"I'm afraid I'm no more a magos biologis than you are. What you see and what I've told you of the official report is all that's available for his condition. As for access, the noospheric records would suggest who's come and gone, but not the complete list of who has access authority, only Pak and the Secutor would know those."

Naveen stares into space for a moment.

"Only a handful of records for the space in the last 3 weeks. Pak and his servants, those you replaced, appear a number of times, including now as would be expected from your collars. Me of course.... Moderatii Rovik and Talmere several days before the death of the princeps, A block of sequestered I.D.s that can only be the Secutor and his security contingent coinciding with the discovery of the body. Moderatus Rovik again, some scant hours after the Secutor released the room. Nothing between then and now. This is of course assuming the records haven't been altered by the Intendant."

Jaspar turned back to the shrine, the now open Titan standing silently before him. The gap yawned before him, some kind of holster, but nothing he had seemed to fit the gap. He pulled out the revolver, but one look told him it wouldn't fit, and he knew his laspistol wouldn't fill the space just from looking.

"Hey, I found something over here. Either of you ever seen anything like this?"

Examining the impromptu holster built into the replica Titan more closely, he poked fingers into the mechanism, gently probing to see if he could find the release mechanism that had opened the device. Nothing jumped out, so he began to look at other parts of the Titan, examining to see if any of the other panels had any surprises in store for them but as the auspex had indicated, the chest seemed to be the only void in the machine.

Listening all the while the others spoke, he turned back to Naveen and Oliver, leaving Dracon to continue his investigation of the desk.

[[OOC://: Still not letting me post in turquoise while on my phone and I only have web access on my laptop a couple times a week. I can post in blue, navy and red, but nothing else seems to come through. It allows me to enter the BBL Code but for some reason it doesn't affect the colour of the posts. As stated, I've posted in BOLD but would appreciate either the BBL Code for turquoise or feedback on another colour you think I should use. Thanks in advance

Dracon pondered the missing items, the books damaged or taken and the suspicious cogitator. He turned and listened to the tech-priest while he was talking to Oliver, his thoughts whirring at what was, for him, incredible speeds.

"If Rovik was the last person here, we need to talk to him. Preferably after we search his room too. Any of this stuff could be there, Jaspars missing... thing, these books. Anything." Dracon looked pointedly at Naveen now, before speaking again, gesturing to the cogitator with a hand.

"This has been used, or at least moved since the initial crime scene picts were taken. Can you access this?"

Dracon looked back to the desk, running a finger under the edge of the collar he had been given, the sharp metal edges rubbing at his skin.

Naveen leaves the doorway and approaches the former princeps' shrine. He leans close to the torso of the Reaver, examining the extended mechanism. He reaches into one side of his robe, and extends his hand. The object he places in the holster slots home with a click, and the Reaver closes as smoothly as it opened. Again, he reaches out and activates the mechanism, extending the holster once more. Smoothly, Naveen pockets the item within his robes.

"Inferno Pistol. Relics of the Legio's past. They serve the same purpose as the stub-revolvers you carry now, if slightly more indicative of rank. Only the Princeps, myself, and a rare few of the senior Techpriests carry them. There aren't that many left to us anymore. If Pak's inferno pistol has gone missing...."

Jaspar watched as Naveen demonstrated the use for the Titan, the bulky weapon slotting perfectly into the gap. When Naveen was done, he crossed his arms before speaking.

"If this missing Inferno Pistol has a noosphere signature, couldn't you track it? Like how the cogitators know to let us through doors. Is there some kind of time stamp system?" he asked Naveen before continuing "If Rovik is involved as Dracon suggested, it would be prudent to investigate him aswell. Covertly as well as overtly."

OOC://: Just a little post to try n keep some momentum up. Is Asym ok? Was trying to stick to the 1:1:1 post thing but after two days I thought I should post something . Also, I'm posting in Aqua now.

