Game fiction
We finally came back to the Dark Heresy game...here's the next installment in Zarkov's adventures...
++Guardsman Zarkov
Barbossa++
++Report of Action, Calixis Sector, Percipre++
++The Glorious Imperium of Man++
Thought of the Day: Call No Man Happy Until He Is Dead
++Classified: Scarlet Delta++
M41.350.224
The site is a massive shrine built into the escarpment. The gates are massive, at the top of a wide
avenue…wide enough to drive the Chimera on in, which we decided to do.
Sila mentioned to us that the escarpment rose from the earth
in a miracle when the city that used to be there resisted the will of Drusus.
The cleft in the rock is known as Drusus’ Scar.
The gates, massive things, opened as we approached. They were hauled open by two meaty Ogryn,
tugging the 1 ½ feet thick plasteel like I’d tug a wood door. A priest of the Drusian Combine met us,
wearing long white robes and a crystallized HUD monocle. I told him we were here to see the relics,
and he led us into the shrine, assuming we were pilgrims.
I tasked the Tannhausers to stay with the Chimera, ready to
leave in a hurry should we need to. I
noticed that the guards along the wall, the Templars, were professional and
well-drilled. We washed ourselves and
went to the Abbot’s chambers.
I asked him of the Saint reborn…the Abbot seemed to think it
was merely rumor and conjecture, that the “chosen” would know if he were really
arrived. By which he meant himself. We decided to stay the night, observe the
relics during the service to confirm them, and only then reveal our identity
and mission. One of these days I’ll get
accustomed to the fact that never works out right.
Ignace took a walk, mapping the layout. Xanthis also did some scouting. The rest of us took rest in the penitent
cells awaiting service. Ignace came to
see me, reporting that there was a small pro force on hand, the Templars, with
hellguns and carapace armor. Joy.
The morning service came, and the Abbot delivered a sermon
on duty and discipline…I believe the monsignor had the point. The relics were revealed, but the young
Aspirant with us gave me a head shake…these were not the relics we were
after. Evidently they were relics of the
first Abbot of the Shrine, and so knew we needed to press the Abbot a bit
harder.
We asked for audience with the Abbot, and shared our mission
with him. He was a very tough sell, but
we managed after some time to convince him to “allow” us to move the relics…but
only after the approaching Holy Day marking the anniversary of the creation of
the Drusus Scar.
During this interview, we discovered that we’d lost a few
weeks in the warp when we made the journey, which moved our timetable up to the
“oh shit” frame.
We went to see the relics of Saint Drusus, deep in the
catacombs. What we found was a huge
crystalline carving of the Saint, which cradled inside of it his great sword, the
Fia Defensor.
Venus mindspoke us that the Abbot had used a control wand to
open the sarcophagus, and at that very moment my bionic arm powered down, and
some other tech glitches took place. She’s
damn good, but some of the things that happen…
Anyway, I suggested to the Abbot that he detail some guards
to the relics, and he revealed the automatic defenses in place. My arse may have slammed shut…several
servitors and gunpods sprang up in the room.
Hostile extraction would be a stone cold bitch.
We returned to our cells to discuss our plan, but had barely
begun to discuss when we were interrupted by the sounds of gunfire. An ork force, nearly 100 strong, had started
to advance on the main gate. We grabbed
up weapons and ran to assist. I voxed “Six
effectives, where do you want us”…I was surprised to hear the Abbot’s voice
reply “the battlements”. He was also
Templar Commander.
Xanthis stayed inside to see if he could get an angle on the
Fia Defensor, I’ll have to ask him how that turned out. We started to take stations on the battlements
to engage, and laid eyes on the foe. I
counted 5 big orks, the Nobz as they’re called, and started directing fire to
them. My lasgun wasn’t up to the task,
but had the range I needed to tag them.
Frustration set in, but I tried to maintain fire discipline. The Abbot stepped up onto the wall,
proclaiming the Litany against Xenos, and we could see an immediate
effect. It really jacked us up, and the
fire intensified, even as the Templars took heavy casualties on the left side
of the wall.
Seeing that, I ordered the Tannhausers up to support, not
realizing they were stupid douchebags who would leave the Chimera
unmanned. The rest of the team proved
very effective against the Nobz: Ignace
with his hotshots, Atellus with his sniping, and Venus with the power of her
mind. She was like a Basilisk out there.
