“It does sound dangerous, but I don’t want to do nothing, that’d just give them more time to learn about us. I think it might be best to keep our visit short and see if there’s anything to be learned easily. More noble-looking outfits might work better there.”

Estelia shifts from one foot to the other “There’s so much we don’t know, it’s hard to make any decision!”

Something seemed to occur to the other novice; a new thought, a new worry creeping its way up from the back of her head. "Unlike posing as commoners, offworld nobility are likely to attract not only the attention of the hosts, but also a greater amount of scrutiny. Where would they inquire about our background? Should we take precautions?"

Ariel pauses, thinking. "Sending astropathic messages, and awaiting a response, could take them several days. But for visiting nobility, would there also be some sort of planetary record? Their point of arrival, the ship they travelled with."

19 hours ago, Lynata said:

Something seemed to occur to the other novice; a new thought, a new worry creeping its way up from the back of her head. "Unlike posing as commoners, offworld nobility are likely to attract not only the attention of the hosts, but also a greater amount of scrutiny. Where would they inquire about our background? Should we take precautions?"

Ariel pauses, thinking. "Sending astropathic messages, and awaiting a response, could take them several days. But for visiting nobility, would there also be some sort of planetary record? Their point of arrival, the ship they travelled with."

Inellia considers the point for a moment, "Well, Lax does work for a thoroughfare station of the planet, and the head of security there seemed wholly intent upon aiding anything we tasked him with no? You might aquiesce the information or cover you need from there." She shrugs noncommittally, "Otherwise I'm sure our benefactor can get ahold of a few fake backgrounds...you might need to get your oath cogs updated, or you could simply state that you'd only recently heard of the alms house and were interested in visiting it."

Subconsciously, the novice reaches for and touches her own oath-cog at the mention of the device, nodding at their host's words. "It is fortunate that the Emperor provided us with a direct link to orbital security", she declares.

"False background documents sound like a good start. Positioning ourselves as minor nobles should give us the social status we need while not sticking out too much."

On 11/13/2019 at 3:44 PM, Servant of Dante said:

On 11/18/2019 at 1:30 AM, Lynata said:

Subconsciously, the novice reaches for and touches her own oath-cog at the mention of the device, nodding at their host's words. "It is fortunate that the Emperor provided us with a direct link to orbital security", she declares.

On 11/19/2019 at 10:11 AM, Covered in Weasels said:

"False background documents sound like a good start. Positioning ourselves as minor nobles should give us the social status we need while not sticking out too much."

"Yes, well, in that case it seems like you need to put in a communication to the head of security at Kappex. I'm certain a runner could be sent for normal communication purposes if you feel that would be prudent, unless of course you feel it necessary to visit the astropaths again at the Fortress Precinct?" Inellia questions.

((This is more of a timejump sort of question, I'm more curious about if they feel it'd be prudent to be as cautious versus the fear they felt previously. I'm not going to have another scene of you guys going to visit the precinct.))

Estelia shivers at the mention of the Astropaths, speaking without thinking "I don't want to go there again, that Astropath was very disturbing."

"All Witches are", Ariel adds with a brief glance at Estelia, as if the other had just declared that water might be wet. Returning her attention to the older woman, she continues: "With apologies, my lady, I think we might best leave that to Brother Lax. It was his last posting, and he is bound to know both people and protocol better than any of us. It would also leave us with more time to focus on preparing our disguise ... and a convincing tale."

The novice's mouth twisted at the edge as she had finished, a brooding expression shadowing her face. Spinning lies was not what she'd been taught in the convent, and regardless of its value to the task at hand, in some ways it concerned the girl that her mind was able to so easily slip into such a role.

On 11/19/2019 at 10:11 AM, Covered in Weasels said:

On 11/24/2019 at 11:55 PM, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia shivers at the mention of the Astropaths, speaking without thinking "I don't want to go there again, that Astropath was very disturbing."