// ...Shoot. That was my mistake, Ting. I should have noticed sooner. //

Oliver let out a long breath through his nose, shaking his head. Certainly, access logs would be one of the first weaknesses to cover. With so many gaps in information, further conjecture would be a waste of effort. It was about time Oliver drew back from his thoughts into reality.

"Is there anything else of value in this room? A reason to bring the guilty party back?" Oliver sighed. "What does the Princeps' pistol look like? Something we can identify on sight?"

// Sorry guys, I was waiting for Arkio.

"The pistol itself doesn't have a noosphere signature. Besides, even if it did, it may not be in the forge at this point. It distresses me that the Legio hasn't been made aware of it's absence. The pistol itself is highly recognizable, your friend should be able to identify it quite..."

"Executor. Your presence here. Explain."

This new, mechanical voice comes from the door. The mass of robes that blocks the doorway far exceeds any tech-priest you've ever seen before. Eyes a toxic green shine from beneath the hood, silhouetting a rebreather grill, a glimmer of etched brass. It's bulk shields the room from the bright hallway lights, obscuring your observation of the newcomer, and further defining the images floating around you.

Naveen stiffens slightly under your gaze. As the public voice of the Legio, however, the Executor turns calmly, his demeanor changing instantly, a reflection of his unusual charisma and confidence.

"Ah, Secutor, my apologies. Now that we've laid the good Princeps to rest, and the investigation into the incident is in your capable mechadendrites, the Legio thought to reclaim the room and prepare for the next occupant. The Princeps' former servants were denied entry to the space, and I meant to ease the process under my own clearances. I understand I must have drawn you away from more pressing matters, this seemed too trivial a task to bother you with."

The Secutor shifts, ducking so that's its broad shoulders clear the entryway, and steps into the room. The glow from the servo skull bathes the Priest in a dim light exposing more details. It stands at nearly 2.3m tall, and a slight part to its robes reveals intricately engraved armor of astounding quality. It's face is a polished clockwork behind the rebreather.

"This image. Explain."

To his credit, Naveen stalls for only a moment, reaching out to gather the picts beneath the shrine. Even as he takes it, his hands pass through the ghost image projected by the skull.

"The image was taken before you arrived to begin your examination, Secutor. The Legio's Skitarii wanted a record. I understand it is in poor taste, this use of it, but it is the last standing record of the Princeps' belongings. We wished to know what was missing that we might make an accurate request of your office. The Princeps' descendants deserve some token of his in this time of loss."

"Your clearance to this room has been rescinded. All copies of this recording will be turned over immediately. The servo skull remains in the custody of the forge. You will vacate the space immediately ."

Though his eyes shine the same chrome as moments before, Naveen's features shift in anger. He turns his back on the Secutor his head lowering.

"Very well." Naveen spits through clenched teeth, visibly shaken by the overt threat of the Secutor's bulk and demeanor. He takes a long breath, reestablishing his public face before proceeding.

"I believe this will be sufficient," he says holding up the pict case. "Come gentlemen. Let us do as the Secutor commands."

A few moments later you find yourself once more in the hallways of the forge, following Naveen as he leads you to a safe juncture.

"Rovik is not off limits, but you'll need to be discrete if you intend to interact with him. At least until you have some concrete evidence as to the truth of the matter. Talmere is no longer in the forge, but there are few places to go below the crust. Her childhood home is a likely place, though the Secutor's forces have been there and found no trace. If she's in hiding, the miners would protect her, even from the forge. The forge's data stacks might give you access to the medical records and the security notes of the Secutor, but I never had clearance to those things, even prior to this incident. You're on your own if thats your path. After all, I called on your master to investigate because I cannot."

OOC: Sorry guys, I misunderstood the post, made mine, then checked this page but not the other thread, so didn't notice for a while that I'd messed up. I turned on email alerts for both threads now instead of just this one.

