10 hours ago, Lynata said:

"It does not smell quite as bad as I would have imagined", she remarks, evidently not yet seeing any reason to lower her voice. "But that doesn't mean the air down here is healthy. Is it truly safe, Brother Lax?" As she walks and speaks, her eyes briefly remain glued on a cloud of white gas leaking from one of the massive power cables. As she passes, the air around her feels noticeably colder.

"Not inherently, no. Most of the areas should be fine that we're travelling near. The more dangerous materials are filtered down as quickly as possible into the Underhive to fester among the other refuse. I doubt anything this far up is too bad, but...best not to go sniffing everything we cross all the same." he replies looking around as well stamping quickly on a lice as it scuttles along an inset power line in the floor with a distinct crack as the energy it consumed is discharged.

3 hours ago, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia thought it smelled pleanty, though she wanted to not make too much noise, just in case. She whispers, “We should try to be quiet, in case someone is watching.”

((ive realized it makes more sense if Estelia is wearing some loose pants and a shirt over her bodysuit. Probably male clothes, I’m think like Pirates of the Caribbean aesthetic baggy brown pants and white shirt at the moment))

((That seems reasonable, aesthetic in 40k being relative as is given the vast array of the kinds of people you'd be around. I doubt a bodyglove would go too out of place one way or the other.))

Lax nods in agreement as the group makes its way closer to the destination point, but about 5 minutes away he stops and waits for the novices to stop as well, "Ok, so let's go over the plan again, that way we aren't scrambling for materials in the midst of it all. How exactly are we going to attempt this?"

((This is basically where I'd like it laid out what you guys are wanting to attempt in some relative sense of order. Things like "first scope out area then at X point do Y" that kind of thing. That way I can get a good idea in my head of the upcoming tests and setting the scene properly and understanding what the other npcs are doing at the time.))

((So Ariel will move up first, Estelia following with Stealth if possible, then Lax in the back. Once inside we will try to get to the control room (or whatever it was on the plans that we thought would be where we can view the information we need) without being seen, and back out that way too. If we’re seen the idea would be to subdue/Kill them before they can sound an alarm, I suppose))

((does that sound good?))

On 2/4/2019 at 10:58 AM, Servant of Dante said:

((So Ariel will move up first, Estelia following with Stealth if possible, then Lax in the back. Once inside we will try to get to the control room (or whatever it was on the plans that we thought would be where we can view the information we need) without being seen, and back out that way too. If we’re seen the idea would be to subdue/Kill them before they can sound an alarm, I suppose))

On 1/30/2019 at 9:06 PM, Lynata said:

((Good's relative lol, we'll see how it pans out with rolls.))

As Ariel begins moving forward Lax waits for Estellia to work behind her and takes up the rear. Thankfully the area your travelling down has thick walls and the thrum of power in the wires grows louder as you get closer to the relay station proper.

((Estellia make a stealth check at +20 given the background noise))

As you make your way closer to the entrance you come to a dead end seemingly forward, but Lax makes a hand motion indicating upwards and the entrance into the relay station is revealed in a web of wires and cables feeding through a sealed grate like the one you used to get in to the lower tunnels previously. Sub-vocally Lax notes through his own microbead, "Alright, I'm going to try and get the grate unlocked, cover the opening if you wouldn't mind?"

((Security test -10, Lax has Security...oh, he doesn't...I thought he did, I guess I forgot. I'm going give him it known as a way to differentiate him from the normal npc block he's been based on. Anyways target 24 roll result to be determined when we get some ooc answers on another issue.))

The girl riding - or rather, running - shotgun takes point, advancing towards their destination with a series of cautiously placed steps. Her heavy boots make a soft, splashing sound on the wet ferrocrete, hopefully sufficiently masked by the hum of electric power running through the conduits. Inadvertently, Ariel felt reminded of the live fire maneuvers her class of Schola cadets performed on the training grounds of St. Valerius', back when she was eleven years old. It was an odd memory to come up at a time like this, though the tactica drilled into the childrens' heads by their Guardsman-turned-Abbot were still committed to memory, and made her advance in a fashion one might have expected more from Munitorum Storm Troopers rather than a sixteen year old juve -- unless one knew said girl was a novice of the Adepta Sororitas.