On 11/26/2019 at 12:16 AM, Lynata said:

"All Witches are", Ariel adds with a brief glance at Estelia, as if the other had just declared that water might be wet. Returning her attention to the older woman, she continues: "With apologies, my lady, I think we might best leave that to Brother Lax. It was his last posting, and he is bound to know both people and protocol better than any of us. It would also leave us with more time to focus on preparing our disguise ... and a convincing tale."

Inellia nods, "An understandable conclusion, I'll leave the communication between the station head, I believe I remember reading something in one of your summaries about Balthazar appearing as a mentoring figure, I suspect playing the angle of mentoring grandfather shepherding his decedents around a hive could be of use...if that is an acceptable cover for the three of you to play?"

She looks at the three of you for your confirmation on the proposed cover status.

Estelia notices the glance from Ariel "I know they're all creepy, but there was something about that guy. Or . . . maybe they were just the first witch I'd ever been that close to, or near at all that wasn't tied to a stake."

After Inellia makes her suggestion, she responds (remembering a bit of her manners because of Ariel), "I've never known anyone who had a grandfather they knew, reverend Superior, or a father really as far as I know. We could just act like we're back at the Schola following a drill abbot around, they're like parents right?"

Balthazar bristles slightly at Inelia's suggestion. "Really now, I don't think I come across as quite that old. I... don't, right? I think playing the father of Estella and Ariel will be perfectly believable.

"As for you two," he says, addressing the Novices. "I don't think I could possibly sum up what it means to be a father in a short mission briefing. There's the discipline of a drill abbot, but also compassion, pride, and a desire to see your children thrive. Fathers don't forge you in their image, they guide you to be the best you can be. Treating me as your drill abbot is a good starting point, just... avoid saluting me or snapping to attention.

"And feel free to be a little insubordinate," he finishes with a smile.

Ariel slightly tilted hear head. "That still sounds a lot like a Drill Abbot ... in a way." Another glance at Estelia follows. "I am sure we will find a way. Much like our Sisters Superior, I presume there would be differences in approach between parents. Our Orders Famulous would not exist if all the nobility were as attached to their progeny as what we've seen on the streets of this world."

For a moment, the novice mulls over her own words. "Perhaps any awkward missteps might even be explained away with talk of different traditions."

The cleric's last words give the dusk-skinned girl pause, not quite sure how to respond. She's never been very good with humor, that was Estelia's forte.

9 hours ago, Servant of Dante said:

After Inellia makes her suggestion, she responds (remembering a bit of her manners because of Ariel), "I've never known anyone who had a grandfather they knew, reverend Superior, or a father really as far as I know. We could just act like we're back at the Schola following a drill abbot around, they're like parents right?"

Inellia considers, "In some families I'm sure they're quite similar yes."

8 hours ago, Covered in Weasels said:

Balthazar bristles slightly at Inelia's suggestion. "Really now, I don't think I come across as quite that old. I... don't, right? I think playing the father of Estella and Ariel will be perfectly believable.

Inellia considers, "The idea might be more that you've received Rejuvenat treatments hinting at perceived wealth, but if you feel that you cannot accurately portray someone of that age then it's a minor modification at best." Her tone is at least attempting to assuage Father Thorne.

3 hours ago, Lynata said:

Ariel slightly tilted hear head. "That still sounds a lot like a Drill Abbot ... in a way." Another glance at Estelia follows. "I am sure we will find a way. Much like our Sisters Superior, I presume there would be differences in approach between parents. Our Orders Famulous would not exist if all the nobility were as attached to their progeny as what we've seen on the streets of this world."

For a moment, the novice mulls over her own words. "Perhaps any awkward missteps might even be explained away with talk of different traditions."

Inellia nods, "A good supposition certainly, parenting techniques are as wide and varied across the imperium as there are planets."

Looking at the three of you again, "Are there any other fine points you would desired noted for the identities to be created?"

As Inellia mentioned the rejuv treatment as an explanation, Ariel could not contain a smirk. "Yes, let's go with that", she added under her breath, but loud enough for Estelia to hear. Maybe some of the other novice had rubbed off on her, after all.