I grabbed a hellgun from a fallen Templar, tethered to him
by its power cable…and finally became effective with my fire. Somehow, a few gretchin had managed to crawl
unnoticed into the courtyard, where they began setting up a melta bomb on the
gates. When we noticed, we tried to
handle it as quickly as we could…Atellus shattered one, and Ignace jumped down
to deal with them, somehow stopping just short of the ground.
I called for the team to clear the center of the wall, and got to it. As I looked back, I realized that Venus had
not moved, instead taking down the last of the Nobz, and Sila remained at her
side as well. My heart caught in my
throat. And then the wall fell. Sila leapt toward me, made it clear…Venus
disappeared and the Tannhausers broke to run.
It all went to shit, right there. Ploin-shaped.
God-Emperor, I thought I lost another one. Like those kids…just kids…Orks gnawing on
their bones. Damn greenskins are a
frakkin menace. I had left the hellgun
behind, obviously, so I pulled pistols and set to work, though I had trouble
aiming through my grief.
Then Ignace told us he had her…she was still with us. I got my head back in the game, and started
getting to work. The Abbot shot one of
the Tannhausers I was yelling at, and they returned to the line.
As Sila and Ignace tended to Venus, the rest of us started
pouring fire into the Orks, as I spoke a prayer to the Emperor who truly
protects. They finally noticed the absence
of the Nobz, and started fighting each other for supremacy. From there, it was just clean up work. A couple Ogryns with Assault Cannons make for
quick clean ups on any aisle, and I reveled in the righteous slaughter.
Now we are catching our breath, and we may yet have to act
quickly. Emperor guide us.
++subject voice sounds farther away++ Tannhausers! Form it right the frak here! What the frak were you thinking, you ignorant
pussballs? The Emperor is crying right
now, because you sad sacks of ratpiss broke from his line, and failed to punish
his enemies. You lot make me sick! And who left the frakkin’ Chimera? Get your ass over here! ++sound of impact, sounds commensurate with
regurgitation++
Next one of you cross me gets it twice as bad! You frakkin pisspots almost cost me a team
member, and be glad she’s breathing, or the Orks would like like a summer
breeze next to me! Be glad I’m not a commissar,
or I’d end your sorry ass lives right now!
Get it right for the rest of frakkin forever, or so help me the Emperor
will piss on you on your way to an eternity out of his frakkin sight!!! Dis frakking smissed!
++ambient sounds continue…recording times out++
++Guardsman Zarkov
Barbossa++
++Report of Action, Calixis Sector, Percipre++
++The Glorious Imperium of Man++
Thought of the Day: Call No Man Happy Until He Is Dead
++Classified: Scarlet Delta++
M41.350.224
The site is a massive shrine built into the escarpment. The gates are massive, at the top of a wide
avenue…wide enough to drive the Chimera on in, which we decided to do.
Sila mentioned to us that the escarpment rose from the earth
in a miracle when the city that used to be there resisted the will of Drusus.
The cleft in the rock is known as Drusus’ Scar.
The gates, massive things, opened as we approached. They were hauled open by two meaty Ogryn,
tugging the 1 ½ feet thick plasteel like I’d tug a wood door. A priest of the Drusian Combine met us,
wearing long white robes and a crystallized HUD monocle. I told him we were here to see the relics,
and he led us into the shrine, assuming we were pilgrims.
I tasked the Tannhausers to stay with the Chimera, ready to
leave in a hurry should we need to. I
noticed that the guards along the wall, the Templars, were professional and
well-drilled. We washed ourselves and
went to the Abbot’s chambers.
I asked him of the Saint reborn…the Abbot seemed to think it
was merely rumor and conjecture, that the “chosen” would know if he were really
arrived. By which he meant himself. We decided to stay the night, observe the
relics during the service to confirm them, and only then reveal our identity
and mission. One of these days I’ll get
accustomed to the fact that never works out right.
Ignace took a walk, mapping the layout. Xanthis also did some scouting. The rest of us took rest in the penitent
cells awaiting service. Ignace came to
see me, reporting that there was a small pro force on hand, the Templars, with
hellguns and carapace armor. Joy.
The morning service came, and the Abbot delivered a sermon
on duty and discipline…I believe the monsignor had the point. The relics were revealed, but the young
Aspirant with us gave me a head shake…these were not the relics we were
after. Evidently they were relics of the
first Abbot of the Shrine, and so knew we needed to press the Abbot a bit
harder.
We asked for audience with the Abbot, and shared our mission
with him. He was a very tough sell, but
we managed after some time to convince him to “allow” us to move the relics…but
only after the approaching Holy Day marking the anniversary of the creation of
the Drusus Scar.