Dracon watched the Magos demonstrate the workings of the decorative case for the arcane weapon, a shadow falling across the doorway before he could press for further details on the cogitator. An immense figure stood at the doorway, almost as large as an Adeptus Astartes but without the bulk of the power armor. A brief conversation between the magos and the strange enforcer, his hands upon the handles of his trusted weapons and tightening gently on the grips as the conversation between the two took a turn towards threatening and they were quickly ushered from the room.

Outside, he couldn't relax even with the armoured giant at his back, Naveen visibly shaken by the experience as he all but pleaded with them to continue to investigate on his behalf.

"These collars allowed him to track us to that room, the only other way he could have known we were there is some kind of silent alarm linked up to the door. What happens if we take them off?" he ran another finger under the edge of his collar, he lingered on the clasp that held it closed before continuing. "We'll need the location of Rovik's quarters, the data-stacks and Talmere's home."

The giant at the doorway had sent shudders through Jaspar, he wasn't surprised that Naveen had submitted to the Secutors demands. He found himself in the corridors again, following the tech-priest down more unfathomable tunnels, his sense of direction getting more skewed with each twist and turn they followed. Dracon had spoken, piquing Jaspars interest with a comment about the collars they wore. His own suddenly felt a lot heavier after the realisation they could potentially be tracked with it.

"I recommend we start with Rovik." he suggested as they walked, "He seems our most prominent lead, and if the data stacks are off limits, we'll need to plan that assault thoroughly."

He imagined that Talmere would be well hidden, and if hidden where even the Secutor couldn't find her, unlikely to move.

"Talmere can wait, so far I'm concerned. I doubt she has any more of an idea of the truth of it than us. A convenient scapegoat." He looked to the others as he finished speaking, waiting to see what they had to say on the subject. Naveen seemed eager to let them be on their way to investigate, but Jaspar still had some questions for the strange Magos.

The Secutor had a heavy air around him, an air Oliver could not hope to match. Intimidated, Oliver quickly followed his partners out of the room.

"Do we have another copy of that room's layout? If not, we should take the time to draw it ourselves while our memories are still fresh," Oilver half-whispered before biting his lip. "How private are our conversations, if our collars' locations are being transmitted?"

// I believe Jaspar is most suited to start a map/diagram-drawing roll via Hive World's [Navigate (Surface)], with possible Assistance from his allies who saw the room from different angles. However, as Oliver and Dracon lack Navigate (Surface), they are not be eligible for Assisting by RAW. //

Naveen considers for a moment.

" Your conversations are not recorded by the collars, merely your location. Their primary purpose is to keep track of indentured servants too unimportant for bionic grafts. They track their wearers throughout the compound based on their broadcast to the noospheric nodes, but the Secutor was likely not following your collars, or even my noosphere signature. It was likely that the door's security seal had been overridden using my clearance. If you take the collars off, you won't be traceable, but if you're caught without them then security will likely attempt to eliminate you. That goes for the Legio's Skitarii as much as the forge's own security forces, they're very protective of the titans.

I can provide you with general directions, but acquiring a map from the noosphere would be suspicious at this point. I already know my way, and so do Pak's supposed servants. Likely we'll be watched a bit more closely now."

// You may assume that you have directions for the various locations already mentioned.

As Asymptomatic said, if you do not have the skill you are not eligible to assist directly. I would encourage all of you to be creative with your skill uses though. For example, in certain situations, I would approve the use of an Awareness test to improve a BS test, essentially an acolyte serving as a spotter for a character who has sufficient time to make use of the information. I must admit, I attempted to do just this with an optical mechadendrite for a PC playing an assassin in another game, and I was shot down by the GM. I thought this a bit unfair given the situation and the real world counterpart. You are above average individuals, and I would expect extreme things from you. If you can justify it's use, then I will allow it.

You should perform Navigate checks when moving about, your success or failure will have impacts.