Of course, the dusk-skinned girl straightened immediately as their host addressed her again. "I am not sure about Lia, but the clothes I had ordered had a certain martial look to them. It would be best to have this reflected in a background, so as to not show up a duelist when my file claims an innocent princess."

Estelia grinned at Ariel’s joke, “We wouldn’t want anyone thinking anything untoward about grandfather ” she murmurs back.

At the mention of the clothes they ordered Estelia looked a bit embarrassed, “What I asked for was a somewhat formal dress of that black star-field material, I hope I’m able to move in it well enough. If Ariel is to look the part of a soldier, I might still be able to get away with wearing one of my laspistols, and I keep my hidden autopistol.”

Estelia tried to imagine how people would see her, and was sure it would look strange for her to not have a weapon visible. She didn’t think she looked the part of the delicate granddaughter.

"If I am to dress up as a noble, I won't be able to justify the presence of a ceremonial hammer. A walking cane or a sword would be a much more appropriate option for defense. But add I understand it, nobles often carry a sidearm for personal protection and a pistol would not seem out of place."

On 12/9/2019 at 7:34 AM, Lynata said:

As Inellia mentioned the rejuv treatment as an explanation, Ariel could not contain a smirk. "Yes, let's go with that", she added under her breath, but loud enough for Estelia to hear. Maybe some of the other novice had rubbed off on her, after all.

Of course, the dusk-skinned girl straightened immediately as their host addressed her again. "I am not sure about Lia, but the clothes I had ordered had a certain martial look to them. It would be best to have this reflected in a background, so as to not show up a duelist when my file claims an innocent princess."

Inellia shrugs, "The nobility of the Imperium is wide and varied, some cultures reinforce martial prowess with such training if that's part of their society. Honour duels and the like not being uncommon. But if you want to make sure that's something of a focus then it's not out of the question either. A...personal guard to the young lady as it were accompanying the elder."

On 12/12/2019 at 9:19 AM, Servant of Dante said:

Estelia grinned at Ariel’s joke, “We wouldn’t want anyone thinking anything untoward about grandfather ” she murmurs back.

At the mention of the clothes they ordered Estelia looked a bit embarrassed, “What I asked for was a somewhat formal dress of that black star-field material, I hope I’m able to move in it well enough. If Ariel is to look the part of a soldier, I might still be able to get away with wearing one of my laspistols, and I keep my hidden autopistol.”

Estelia tried to imagine how people would see her, and was sure it would look strange for her to not have a weapon visible. She didn’t think she looked the part of the delicate granddaughter.

Inellia nods, "I would feel it'd be more unusual for an Imperial to be unarmed at all, even jewelry can be weaponized if you're wealthy enough."

On 12/14/2019 at 11:01 PM, Covered in Weasels said:

"If I am to dress up as a noble, I won't be able to justify the presence of a ceremonial hammer. A walking cane or a sword would be a much more appropriate option for defense. But add I understand it, nobles often carry a sidearm for personal protection and a pistol would not seem out of place."

((If I remember right Balthazar still has his Stub Revolver, at least according to the sheet I have for him it's still there. Unless you're not asking for one and you're just denoting why you have one.))

Inellia considers, "No, I suppose it wouldn't given the iconography, I'd suggest Lax give you his Chainsword, but I'm unsure of your familiarity with the weapon type. A pistol would be sufficient as Estelia noted, but if you'd like a melee weapon you'll likely have to come up with one yourself. That, or if it the head of your hammer can be safely removed then that could likely serve as a staff. Anyone batting an eye at a purity seal is suspect anyways."

Inellia looks to the group, "So, from my understanding, the general desire for cover will be Estelia being a young noble of some undisclosed association with Novianna hence why feasibly you may ask about Rosalind or have heard about the Alms house at all. Balthazar will have had some association with Desoleum before and be escorting the young noble around the planet, and Ariel will be in attendance as Estelias guard. Is this correct?"

"Ooo, Ariel gets to be my bodyguard, and I get to be her boss. That sounds fun!" Even if people normally are gunning for the person being guarded first, the Novice added mentally. Resetting her face to something more respectful, she turned to Inellia, "I'm willing to play that part, Sister, if the others think it's the best course of action."