During this interview, we discovered that we’d lost a few
weeks in the warp when we made the journey, which moved our timetable up to the
“oh shit” frame.
We went to see the relics of Saint Drusus, deep in the
catacombs. What we found was a huge
crystalline carving of the Saint, which cradled inside of it his great sword, the
Fia Defensor.
Venus mindspoke us that the Abbot had used a control wand to
open the sarcophagus, and at that very moment my bionic arm powered down, and
some other tech glitches took place. She’s
damn good, but some of the things that happen…
Anyway, I suggested to the Abbot that he detail some guards
to the relics, and he revealed the automatic defenses in place. My arse may have slammed shut…several
servitors and gunpods sprang up in the room.
Hostile extraction would be a stone cold bitch.
We returned to our cells to discuss our plan, but had barely
begun to discuss when we were interrupted by the sounds of gunfire. An ork force, nearly 100 strong, had started
to advance on the main gate. We grabbed
up weapons and ran to assist. I voxed “Six
effectives, where do you want us”…I was surprised to hear the Abbot’s voice
reply “the battlements”. He was also
Templar Commander.
Xanthis stayed inside to see if he could get an angle on the
Fia Defensor, I’ll have to ask him how that turned out. We started to take stations on the battlements
to engage, and laid eyes on the foe. I
counted 5 big orks, the Nobz as they’re called, and started directing fire to
them. My lasgun wasn’t up to the task,
but had the range I needed to tag them.
Frustration set in, but I tried to maintain fire discipline. The Abbot stepped up onto the wall,
proclaiming the Litany against Xenos, and we could see an immediate
effect. It really jacked us up, and the
fire intensified, even as the Templars took heavy casualties on the left side
of the wall.
Seeing that, I ordered the Tannhausers up to support, not
realizing they were stupid douchebags who would leave the Chimera
unmanned. The rest of the team proved
very effective against the Nobz: Ignace
with his hotshots, Atellus with his sniping, and Venus with the power of her
mind. She was like a Basilisk out there.
I grabbed a hellgun from a fallen Templar, tethered to him
by its power cable…and finally became effective with my fire. Somehow, a few gretchin had managed to crawl
unnoticed into the courtyard, where they began setting up a melta bomb on the
gates. When we noticed, we tried to
handle it as quickly as we could…Atellus shattered one, and Ignace jumped down
to deal with them, somehow stopping just short of the ground.
I called for the team to clear the center of the wall, and got to it. As I looked back, I realized that Venus had
not moved, instead taking down the last of the Nobz, and Sila remained at her
side as well. My heart caught in my
throat. And then the wall fell. Sila leapt toward me, made it clear…Venus
disappeared and the Tannhausers broke to run.
It all went to shit, right there. Ploin-shaped.
God-Emperor, I thought I lost another one. Like those kids…just kids…Orks gnawing on
their bones. Damn greenskins are a
frakkin menace. I had left the hellgun
behind, obviously, so I pulled pistols and set to work, though I had trouble
aiming through my grief.
Then Ignace told us he had her…she was still with us. I got my head back in the game, and started
getting to work. The Abbot shot one of
the Tannhausers I was yelling at, and they returned to the line.
As Sila and Ignace tended to Venus, the rest of us started
pouring fire into the Orks, as I spoke a prayer to the Emperor who truly
protects. They finally noticed the absence
of the Nobz, and started fighting each other for supremacy. From there, it was just clean up work. A couple Ogryns with Assault Cannons make for
quick clean ups on any aisle, and I reveled in the righteous slaughter.
Now we are catching our breath, and we may yet have to act
quickly. Emperor guide us.
++subject voice sounds farther away++ Tannhausers! Form it right the frak here! What the frak were you thinking, you ignorant
pussballs? The Emperor is crying right
now, because you sad sacks of ratpiss broke from his line, and failed to punish
his enemies. You lot make me sick! And who left the frakkin’ Chimera? Get your ass over here! ++sound of impact, sounds commensurate with
regurgitation++
Next one of you cross me gets it twice as bad! You frakkin pisspots almost cost me a team
member, and be glad she’s breathing, or the Orks would like like a summer
breeze next to me! Be glad I’m not a commissar,
or I’d end your sorry ass lives right now!
Get it right for the rest of frakkin forever, or so help me the Emperor
will piss on you on your way to an eternity out of his frakkin sight!!! Dis frakking smissed!
++ambient sounds continue…recording times out++