren had spent some time introducing himself and his background. None of the others payed any interest to the rookie but Ferrum knew better than to sour their first meeting.

"greetings,Ferrum **** Enginseer of the Vonyak hazard regiment. So you're fresh blood hey,keep you're eyes open. From what ive heard there is something in those tunnels that we will discover the hard way." introduced Ferrum extending his right arm in hand shake to the guardsmen.

Upon greeting the boy the sudden movement had wriggled the Inquisitorial I out from his robes. Quickly Ferrum slides the pendant back under his robes as to avoid any confusion.


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## Romero's Own (Apr 10, 2012)

*Update #2*

The conversation is cut short by an automated voice declaring you have reached your destination. Having disembarked from the lighter, you watch as its engines roar, carrying it upwards towards the cruiser that floats in orbit around this wretched world. 

As it shrinks away and vanishes, you take in your surroundings. All around you is an Imperial Guard encampment, filled with scores of grimfaced men and women, some bloodied and bandaged, all wearing the grey uniforms of the 97th Battalion. The camp is mostly a sea of tents positioned around smoking craters, steam vents that belch violet clouds of stinking gas into the air, and the wreckage from the recent conflict. 

A walker screeches as it patrols the perimeter, its pilot deftly manoeuvring the vehicle through the wreckage of old buildings, smoking cars, and unburied bodies. 

At the camp’s centre there stands a rust-red hab-block bearing the eagle symbol of the Imperium on its exterior. 

Beyond it is a range of low mountains covered in ice and the sprawl of industry. Flames belching forth from smokestacks, storage containers, great bubbling vats issuing toxic steam, and more combine to make the structures look like some vast metal insect straddling the peaks of this rugged range.

Movement causes you to turn and you see a soldier running towards. When he arrives, he comes to an abrupt stop, stoops over, hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. 

After a moment, he looks up and smiles. He’s a young man, just turned eighteen. He has bright red hair that pokes out from under his helmet, pale freckled skin, and youthful features. He says,

_ “Sirs….huh… welcome to the Gorgonid Mines! Yer here to help… I just knew it….” _

He pauses to take another breath. 

_“I tole’d ’em all ye’d be coming—So, which one of you is the Inquisitor? Want to see the Commissar…?”_

Before you have a chance to respond, a gruff voice sounds out: 

*“Jurtz! You leave your post again?” *

The owner of the voice is a compact, square-jawed ugly man, his head shaved and with a dark blue tattoo right on his scalp. He’s wearing the grey fatigues of all the Guards, but the stripes on his sleeve indicate he’s a person of rank. Where his right arm used to be is now a stump on which a large metal rod with a disturbing array of attachments at the end emerges. 

Jurtz stammers, turns red all the way up to his ears and looks at his feet, mumbling, 

_“No, Sergeant Raynard. I’m just heading back now, sir”._

Sergeant Raynard fixes the junior Guardsman with a stare and then turns toward the Acolytes. 

One of his eyes is ice blue, cold and staring. The other is a crude false eye, made of wood and wandering off to the left.

* “See that you do. Double time. Now, you. You’re a sorry bunch, aren’t you? Who’re you supposed to be? Not the Inquisitor I’ll warrant. Well? Speak up? I won’t have a commotion in my camp.”*

OK, so a bit more to this update. Feel free to do pretty much whatever you want. Obviously the obvious choice is to respond to Raynard as best you can, but you can go and talk to Jurtz, go to the hab-block, talk to other soldiers. The list goes on


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## son of azurman (Sep 19, 2010)

“alright everyone this is your stop, welcome to hell,”came a chuckling voice over the radio indicating that the group had reached their stop.

after exciting the transport the craft lifted off the ground and returned to the carrier from whence it had come. The group had been dropped into an imperial guard encampment including bloodied and beaten guardsmen (like most are when fighting starts) wearing the uniform of their regiment as well as the ruins of buildings and a rust red hab block in the center.

Out of the corner of his eye Ferrum spots a guardsman running towards them,the trooper was only a kid by the looks of him due to the fact that he had freckles and spots on his face. Upon reaching them the guardsman hunched over in exhaustion as the group surrounded him.

“Sirs….huh… welcome to the Gorgonid Mines! Yer here to help… I just knew it….” 

He pauses to take another breath. 

“I tole’d ’em all ye’d be coming—So, which one of you is the Inquisitor? Want to see the Commissar…?”

Before Ferrum could respond, a gruff voice sounds out: 

“Jurtz! You leave your post again?”