The other novice raised a brow at Estelia's playful barb, but decided to roll with it after all. "I will make sure the young lady goes to bed at the proper time, then", she announced, followed by the mockery of an elegant bow, clearly exaggerated for effect. Then again, it might not even be that exaggerated if what she had heard elder Sisters tell of their brief encounters with pompous nobles was true.

She did not add anything else, apparently being satisfied with the suggested approach.

On 12/16/2019 at 2:01 PM, ThenDoctor said:

((If I remember right Balthazar still has his Stub Revolver, at least according to the sheet I have for him it's still there. Unless you're not asking for one and you're just denoting why you have one.))

((it's possible that gun might look a little out of place for a noble, given its utilitarian design and basic nature? that said, it should also be fairly easy to hide))

On 12/14/2019 at 11:01 PM, Covered in Weasels said:

On 12/18/2019 at 6:26 PM, Servant of Dante said:

"Ooo, Ariel gets to be my bodyguard, and I get to be her boss. That sounds fun!" Even if people normally are gunning for the person being guarded first, the Novice added mentally. Resetting her face to something more respectful, she turned to Inellia, "I'm willing to play that part, Sister, if the others think it's the best course of action."

On 12/23/2019 at 12:44 PM, Lynata said:

The other novice raised a brow at Estelia's playful barb, but decided to roll with it after all. "I will make sure the young lady goes to bed at the proper time, then", she announced, followed by the mockery of an elegant bow, clearly exaggerated for effect. Then again, it might not even be that exaggerated if what she had heard elder Sisters tell of their brief encounters with pompous nobles was true.

She did not add anything else, apparently being satisfied with the suggested approach.

Inellia nods and dismisses you for the time, and for a time yet things are relatively quiet.

12 days pass from the morning after your meeting with Cassa before your new clothing arrives, and 4 days later than that new identities arrive as well.

Cymbry - Ariel

Scythia Orthesian - Estelia

Ventium Orthesian - Balthazar

The Orthesian family is stated to be associated with ties to the Adeptus Arbites. The specifics are nebulous but something about assistance with legal matters and the application thereof rather than the militant arm and prosecution of criminals.

Their planet of origin is stated to be Juno, the sector capitol, making them appear to be relatively prominent, but seemingly stagnant enough old blood to not arouse suspicion.

You are given new oaths for your cogs, updated to your purpose, though without as much ritual by any means in terms of their placement. The specifics of the oath stipulate that Scythia is visiting the planet in association with noble ties, Ventium is under oath to guide the ward, and Cymbry is to protect the ward and Ventium.

((Over the 16 days, are there any tests you'd like to attempt, either for acquisition or for anything else relating to what you'll be up to?))

Estelia thinks about her disguise, still dissatisfied with the idea of carrying the paired laspistols she normally wears. The Arbites connection of their false identities make it more plausible, but still, perhaps there would be some benefit to being a bit outlandish, and not carrying a pair of weapons that might be recognized. The enemy might have pict capts of them from the Administratum or the Arbites. The Novice does some more poking around with local vendors, looking for a brace of flintlocks of reasonable quality, enough to be serviceable in a short firefight if she can manage it.

((I'm waiting on what the Availability of such a thing would be. Looking for at minimum a brace of 6 pistols, hopefully more. The normal availability of a flintlock is Common, it's in Enemies Within. Estelia will also want to show off what she's found to Ariel if she finds it but I'll wait till then.))

((Rolls made in Discord, 3 downtime Requisition rolls.

Flintlock Pistols (getting 1 per DoS, using all 30 of my downtime bonus): 30 Inf + 10 Avail + 30 Downtime = 70. Roll: 48 for 4 DoS. Spending a Fate Point for a 5th DoS, so I have 6 flintlocks total now.

Finding a leather worker to make a set of fashionable holsters to hold 3 pistols on each hip: 30 Inf + 10 Avail = 40. Roll: 85 for 5 DoF

Trying Again: Roll: 33 for 2 DoS, yay! I think this is one of my best downtime Requisitions sessions.))