Move. Stop. Secure. Move. Stop. Secure. The combat shotgun stopped feeling as heavy in her hands as adrenaline began to surge through Ariel's veins in anticipation of sudden threats to her life. None came, at least for now. It took her a moment to interpret Lax' signal, then she noticed he was pointing at something atop of her -- after briefly being thrown off, wondering how on Terra the man could know the Sisterhood's war cant signum for "artillery strike", and why anyone would shell the ground above them.

Estelia moved after Ariel, quietly, hoping she could remain unseen if the other Novice was spotted ((Stealth: 45 Ag +10 Trained +20 Difficulty = 75; Roll: 36 for 4 DoS)). She drew her laspistols, of course, but didn't move in the by-the-numbers way Ariel did, blending with the shadows required a bit more improvisation that that, plus it was more fun. The hand signal Lax made reminded her vaguely of something from the hand signs they had been taught (somewhat) before they left Ophelia, but as she looked at where the man was pointing she forgot all of that. It was a bit anticlimactic, just some wires and another manhole cover, but then again they weren't exactly using the front door. At the armsman's request, Estelia covered the opening as he attempted to get it open.

((Double post because internet issues))

11 hours ago, Lynata said:

Move. Stop. Secure. Move. Stop. Secure. The combat shotgun stopped feeling as heavy in her hands as adrenaline began to surge through Ariel's veins in anticipation of sudden threats to her life. None came, at least for now. It took her a moment to interpret Lax' signal, then she noticed he was pointing at something atop of her -- after briefly being thrown off, wondering how on Terra the man could know the Sisterhood's war cant signum for "artillery strike", and why anyone would shell the ground above them.

8 hours ago, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia moved after Ariel, quietly, hoping she could remain unseen if the other Novice was spotted ((Stealth: 45 Ag +10 Trained +20 Difficulty = 75; Roll: 36 for 4 DoS)). She drew her laspistols, of course, but didn't move in the by-the-numbers way Ariel did, blending with the shadows required a bit more improvisation that that, plus it was more fun. The hand signal Lax made reminded her vaguely of something from the hand signs they had been taught (somewhat) before they left Ophelia, but as she looked at where the man was pointing she forgot all of that. It was a bit anticlimactic, just some wires and another manhole cover, but then again they weren't exactly using the front door. At the armsman's request, Estelia covered the opening as he attempted to get it open.

((Security test -10, Lax has Security as Known target 24 roll result 28.))

It takes a minute or so, the so part being longer than either of you would expect to take with whatever lock Lax is trying to open. You can tell he's slightly struggling with the system. Perhaps its the angle of approach, perhaps its the age of the mechanism, but still it takes longer than you'd expect.

Eventually however, rather exasperatedly Lax performs the rite of percussion on the mechanism and the grate moves slightly, "Finally..." he mumbles to himself more than anyone.

((I'll be rolling for Awareness on both of the occupants of the building.

Estellia's got a base 4DoS to overcome.

I'm going to factor Lax's 1DoF as a +10 bonus to Awareness tests for discovery.

The base test will be at +0. Target 67 (Sanctionary guards have an innate +20 to Awareness), and 05 for the Repair Servitor.

Sanctionary result is 75 for 2DoF and Servitor is...01 because of course it is, for 1DoS but it's not enough to beat Estellia's 4DoS so you are not discovered opening the grate.))

Carefully moving the grate aside to make sure that none of the cables are overly disturbed Lax works his way forward into the area. After a moment he leans over and waves his hand in a motion of "come up". ((I'll assume you come up))

The relay station's interior has much of the same architecture you've noted in other parts of the Apex, but this area is much more oriented towards those with a Mechanicus bent in aesthetic. Notedly the area is fairly wide open, being decently lit, the outlay of the area shows division in the fact that machinery is around all of you, there aren't walls per say but there are large stacks of various cogitation devices or other techno-arcane creations for some unknown to you purpose. The station clicks and whirs with the sounds of various processes as well print-outs from some stations and the static buzzing on other screens, in the background you can hear the thudding of the repair servitor clonking around on some programmed path of maintenance.