The owner of the voice is a compact, square-jawed ugly man, his head shaved and with a dark blue tattoo right on his scalp. He’s wearing the grey fatigues of all the Guards, but the stripes on his sleeve indicate he’s a person of rank. Where his right arm used to be is now a stump on which a large metal rod with a disturbing array of attachments at the end emerges. 

Jurtz stammers turning red like the blood that stained the floor around the camp and starts to mumble.

“No,Sergeant Raynard. I’m just heading back now,sir.” mumbled the rookie.

The sergeant turns to the group after fixing Jurtz with a cold stare before the guardsman ran off.

See that you do.double time.Now, you. You’re a sorry bunch aren’t you? Who’re you supposed to be? Not the inquisitor i’ll warrant.Well?Speak up?i wont have a commotion in my camp.” Insisted the sergeant.

“Greetings Sergeant,i am Ferrum **** an enginseer from Forge world Tharzog just sent here after duty with the Vonyak hazard regiment, My brother was the Inquisitor who was chosen to lead this group but after a thug from a hive world shot him in his sleep i joined this mission in his stead. Wile we’re here before we get started are there any mechanical issues you’re having with either equipment or vehicles if so i would be happy to help.” introduced Ferrum.


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## Moxen (Dec 11, 2012)

Caius did not like this. He really did not like it. When he was a child, he had an obsession with the Imperial Guard, but of course, he grew out of it. Sure, the guard treated Psykers better than the Space Marines, but there was no doubt that they still treated those of his Kind with Malice. What worried him more was the mention of an Inquisitor. Caius knew who his employers were, but that didn't mean he wanted to meet them. _Call me paranoid_, he thought to himself, _but I want out of here...._

Caius maintained a steady and calm composure, and said nothing other than briefly uttering his name, and vaguely explaining. "Caius Ordo, sir. We're here for mercenary work, but I'm sure that someone else in the group could explain far better than I."


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## andygorn (Apr 1, 2011)

Looking up at the lander, it was clear that Jeren really hadn't understood quite how big that thing was.

Although he had seen injuries before, these were on a much larger scale that he had ever experienced, as was the level of industry required just to keep the camp functioning.

Whilst he knew the mass of pipes and huge containers are necessities in order to fight the The Emperor's wars, a part of him still balked at the destruction of local flora and fauna which had made it possible.

More than anything, it is the bodies which disturb him the most:
Death had come regularly enough to the explorers he had grown up with, yet they had almost always been able to retrieve and lay to rest at least some part of the deceased and their possessions, giving them a proper 'sending to The Emperor's side'.

Maybe it was because there either was not enough people -or enough time- to carry out such ceremonies, but he did not like to think that perhaps it was because life here was considered cheap enough for people to be discarded like so much garbage.

Despite his worn clothing, Jerren gives the Sergeant an immaculate salute.
"Sergeant Reynard, my name is Jerren Colis, Probationary Private from the Feral World of Mortessa.
"I do not want to appear rude sir but, if you don't mind, I'd like to take my leave and talk to Guardsman Jurtz for a short while. I have never been to a place like this before, but I am a scout so I think I can learn from him and I may be able to help with his duties, too?"

*[OOC: Assuming this is okay?:]*

Jerren jogs after Jurtz and calls out to him amiably:
"Guardsman Jurtz, Sir? Perhaps I can help you in your duties? I was training to join my local Guard as a tracker before I came here, so maybe you can show me the lie of the land and let me know what's been going on here recently?"


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## Romero's Own (Apr 10, 2012)

*Update #3*

SoA, Glasses man , Moxen , BlackGuard: The Seargent watches you a bit longer, a few seconds, and then speaks. He seems oblivious to your questions and just nods at your names apart from a look of disgust at Ferrum. 

*“Right. So, the Inquisitor isn’t coming.” *

This isn’t a question. 

*“I suppose I’d better let the Commissar know you’re here… sirs.”* 

With that, he makes ready to leave, but as he turns, his crude cybernetic arm starts to shake and the attachments start spinning, swooshing, snapping, and make a terrible racket. Raynard curses, runs his hand down the length of the metal rod, whispers a prayer and pushes a button. Immediately, the device settles down. He starts heading off toward the hab-block. As he marches, the Acolytes hear tittering laughter coming from out of a nearby tent.

You continue across the camp if you don’t investigate the laughter and feel eyes on you all around. Just before you reach the hab-block door Raynard turns to you and speaks quietly.