Estelia smiles to herself al the way back from the leather worker’s shop with her newly commissioned holsters to hold the motley assortment of flintlock pistols she now owned. The elderly craftsman had seemed only somewhat confused about her request. Getting back to the villa she changed out of her ratty robe and tried on the black dress. The fabric hung comfortably, tight enough on the top to keep out of the way but not so tight as to be restrictive. The lower half of the dress would be more of an issue if she needed to do anything too strenuous, but she’d seen much worse on nobles. The leather belt was studded and buckled with dark brass to tie it (somewhat) into the colors of her clothing. All of the pistols were mismatched in length and decor, making for quite an eccentric aesthetic. The Novice went to find Ariel, sure her friend would have something to say about her rather indulgent use of her free time and currency.

”Ariel, how do I look?” Estelia strikes a ‘commanding’ pose with chin up and hands clasped behind her back.

((I’ll let Lynata decide where Ariel is whenever a Estelia finds her, I figure this is a day or 2 before the end of our downtime))

To complement her new guise as a bodyguard, Ariel had visited the merchant quarter to try and, as quietly as possible, attempt to acquire a suitable melee weapon of appropriate quality and design. Unfortunately, the girl was not just a novice of the Sororitas but, like many of her Sisters, also a novice when it came to day-to-day interaction with those outside the order, complicating her attempts to do business or even just locate the appropriate shops. As the saying went, one woman's self-sufficiency was another's stubbornness.

Alternating her plans, she opted for the plasma pistol instead. It was perhaps a rather flashy symbol of status to carry as a retainer, yet whereas she first intended to let a blade represent her as a kind of fencer, the matte-silver gun - a rare Sunfury-pattern model acquired from the Inquisitor's household armoury - would work nicely to present the appearance of a ranged duelist.

Of course this appearance required not just looks but also action, and so she had spent most of the remaining days alternating between practicing fancy gestures, pistol target practice, and basic weapons maintenance on the temperamental gun, trying to get Lax to provide some measure of help with all three.

When Estelia sought her out, she had once again been in the workshop, studying the pistol's loading mechanism. The gun required a refill of plasma at least every ten shots or so, and swapping the flask was no simple task. For all the reputation these weapons had, Ariel found them to be awfully complicated to operate. To her, the Sunfury would still have to prove itself in combat.

Then again, it was certain to operate both more efficiently and more devastatingly than the array of ancient wooden pistols Estelia presented to her, immediately earning the other novice a skeptical gaze and an arched brow as if Lia had once again cracked some weird joke. It took Ariel a moment to answer.

"Like a street vendor. No, the conspicuously well-dressed daughter of a street vendor, who has been tasked to do her father's business without time to change."

She fixated the other girl with a serious, lecturing look: "You haven't been lured into agreeing to some strange sale by one of the local merchants, have you? We can probably get your currency back if we go right away--"

“That sounds more like a comment on my face than my clothes! I’d like to see you do better; you know how much the Drill Abbots encouraged us to care about appearances,” Estelia counters in a sarcastic tone. As Ariel lectures her Estelia grins, “You know, I did find a good deal on them . . . I think. But I’d been looking for days! I had this first one I found in the armoury here and I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head that it’d be much better to carry more of them.

The Novice stops for a moment, enjoying their banter, but there were more serious consequences at stake.

”Really, I was hoping the weird weapons would take attention from how much I don’t look like a noble’s granddaughter. I’m bringing this too though,” she reaches into a fold in the dress and draws the compact autopistol from its hidden holster.”

Balthazar went searching for a new weapon to complete his disguise. As much as it pained him to leave his ceremonial warhammer at the villa, it was simply too conspicuous to carry on their next assignment. While perusing the market stalls and storefronts of the hive, he happened across the estate sale of a deceased minor noble. Among the antique furniture and paintings was a fine broadsword with an ornate gilded crossguard in the shape of an aquila. The weapon had apparently been intended as a duelling piece for the noble, but as its late owner had no further use for it Balthazar was able to acquire it for a very reasonable price.