Lax pulls out the station's schematic, you can note that a path has been drawn on it. He glances at it intently, ((Navigate (Surface) +20, target 34 (doesn't have surface so -20). Roll 13 for 3DoS)) He nods to himself, reaches to his waist, turns on the Stummer, and moves the grate back over the entrance which eerily doesn't make a noise now.

"Just under 20 minutes of this now. Let's go." He makes movement forward.

((Estellia give me another Stealth test, base is +0 but take a +30 bonus due to the Stummer))

Estelia nods and follows lax ((Stealth: 45 Ag + 10 Trained + 30 Stummer = 85; Roll: 35 for 6 DoS)), keeping her weapons ready. She can feel her heartbeat in her chest, the import of what they were doing finally sinking in.

Nodding towards the trooper, Ariel raises her shotgun again -- almost, but not quite to eye-level, just as she'd been taught. Contrary to her fellow novice Sororitas, the dusk-skinned girl almost surprised herself at how casually she could move, given the circumstances. Somehow, she'd managed to convince herself that this operation was nothing more than the execution of a series of steps and maneuvers they had trained for years. It remained to be seen how long this would keep up once she'd come face to face with the inhabitants of the station and, in doing so, the reality of this act.

On 2/7/2019 at 8:35 PM, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia nods and follows lax ((Stealth: 45 Ag + 10 Trained + 30 Stummer = 85; Roll: 35 for 6 DoS)), keeping her weapons ready. She can feel her heartbeat in her chest, the import of what they were doing finally sinking in.

On 2/9/2019 at 8:48 PM, Lynata said:

Nodding towards the trooper, Ariel raises her shotgun again -- almost, but not quite to eye-level, just as she'd been taught. Contrary to her fellow novice Sororitas, the dusk-skinned girl almost surprised herself at how casually she could move, given the circumstances. Somehow, she'd managed to convince herself that this operation was nothing more than the execution of a series of steps and maneuvers they had trained for years. It remained to be seen how long this would keep up once she'd come face to face with the inhabitants of the station and, in doing so, the reality of this act.

((Alright, I'll try an Awareness test for the occupants of the station again, Guard target 57 and Servitor target 05.

Guard result 43, 2DoS, does not surpass Estelia's 6DoS.

Servitor result 31, 4DoF.

Great roll Estelia lol, gotta love it when Stealth actually works out.))

The tension in the air is palpable in the field of silence as you work your way through the relay station's interior, you occasionally see a shadow of the servitor pass against a wall but it seems the maintenance path of the automaton isn't in the path that Lax is leading you along through to the main control console of the tower device. An odd feeling may pass over you traveling this way, your brain trying to pick up on noises it knows should be there, but cannot actually be created due to the Stummer's effects.

After 3 minutes of moving in between machine stacks and a tense 15 seconds of waiting for the servitor to make a turn you arrive at the main console. Notedly even in 'death' the servitor has an Oath Cog on its wrist, you note as it trundles along in whatever daze servitors exist in.

You make your way to the central column of the relay station's tower construction, or at least the monitoring station access point. The structure is impressively large, the tower seemingly going for much farther into Desoleum's sky as it would connect to other relay lines from elsewhere in the hive. It likely takes up a fourth of the area of the relay station, which is useful for you, as it gives a good blocking view into the entrance of the relay station from where you're at currently. The station itself seems to be in a locked case structure, that would then give you access to the monitor itself. Lax slumps a little realizing he'll have to attempt to undo the lock with a clock running now, but shrugs and gets to work.

((Security -10, Target 24, Result 63 for 5DoF...well...yay.))