Oliver had mentioned making a map of Pak's room, Jaspar could only assume it was for reference and as Naveen offered direction made a note of them on the data slate he had received as part of his journey to the planet. Tapping out Naveen's directions, he began to fumble through the pockets of his combat vest, pulling out a pencil and a sheet of paper that has a square missing from one corner. His eyebrows set in concentration, he began to sketch the layout of the Princep's quarters.

{Navigate (Surface) test (Int:23 (+20 for Teeming Masses in Metal Mountains . Roll: 31. 1 DoS}

Smiling at the result of his work, Jaspar turned the page to show the others. He had sketched the shape of the room from the display he had seen on his auspex, the bed and desk, and the shrine, with the Titan marked with a small star. He had marked a series of numbers where they had located possible clues, the bookshelf and cogitator, the shrine and lastly he had marked the door, highlighted due to the security they could only assume was in place there.

Looking up at Naveen, Jaspar asked him another question.

"If the collars track our location, and we take them off, won't the Secutor just track us through which doors are being opened and have no noo-seal thingies to signify who is opening that door?" he re-stowed the map and data slate among his myriad pockets strapped to him over his flak armor and held out his hand to take Oliver and Dracon's data slates.

"If you hand me your slates I'll make a copy of all the directions I have on mine. I don't think I have another slip of paper, but if either of you does I can use that instead."

OOC://: If anything is wrong here, just shout out and I can edit.

Jaspar listened as the other spoke, nodding as Jaspar mentioned his thoughts on Talmere.

"I agree, if she's safe and hidden away where Ol' Nuts n' Bolts can't find her, we can press on with Rovik."

He listened to Naveen as the collars were explained and Jaspar as he wondered about the door trick. He was more concerned by the possibility of violence ensuing if they were to meet the Skitarii or the Secutors enforcers.

"Is there any way you can contact the Legio's Skitarii and tell them to be on watch for us? A few words properly chosen could save us a lot of trouble if we do need to take these off for any reason." Again, his hand lingered on the collar, fingertips between it and his skin to stop it rubbing. Jaspar had sketched a map of Pak's room and it seemed to include everything Dracon had hoped it would, and when Jaspar offered to update his data-slate with the directions Naveen had provided, he reached into the pocket of his cargo style pants and pulled out a small flip pad, individual leaves of paper ready to be torn off a plas-steel ring at the top. The item was tatty, dog-eared and only had about half the pages it had come with remaining.

"I picked this up a while back, thought it may come in handy at some point. I'll trade you a couple of sheets for one of those smokes you have sticking out of your pocket."

Oliver's eyes followed the various goods passed around and the hands that ferried them. No doubt his comrades would have countless stories to tell, given a proper opportunity.

"Should our first goal not be expanding our influence? Our eyes and ears can only witness so much; surely we can appeal to the miners who mourn the Princep's death? There may be a lead nestled along the masses as well." Oliver mentioned while handing off his dataslate. "Thank you, Jaspar."

/* Short post as I am on a tight schedule today. I may come back and add to it later as time permits. */

Jaspar accepted Oliver's data slate and the pad of paper, tearing off 3 sheets before returning it and two of his lho sticks. He quickly made simple sketches on the pieces of paper before handing them out, one to each of them, then copied Naveen's directions onto Oliver's data slate and handed that over too.

"I see what you mean, the miners from the home mines of Pak and Talmere may be of more use to us than the people themselves. Walls have ears after all, and those who live in the walls would hear best of all..."

Jaspar finally lit the Lho stick he had held between his lips since Pak's room, a soothing cloud of smoke gently lingered around his head.

"How much does Rovik move around the forge during the daily process of his duties? If we know where he is likely to be, we can observe him, ambush him to talk when he is least likely to be able to prepare."

Jaspar spoke between puffs on the stick, putting it out on the sole of his boot and putting the stub in his pocket when finished.

