Expedition report - Sgt. Magrash
First impressions
This is not the place the High Engineer told the Colonel we was going to. There is no lake, and what we saw was not a vista, we is on a wooded plateau, about 1 click from edge. There are what appear to be re-animates infesting the woods, but they seem to be afraid of the village. They port out when decked, so we don't know if it is the same ones coming back.
We is not the first through the portal, we found notes from Hive Team 8, covered in blood, they was killed by something. The Captain has the notes, so details will be in his report.
1st Night.
Arrived after dark, attacked immediately by re-animates. Occupied nearby abandoned village as defensive point. Escorted civilians through the portal and into the village. Some casualties, no losses. Continued to observe re-animates though the night, but they did not enter village, or approach gates too closely. Informed that the generator we wre sent through with was duff, and we do not have the parts to fix it. HT8's note says they think they was set up as they had same problem.
I examine stars (map appended), constellations correct for hive location, but planets in wrong places. Not on dark continent, either on different planet in same system as said by High Engineer, or in different time in same place. Suspect different planet.
Inquisitors port in, wait for heretic who is expected to try and escape this way, and execute her.
Doctor ports in to examine re-animates. Turns out to be re-animator himself, executed. His biological automaton granted stay of execution until further inquisition.
2nd Day
Village approached by delegation of local elves, with red tribal markings. Peace made. Elf from different tribe turns up, calls us all master - RES say he has Cargo cult.
Roachers find out most plant life that is not familiar is dangerous and potentially deadly.
Was told of map left by HT8 which leads to a cache which may have the parts we need. Captain asks me to study map, then tells me that he will be going with the expedition, and I is to go with the Legion on decoy mission. I suggest that the map is shit, and I will be needed to navigate to the cache. He agrees. I leads a party to the cache, finding a medical tent and some elf shrine on the way.
Get back with the bits to find out that the decoy party was attacked by elves and the Colonel was killed. Cache does not have coolent system.
Take Cpl. Kleeva and Pvt. Panna to collect firewood and explore some of the further woods. Followed by Cpn. Hawkrest and some members of the RES. Captain tells us that the elves consider the wood sacred. I escort the RES to examine some of the things we observed that morning. Get back to find that Cpl. Kleeva and Pvt. Panna were attacked by an elf who accused them of desecrating a shrine.
Village attacked by elves, at least one killed, one captured by Cpl Kleeva and Pvt Panna. Biological automaton escapes Roacher custody and runs away into the woods.
RES and HT13 meet with elves to make peace. Elves try to kill them in some savage ritual, port in blue creature with horns. Percy, Dakka and Finn killed. Cpn. Hawkrest and Mr Carter greivously injured.
During afternoon suffer further attacks from re-animates porting into the village. Continued attacks from elves.
After darkness elf attacks stop. Elf Aethyr pirates arrive for trade negotiations with Mandarins. Attempts are made to trade with them for Coolant System. They will only accept steamwear. Their tech does not use steam, but plant spores. Mandarins are shapeshifters, they also will not trade for coolant system. Roachers decide to remove coolant system from their mechanical automaton to replair the generator, but cannot fix gate in dark.
During night are attacked by members of HT5 with unusual growths, and re-animates with similar tumours. Pvt Doktor is kidnapped by one when it ports out. Gretchin with electroclaws, ticker and similar growths attacks village. Sgt Carmine, Pvt Panna, Brother Valor, Sister Mercy killed. Cpn Hawkrest and Cpn Flack greivously wounded. HT5 Gretchin, Slamm Bulkhead knocked down and two growths removed, but he ports out. Growths decided to be spore tech. Pvt Doktor ports in screaming about growth on neck, removed by Dr Valentine.
Continued attacks by re-animates, but no more of HT5.
3rd Day.
Approached by elves with green tribal markings. Claim to be Western Tribe, at war with Eastern tribe. Ruled by Green Demons, seem to mean Gretchin. If we help them gain totem - shrine parts - they will help us against Eastern tribe. Help me draw map to their lands.
Roachers manage to fix gate. As it is almost powered up one of the Mandarins opens it with their tech and buggers it. Other Mandarins thrown through. Elves say we have til noon to give back totem. First trip through portal lead by Cpn Drake and Sgt Squawk. RES try to take totem though, portal closes. Turns out totem is primitive gate. RES are ported to original location of totem, Cpn Drake and Squawk are missing. Further tests indicate that village portal will now only transport to elf totems.