*“Do you want to know what’s really going on? It’s real simple: the planetary governor can’t control her population. We’re the big guns. We came in and stamped out the uprising. Job done, right? Wrong. 

The Commissar wanted me to lead a few squads into the mines. He believed the cult had a base inside. We went in, descended the elevator and explored the place. 

Then, those Mutants fell on us. They came from all sides. I lost a dozen good men, better men than you I’d wager…. Look, there’s a wrongness down there. You’re a bit wet behind the ears for this sort of work. You should call that fancy ship of yours and get as far away from here as you can.”*

andygorn- Jurtz was just turning to leave when you call out to him. He turns and looks crestfallen at your introduction.

_“So the Inquisitor really isn’t coming? It’s all over then. I can’t tell you much about the world, all we really seen is the camp and the mines. You want to know what’s been going on?

Well, there was this uprising in the mines. So we was called in to crush the rebels. The Commissar ordered us to flush out the mines to see if there were any more rebels. That’s when those things nabbed my mate Hastus. The things grabbed him and dragged him off screaming. That’s when the sergeant ordered our withdrawal, and we’ve been stuck here ever since. Hey, if you’re going down there, see if you can find Hastus, would ya? He has a girl on Scintilla and I know she’d like ’im back, yeah?

All I saw was shapes, strange shapes, weird things, tentacles, eyes, and worse. Probably just xeno. Some of the men think there’s something else down there. I dunno.”_

Jurtz looks at his chrono before speaking again, turning as he spoke.

_“I gotta go. Look, if yer heading down there, good luck.”_

And with that the Guardsman turns and hurries off. Suddenly left alone you look around, taking in the new information as you see the other guardsman looking at you, the rest of your group heading towards the hab-block and what looks like a cage on the other side of camp.

OK, so there we are, your date with the mines approach.

Both groups have found out some interesting info on what to expect within the mines from different sources.

I am sure you are getting used to choices but to give you guidelines, Raynard’s group can investigate the insane laughter, follow the Seargent or wander off and talk to some of the watching guardsman.

andygorn, you can ask some more questions around, follow the others or investigate the cage.


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## son of azurman (Sep 19, 2010)

well that was rude. the group had each asked questions to the sergeant but he simply replied with "Right so the inquisitor isn't coming. i suppose i better let the commisar know your here .... sirs."after giving Ferrum a look of disgust the sergeant turned around and started heading for the hab block.

As one of the guardsmen ran after the rookie Ferrum decided to explore the camp.After walking around for a wile it was clear something was going on here that they hadn't been told about.The men were either reduced to quivering shells shaking in fear of something they've seen or they had been dealt very strange wounds.To his left Ferrum spotted a make shift tent with three guardsmen inside.the first was curled up in his sleeping bag with his whole head incased in bandages,the second was sat with his legs crossed reading quotes and prayers from the imperial handbook that was standard issue to all guardsmen.The third was in the corner curled up with his head in his hands crying about the end of the world and how the emperor had abandoned them to the darkness.

"excuse me what is it your friend speaks of?"asked Ferrum to the second guardsmen.

"The tunnels,when we went in he was at the font and his squad was all taken but him.

Taken?by what?"asked ferrum again.

"Demons!Spawns of emotion and action,the tentacled fiends will kill us all!"muttered the panicked guardsmen raising his head out of his hands to look at the tech-priest before replacing them and crying again.

"Demons.that explains it,i knew something was being withheld from us."Ferrum muttered to himself.

"wait you weren't told?"asked the second guardsmen shocked.

"no,they only told us that our duty to the imperium asked that we did a mission in the name f the god-emporer but could tell they were sending us into danger from the start but i didn't know what kind of danger."explained ferrum.

The first guardsmen rolled over looking at the tech priest before turning to the second and giving him a nod and the second returned it with another.

"We must warn you,this mission is not truth.the are sending you in there to die and no other,they don't want to sacrifice their own so they hired a bunch of nobodies to go down into the mines until they can get real help." whispered the second into Ferrum's ear.

"that explains the rag tag group of children they've sent,look i'm still going down into those mines as my brothers honour Rests on it.i cant control or lead them but i will unleash them instead for we all have the ability to destroy and to let that loose upon the demons will maybe be able to defeat them. otherwise we cant prove these posh bastards wrong."replied Ferrum before rising back to his feet and running off to the hab-block.

"hey when you meet chaos in that shard of hell."called the guardsmen after Ferrum making him stop and turn around.

"kick is ass for me."chuckled the guardsmen before returning to his reading.


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