Naveen listens to the back and forth as these men go about their profession. A thought occurs to him and a look of concern, perhaps doubt, crosses his face before he quashes it. He suddenly looks very impatient, and moves as if to leave.

"I'm sure you are more adept at me in discerning security measures. Doors opening without a noosphere may attract attention, but more or less than unauthorized persons who knows?

Speaking to the Skitarii is not possible. No one knows of your part in this other than me, and I'm unwilling to bring your presence to the Legion's attention. The questions it would raise would be uncomfortable. Perhaps if you're taken into custody, I can weigh in on your behalf, but you'll have to stay alive that long, which is doubtful given the Skitarii's history with intruders.

Rovik spends most of his duty days in the hangars overseeing maintenance of his titan, or within the forge itself. Since Indomitus Fautor stands watch over Pak's tomb, I imagine he will be preparing for it's return. Its vigil ends in a few days, a new command staff will be chosen, and they will resume maneuvers.

I'm afraid I must now return to my own duties. Contact me through Bron if you have any developments."

Naveen smooths his robes and walks away quietly. Only a brief glance over his shoulder shows his concern for what he's doing. Whether this is because he's sticking his neck out, or because he's finally realizing the extent of his actions is unclear. He looks out of place without his servo skull, and doesn't walk with the same grace and purpose he had upon your first meeting.

Dracon accepted the Lho sticks from Jaspar with a smile, sticking one between each of his ears for later before replacing the pad in the pocket of the loose pants he wore over his body glove.

Listening to Oliver and Jaspar bring up some good points, he nodded, not having thought of investigating around Talmere and Pak rather than investigate them directly.

Naveen spoke, though he seemed worried as he did so and hastily made his way to proceed with his duties. For the first time, Dracon found himself suspicious of the mysterious Magos, the furtive glances and sudden departure were shockingly at odds with how the Priest had seemed mere moments before when they had the privacy field of the Skull to protect them. Was he worried they may discover some unfortunate things about him as well as solve Pak's murder?

"Sounds to me like we have ourselves a plan. We can try and gather some more info on Rovik while we are lurking around the hab-mines, see what else we can dig up before we talk to him." Dracon said, tucking his slip of paper away before continuing in a hushed voice. "Did that seem strange to either of you? Is he worried about being seen with us if we get caught out or do you think there is something more to it?"

Looking from one to the other, Dracon again found his hand fidgeting with the collar's latch. He was eager to have it off, not used to such things from his upbringing, and even his life as an adult he had never worn such an item and it was beginning to irritate him mentally as well as physically.

// Forgive me guys, but have you reached a decision on where you are going? Or are we waiting to see if we can entice another player?

OOC://: I was just waiting for a post from Asym, but I was under the impression we were heading to the mine homes to investigate there.

Also, as an interesting side note, it turns out Arkio and I know each other from our Gaia days. He sent me a PM asking my username on Gaia cause he recognised the Ting that I said to call me, as I did pretty much the same thing in Gaia cause my username was a mouthful there too XD

A new player sounds good to me, so anyone reading this and wants to play, show some interest in the other thread!

"He certainly lost the verve he had when he met us," Oliver remarked. "For a proud man to be cowed so easily, Rovik is doubtless a powerful enemy." The Arbitrator turned to Dracon. "That aside, does your collar bother you that much, Dracon? You have been reaching for it repeatedly."

Oliver had scarcely acknowledged his own collar until Dracon brought attention to his. It was certainly heavy, but the tightness was bearable. Did Magos Naveen not say the collars were removable at leisure? Oliver pondered for a moment, but held his tongue. Best not to act on uncertain information.

Naveen walked away from them, Dracon mentioning the strange behaviour of the tech-priest, but Jaspars arrows remained unfurrowed, his posture relaxed. "Don't worry about that, I spent years around tech priest's during my years in the guard. Eighteen years in a Mechanised Regiment and you meet a lot of Cog boys and none of them are what I'd refer to as 'normal'."