Green elves offer to help set up elf portal correctly in the hope that it will stop it interfering. We carry out pre-emptive attack on Red elves, they have another blue horned entity summoned. Nobbler uses ticker, but the buggers get away. Green elfs try to job us, so we job them. Order made to kill all elves on sight.
Inquisitors take elf gates on their pilgrimage, to get them as far away as possible. Ratso and Pvt Doktor add extra batteries to portal generator to increase range. RES, Ratso and Cpn Flack go through and do not appear near village. Portal stays open longer, so all remaining people go through next. Appear in scrubland within view of plateau, elf totems have formed gate, others all here. Blue entity with horns ports through. We job it, trash the totems and set off east.
We have enough trained survivalists to keep us alive against the elements, but we is running short on ammo and medical supplies. Our only herbalist is missing in action, but we know what not to pick now. I'm going to try and sneak this back to the portal to give you poor bastards a fighting chance. If you can't get back through the portal get off the plateau as soon as you can and head east. We'll leave markers so's you can find us, and we'll gret somewhere proper defensible instead of that shit pallisade.
Observations:
Elfs is untrusworthy bastards (no offence Colonel)
Gretchins is lying cocks
High Engineer was lying when he said only a cat had been sent through - suggestion is elfs was sent through about 15 years ago (over 3 generations), unknown gretchins about 6 years ago (if the green elfs wasn't lying about them too), HT5 definitely 6 months ago (gone native or mind controlled by spore tech), HT8 about 2 months ago (slaughtered by one of the sets of locals, or HT5)
Aethyr Pirates and Mandarins is possible trading partners, and may visit the Empire now they know we exist.
Don't trust any elfs, and kill any who isn't aethyr pirates on sight.
If you sees any of us, make sure we talk before we gets too close. The re-animates and the spored HT5 didn't seem to be able to speak or use guns. I don't think none of us has a ticker, but if we doesn't respond, job us. Try not to waste your ammo though!
This is not the place the High Engineer told the Colonel we was going to. There is no lake, and what we saw was not a vista, we is on a wooded plateau, about 1 click from edge. There are what appear to be re-animates infesting the woods, but they seem to be afraid of the village. They port out when decked, so we don't know if it is the same ones coming back.
We is not the first through the portal, we found notes from Hive Team 8, covered in blood, they was killed by something. The Captain has the notes, so details will be in his report.
1st Night.
Arrived after dark, attacked immediately by re-animates. Occupied nearby abandoned village as defensive point. Escorted civilians through the portal and into the village. Some casualties, no losses. Continued to observe re-animates though the night, but they did not enter village, or approach gates too closely. Informed that the generator we wre sent through with was duff, and we do not have the parts to fix it. HT8's note says they think they was set up as they had same problem.
I examine stars (map appended), constellations correct for hive location, but planets in wrong places. Not on dark continent, either on different planet in same system as said by High Engineer, or in different time in same place. Suspect different planet.
Inquisitors port in, wait for heretic who is expected to try and escape this way, and execute her.
Doctor ports in to examine re-animates. Turns out to be re-animator himself, executed. His biological automaton granted stay of execution until further inquisition.
2nd Day
Village approached by delegation of local elves, with red tribal markings. Peace made. Elf from different tribe turns up, calls us all master - RES say he has Cargo cult.
Roachers find out most plant life that is not familiar is dangerous and potentially deadly.
Was told of map left by HT8 which leads to a cache which may have the parts we need. Captain asks me to study map, then tells me that he will be going with the expedition, and I is to go with the Legion on decoy mission. I suggest that the map is shit, and I will be needed to navigate to the cache. He agrees. I leads a party to the cache, finding a medical tent and some elf shrine on the way.
Get back with the bits to find out that the decoy party was attacked by elves and the Colonel was killed. Cache does not have coolent system.
Take Cpl. Kleeva and Pvt. Panna to collect firewood and explore some of the further woods. Followed by Cpn. Hawkrest and some members of the RES. Captain tells us that the elves consider the wood sacred. I escort the RES to examine some of the things we observed that morning. Get back to find that Cpl. Kleeva and Pvt. Panna were attacked by an elf who accused them of desecrating a shrine.