"Oh fenk me sideways..." Lax says in his bead, he tears open the monitor door and quickly tries to get to work, "That door had a silent alarm, I triggered it getting through the locks, at the least the sanctionarys and servitor know. Estelia hit the feed generator so they can't call out."

((So...I'll have some talk ooc with ariel and estelia's players to figure out how we want to handle the situation lol))

After a moment of fumbling, Estelia gets the feed generator turned on and situates herself inside the room, somewhere hidden but with a line of fire to the door. And thinking of doors, she checks for other points of ingress she should be watching.

((So I was thinking of making a Stealth check to be hidden so they won’t notice me if someone comes in, and maybe an awareness if you think it’d be a good idea to look for other entrances, doors or otherwise))

45 minutes ago, Servant of Dante said:

((So I was thinking of making a Stealth check to be hidden so they won’t notice me if someone comes in, and maybe an awareness if you think it’d be a good idea to look for other entrances, doors or otherwise))

((Alright, are you trying to hid within the field of the Stummer or are you going to move outside of that? Awareness will be relevant certainly, I just want how to figure difficulty for Stealth first.))

Tensing up, Ariel renews her grip on the shotgun, casting a nervous glance towards the direction they are about to advance. "This is not good. Should we turn back, or press on?", the novice apparently directs the question at both her comrades-in-arms, for the first time showing a degree of concern. For her part, she presses against a nearby wall, taking minimal cover behind a piece of machinery, taking care not to move too far from Lax and his techno-arcana.

On 2/13/2019 at 1:38 PM, Servant of Dante said:

After a moment of fumbling, Estelia gets the feed generator turned on and situates herself inside the room  , somewhere hidden but with a line of fire to the door. And thinking of doors, she checks for other points of ingress she should be watching.

((So I was thinking of making a Stealth check to be hidden so they won’t notice me if someone comes in, and maybe an awareness if you think it’d be a good idea to look for other entrances, doors or otherwise))

((Alright, yeah I feel like the area is busy enough with other stuff that there's area within the range. base -10 +30 for Stummer = total +20))

"Thanks, they'll know they're blocked, but that won't help them actually get any help here for a bit", Lax begins to start quickly open one of the operating panels on the station and reads some descriptive inscriptions on scripture on the inside of the panel.

18 hours ago, Lynata said:

Tensing up, Ariel renews her grip on the shotgun, casting a nervous glance towards the direction they are about to advance. "This is not good. Should we turn back, or press on?", the novice apparently directs the question at both her comrades-in-arms, for the first time showing a degree of concern. For her part, she presses against a nearby wall, taking minimal cover behind a piece of machinery, taking care not to move too far from Lax and his techno-arcana.

"If you two want to pull out we'll pull out, make the call, but we came here to get information didn't you?", Lax gets to typing on the operating panel of the panel of the relay tower.

((I'm treating this as an extended test, Lax needs to get a certain amount of DoS for baseline info.

I'm ruling 5 for baseline info

If you want him to go farther we'll go farther for more info.

Tech-Use Known +0, Combi-tool +30, Manual +10, act -10 normally I'd rule it +0 but things are rushed. Anyways Target 64, Roll 39 for 4DoS.))

"I'm getting somewhere at least, the machine spirit doesn't seem built for defense, we shouldn't need too much longer."

___

You can note that the servitor seems to be making its way closer to the group, but only in a very plodding manner, it will take time for it to make it's rounds to you ((a couple of posts)).

You hear the guard on the other hand try to call to their companion, the guard inside of the station is female. She notes the static generator in effect and curses loudly, but you hear her making her way into the relay station to try and find the source of the disturbance. ((I'll roll Awareness for them, normally it'd be -10 but they know there's something wrong with the alarm which I'll give as a +10. +20 baseline for a target of 57. Result 72 for 3DoF))

They start searching the perimeter it seems to try and see if the targets are already leaving, so you've got a bit of time if the audio cues around you are anything to go by currently speaking.

“We should stay until we get what we came for, shouldn’t we? We came all this way . . .”