Jaspar looked down at the directions on the data slate and tried to orient himself with them.

{Navigate (Surface) test (Int:23 (+20 for T M i M M. Roll: 15 3 DoS}

Turning a few times, looking at the passageways around them, he confidently pointed at one of them and spoke.

"If we plan on heading towards the hab quarters then we need to be going in this direction."

// For reference Ting, Teeming Masses in Metal Mountains will work as long as you remain inside the forge proper, as now, but if you leave the forge, even though you remain under the crust, you'll lose the bonus. The ceilings are high enough to rob you of your hive world confidence.

I want to make sure I have this right, you all are planning to head out of the forge and to the mining habs, correct? Or do you mean back towards Legio's hab quarters for Rovik's room? I believe you are intending to recruit locals, but correct me if I'm wrong.

OOC://: I was under the impression we were heading to Pak and Talmere's home mines, leaving the Rovik side of the investigation for maybe the next game day, or that evening. As such, I will be directing my post that way.

Dracon relaxed slightly when Jaspar commented on Naveen and confidently pointed out where they should be headed to investigate Talmere and Pak's histories. Oliver had noticed his minor fixation on the collar he was wearing and he looked up as he was reminded they could be removed.

"I have never worn such an item in my life, indeed I never thought to before today. My house law forbade the covering of the head and neck in court, and as I grew up in the court I never wore anything. After my banishment I always wore low collar shirts or large hoods. Now it itches and irritates for seemingly no reason." he spoke, eyes unfocused as he remembered his past. "the thought that some one knows where we are and pretty much what we're doing the whole time we wear it doesn't really help either."

He walked and stood at the mouth of the passage Jaspar had indicated before speaking again.

"We should be away, we're short on time as it is."

// Thank you Arkio, I just wanted to clarify.

WIth little trouble, Jaspar navigates the unfamiliar hallways, taking cues from the general construction of the spaces around you, leading you down as you were directed. Though you pass many Tech Adepts and menials, none of them give you more than a second glance. Indeed, the higher ranked adepts make a point of ignoring you altogether.

Naveen's directions take you through the lowest levels of the forge where you exit the tight hallways into a vast refinery. Here, the raw sludge flows through hundreds of pipes from the various workings before converging into one monumental stream. The heat of the central furnaces can be felt from even this great distance, as the distillation stacks process the arterial line into promethium and countless other byproducts. Workers in thick rubber suits, massive rebreathers hiding their faces, move through the tangle of pipework tending to each section in a continuous maintenance pattern. Tech Adepts monitor the entire process from control pulpits spread throughout, while buzzing servoskulls deliver instructions.

At one end of the space, an opening in the wall allows a number of large, wheeled vehicles to move in and out in an orchestrated ballet of heavy machinery hauling away some grey, charcoal like substance. You remember seeing these same types of vehicles on your way into the forge suggesting that whatever road they take may lead straight out of the forge. Naveen indicated another route though, but which hatchway did he say to take?

// I will require another Navigation test. All of you are welcome to try, or to attempt to assist in some clever way.

Jaspar sighed as they exited the main forge compound and the view of the refinery lays before them. Smoke stacks, slag-ways, hundreds of kilometres of pipes and towers stand before them, the finely oiled machine of the red-priests of Mars ticking smoothly along. He raised a hand, mopping sweat from his brow, gathered there from the long walk and the impressive heat of the furnaces they could now see. Taking in the impressive view, Jaspar noticed the menials working in their rubber suits and rebreathers so he turned to his allies and spoke.

"We could do with one each of those ourselves if we get much closer to those workings. I saw a man in my regiment take a lungful of similar stuff once, he was dead inside a week and it was not a pleasant week at that." He took a look around, attempting to figure out where they were supposed to be heading to get to the hab-mines.

{Nav: Surface test (Int: 23). Roll: 100. 7 DoF}

OOC://: 100!!! Noooo! Sorry guys :/