Village attacked by elves, at least one killed, one captured by Cpl Kleeva and Pvt Panna. Biological automaton escapes Roacher custody and runs away into the woods.
RES and HT13 meet with elves to make peace. Elves try to kill them in some savage ritual, port in blue creature with horns. Percy, Dakka and Finn killed. Cpn. Hawkrest and Mr Carter greivously injured.
During afternoon suffer further attacks from re-animates porting into the village. Continued attacks from elves.
After darkness elf attacks stop. Elf Aethyr pirates arrive for trade negotiations with Mandarins. Attempts are made to trade with them for Coolant System. They will only accept steamwear. Their tech does not use steam, but plant spores. Mandarins are shapeshifters, they also will not trade for coolant system. Roachers decide to remove coolant system from their mechanical automaton to replair the generator, but cannot fix gate in dark.
During night are attacked by members of HT5 with unusual growths, and re-animates with similar tumours. Pvt Doktor is kidnapped by one when it ports out. Gretchin with electroclaws, ticker and similar growths attacks village. Sgt Carmine, Pvt Panna, Brother Valor, Sister Mercy killed. Cpn Hawkrest and Cpn Flack greivously wounded. HT5 Gretchin, Slamm Bulkhead knocked down and two growths removed, but he ports out. Growths decided to be spore tech. Pvt Doktor ports in screaming about growth on neck, removed by Dr Valentine.
Continued attacks by re-animates, but no more of HT5.
3rd Day.
Approached by elves with green tribal markings. Claim to be Western Tribe, at war with Eastern tribe. Ruled by Green Demons, seem to mean Gretchin. If we help them gain totem - shrine parts - they will help us against Eastern tribe. Help me draw map to their lands.
Roachers manage to fix gate. As it is almost powered up one of the Mandarins opens it with their tech and buggers it. Other Mandarins thrown through. Elves say we have til noon to give back totem. First trip through portal lead by Cpn Drake and Sgt Squawk. RES try to take totem though, portal closes. Turns out totem is primitive gate. RES are ported to original location of totem, Cpn Drake and Squawk are missing. Further tests indicate that village portal will now only transport to elf totems.
Green elves offer to help set up elf portal correctly in the hope that it will stop it interfering. We carry out pre-emptive attack on Red elves, they have another blue horned entity summoned. Nobbler uses ticker, but the buggers get away. Green elfs try to job us, so we job them. Order made to kill all elves on sight.
Inquisitors take elf gates on their pilgrimage, to get them as far away as possible. Ratso and Pvt Doktor add extra batteries to portal generator to increase range. RES, Ratso and Cpn Flack go through and do not appear near village. Portal stays open longer, so all remaining people go through next. Appear in scrubland within view of plateau, elf totems have formed gate, others all here. Blue entity with horns ports through. We job it, trash the totems and set off east.
We have enough trained survivalists to keep us alive against the elements, but we is running short on ammo and medical supplies. Our only herbalist is missing in action, but we know what not to pick now. I'm going to try and sneak this back to the portal to give you poor bastards a fighting chance. If you can't get back through the portal get off the plateau as soon as you can and head east. We'll leave markers so's you can find us, and we'll gret somewhere proper defensible instead of that shit pallisade.
Observations:
Elfs is untrusworthy bastards (no offence Colonel)
Gretchins is lying cocks
High Engineer was lying when he said only a cat had been sent through - suggestion is elfs was sent through about 15 years ago (over 3 generations), unknown gretchins about 6 years ago (if the green elfs wasn't lying about them too), HT5 definitely 6 months ago (gone native or mind controlled by spore tech), HT8 about 2 months ago (slaughtered by one of the sets of locals, or HT5)
Aethyr Pirates and Mandarins is possible trading partners, and may visit the Empire now they know we exist.
Don't trust any elfs, and kill any who isn't aethyr pirates on sight.
If you sees any of us, make sure we talk before we gets too close. The re-animates and the spored HT5 didn't seem to be able to speak or use guns. I don't think none of us has a ticker, but if we doesn't respond, job us. Try not to waste your ammo though!