Estelia moves back behind the pile of equipment she’s hiding in ((the Stealth roll was 5 DoS right?))

14 minutes ago, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia moves back behind the pile of equipment she’s hiding in ((the Stealth roll was 5 DoS right?))

((Whatever it was in Discord it was strong))

On 2/15/2019 at 3:36 PM, ThenDoctor said:

"I'm getting somewhere at least, the machine spirit doesn't seem built for defense, we shouldn't need too much longer."

Taking a deep breath in an effort to steady her nerves, the dusk-skinned novice nods an affirmative. "Very well, on your word. We should be able to hold off anything they can throw at us at least for a while."

Pushing the butt of the shotgun into her shoulder, Ariel takes aim at the direction she expects the defenders to arrive from, with hastily whispered words uttering the Incantatio Timor. Fear is naught, for my Faith is strong.

Estelia mumbles, “why does it have to be on my word? It’s not my fault the guards want to make this difficult.”

21 hours ago, Lynata said:

Taking a deep breath in an effort to steady her nerves, the dusk-skinned novice nods an affirmative. "Very well, on your word. We should be able to hold off anything they can throw at us at least for a while."

21 hours ago, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia mumbles, “why does it have to be on my word? It’s not my fault the guards want to make this difficult.”

((I'm ruling 5 for baseline info

Tech-Use Known +0, Combi-tool +30, Manual +10, act -10 normally I'd rule it +0 but things are rushed. Anyways Target 64, Roll 11 for 6DoS. Total 10 DoS, I was only going to rule that he'd need 10 DoS for extra information anyways))

Lax continues typing and pulling on a few component switches for the time, but in a few more moments he seems to come to a revelation with a "Ha!" out loud, to which he realizes his problem grabbing for his waist.

"...I need a dataslate to put this information on to, there's a lot here." ((assuming one of you passes him the last it'll take a round to transfer the data, so we'll handle it next post))

___

It'll take until after the next post for the servitor to make it's way to the area.

The Sanctionary continues to search. ((I'll roll Awareness for them, normally it'd be -10 but they know there's something wrong with the alarm which I'll give as a +10. +20 baseline for a target of 57. Result 94 for 5DoF))

While they continue to work the perimeter they don't pick up anything out of the ordinary, "You're not getting out of here scum!...' wherever you are '" they mumble to themselves.

Distinctly the entrance to the Relay Tower opens with a loud clang, "What's going on Rhaban? My bead's down."

"Unwanted guests " Rhaban replies gaining a chuckle from their companion in the entrance.

---Back at the Villa---

On 10/14/2018 at 10:12 PM, Covered in Weasels said:

((We'll say narratively this happens with enough time previously for setup purposes))

Inellia request's Balthazar's presence shortly after the group have left for the evening.

She requests he meet her in the kitchen area, and Balthazar finds her putting together a mug of herbal drink.

"I'd like you to follow the trio's path, with a bit of distance, and assist them when they inevitably get themselves in to some trouble. No one's first... expedition like this goes off without a hitch, no matter how well you plan. Do you have any theories for aid you'd like to broach with me before setting off yourself?" She says while finish off with putting the holding fixture on the stove that is full of water and herbs to heat up.

Estelia keeps herself in hiding and watching the door for any movement, the lack of anything happening starting to fray her nerves, "come on, come on, if you're going to get here, do it already," she mumbles, tensing and relaxing her hands around the grips of her pistols. ((just waiting for Lax to finish what he's doing or for the servitor or sanctionaries to show up))

For a moment hesitating to peel her eyes from the hallway she was covering, Ariel finally lowers the barrel of her gun, the left hand deftly reaching inside the wide, ragged duster in search of the requested dataslate. Briefly, she wondered if she should really hand the device over, considering the sensitive data contained therein, but just as quickly discarded the thought. Their companion had likely been kept informed of all that was going on, and they would not be able to accomplish their task without a suitable machine spirit to whom they could feed the data.

Making sure that Estelia could cover for her as she moved, the novice stepped over to Lax in order to hand him the already unlocked device: "Will this do?"

On 2/23/2019 at 1:29 PM, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia keeps herself in hiding and watching the door for any movement, the lack of anything happening starting to fray her nerves, "come on, come on, if you're going to get here, do it already," she mumbles, tensing and relaxing her hands around the grips of her pistols. ((just waiting for Lax to finish what he's doing or for the servitor or sanctionaries to show up))

On 2/23/2019 at 9:58 PM, Lynata said:

Making sure that Estelia could cover for her as she moved, the novice stepped over to Lax in order to hand him the already unlocked device: "Will this do?"

"Just fine," he mumbles out loud as he works on the connection. He makes a few typing rituals on the keyboard and a small bar appears at the edge of the screen, "won't be long now."

If you glance at the screen you can see he's correct, the machine spirit is apparently swift at sharing information with others, and the bar looks like it will finish before the next time you'd look at it.

((Mechanically next post it'll be done.))

___

Next post for the servitor to arrive.

The Sanctionary continues to search, now with the assistance of their compatriot. ((I'll roll Awareness for them, normally it'd be -10 but they know there's something wrong with the alarm which I'll give as a +10, additionally now they will have +10 for assistance as I don't want to make two rolls. +20 baseline for a target of 67. Result 83 for 3DoF))

Rhaban calls out, "Anything?"

The new arrival is checking the other side of the perimeter, "No, nothing, you sure it's not a malfunction? Lug-head's making it's way over there..."

"I'm...getting less sure myself, but we should make a full sweep. The comm issue has me worried, never done that before" Rhaban answers.

Their companion takes a moment to respond likely thinking about it, "Yeah...that takes a special piece of tech as far as I know, but it's a relay station right?"

__

Tagging as the player has stated they're in a capacity to get back in to it.

On 10/14/2018 at 10:12 PM, Covered in Weasels said:

((I don’t really have anything to add until either the servitor shows up or Lax finishes with the cogitator, same as before. Estelia is still nervous and waiting, same as before))

Having finished the handover, Ariel returns her off hand to the foregrip of her weapon, resuming her role as a sentry. A quick glance towards Estelia confirms the novice's expectation that her counterpart had remained watchful.

On 3/2/2019 at 4:40 AM, Servant of Dante said:

((I don’t really have anything to add until either the servitor shows up or Lax finishes with the cogitator, same as before. Estelia is still nervous and waiting, same as before))

On 3/2/2019 at 10:18 PM, Lynata said:

Having finished the handover, Ariel returns her off hand to the foregrip of her weapon, resuming her role as a sentry. A quick glance towards Estelia confirms the novice's expectation that her counterpart had remained watchful.

As the repair servitor rounds the corner Lax looks up and then back down at the pad noticing it has completed its transference process, to which he quickly unplugs the device and moves away from the area motioning to the two of you to get out of the way as well.

((I made an awareness test to see if the Servitor discerns that you are not Sanctionary and therefore something to deal with, Servitor target 05. Servitor result 37, 4DoF.))

The servitor plonks forward seemingly no worse for ware or any wiser for seeing the trio, and makes movement to work to the main relay tower station.

Lax makes a movement with his head, "We should go...now."

_

((I'll roll Awareness for them, normally it'd be -10 but they know there's something wrong with the alarm which I'll give as a +10, additionally now they will have +10 for assistance as I don't want to make two rolls. +20 baseline for a target of 67. Result 07 for 7DoS))

"Rhaban, wait...did you hear that?" the new arrival says.

"Yeah, main station" you hear the distinct preparing of an auto-pistol, "Malfunction my ***..."

The trio can hear the sounds of movement from both the areas that were being searched. ((Mechanically they'll be at the area next post, they're essentially using a 'full movement' to get there quickly. Depending on how the next post goes we may go in to combat over Discord.))

__

Tagging as the player has stated they're in a capacity to get back in to it, and have nearly finished reading past posts.

On 10/14/2018 at 10:12 PM, Covered in Weasels said: