Two sessions ago the Rogue Trader in the game I'm running had cranial armour implanted. I asked the player what he had done with the skull now that it was no longer in the characters head, he replied that the Rogue Trader had it put back together and put on display.

Next session the Rogue Trader found out that the skull had been stolen and, while they think they know who stole it, that character is out of their reach and they don't know why he stole it. As the gm I know that it was stolen because a third party was offering to pay well for that specific skull.

But now that the Rogue Traders skull is in the possession of his enemies, I'm not sure what they can do with it. The only thing that I can think of is using it for a combat servo-skull and sending it to attack the players with sufficient taunting to let them know who the skull came from. But, if possible, I'd like to do something more memorable with it.

Central element of some kind of sorcery that starts killing the RT in an embarassing fashion?

Used to create a haemonculus of the RT so you can have an Evil Twin saga?

Used to create something like a dozen haemonculi of the RT so he starts being accused of committing crimes he had no hand in/rumors of his death start piling up?

Used as an accoutrement by a rival who claims to have killed the RT?

Sending it back as a servo skull is a fine idea.

It neatly slips past all those gene coded locks on board their ship/mansion/fortress of solitude, it then uses it's internal linking to hack the security system to allow in a strike team or other nasty surprise.

Que the party stumbling out of their beds into a full on firefight, sans most of their otherwise blinging toys.

The first thing that comes to mind is to link with the well-known voodoo and dark sorcery tropes in which possession of a body part of your enemy (blood, hair, bones, let alone a skull) allows you some control over your enemy through forbidden magic. Think voodoo dolls or things even worse and more depraved. Chaos-cultists and warp-dabblers and sorcerors come to mind.

Put it in a bowling ball, Mystery Men style!

Have it turned into a drinking goblet

No better still have the top chopped off and turn the remaining into a urinal!!!! A major imbarrisment for the player.

Summon a daemon familiar into it.

I suggest a daemon with a lot of knowledge, and I also suggest you call it Bob.

Go go Dresden Files!

Talking "magic ritual". It could be used for a ritual which allows access to the memories of the RT (till the point where the skull was "removed). With this, the "enemey" could be able to attack hidden resources/colonies/allies/whatevere of the RT...or even worse: no the terms of his deals and make better offerings to the parties involved!

servo skull with the mark of Khorne "Skulls for the blood god."

Or you could play up the PC RT's position as Big Damned Hero and Richer than Anyone Else Celebrity and have the skull end up in the hands of one of the RT's fans/rivals who is only the RT's rival due to a strong psychotic obsession with the glorious PC RT. In order to be closer to the PC RT, the rival got his skull and has commissioned an odd simulacra to be built from it that said rival could dine with, talk to and pretend to be answered and praised by, be held and comforted by, and otherwise carry on a terribly unhealthy relationship with.

Of course, this wouldn't be any fun unless the PC's found out about it. Perhaps they don't find out until said rival gets in way over their head and ends up on the wrong side of a boarding action/assassination run staged by the PC's only for them to find the shrine built up to the RT, the incredibly sad simulacra, and several blasphemous tomes filled with corrupting rites to work to realize one's heart's desire. Unfortunately, the obsessed rival died in the boarding/assassination run and will be unable to answer any questions about those tomes, whether they worked any warp craft on the PC, etc.

One of the Rogue Traders ancestors left a special spyglass, which will not activate without the facial contact of one of his descendents. The RT does not know this, but his arch-rival or whomever does, and will use the skull to unlock the spyglass. Once it is unlocked, it reveals the coordinates for a fabulous treasure world, or some other profit factor increasing endeavor, perhaps the whereabouts of his lost treasure.

I really like the Skull idea i think i'll use it lolany way Two ideas off the cuff

1. The RT orders a super of soup, the servant reverantly arrives with and finding the RT staring out at the stars or pawing over star charts places it on the side. The RT wanders over to the soup and... a) tries some only realing trhat the bowl is his own skull after he has swallowed a mouthful of the poisonus broth or b) (awarness test?) pauses with the spoon almost upon his lips as he notices the new bone white bowl.

The poisoned Skull bowl should probably have a cryptic message etched into it, from a rival or mysterious enemy.

2. To buil upon the Vodoo type ideas, Have the rival / nemesis fashion the top and front into a mask, which they wear to enter his dreams and mess with his head, perhaps it could become a two way link almost like a Harry potter Voldermort link perhaps with the joing of their souls?

I would start with doing something suitable humiliating to the RT by one of his enemies. After the RT has gotten used to that and his nemesis grows bored of this game, I would escalate the situation with one of the above suggestions. Forcing the RT to react and offering your team a new endeaver.

I read the implant section last night and its only part removed.

miss dee said:

True. But I prefer the idea of removing the entire skull, especially as it gives more room for the armour that replaces it.

I really like the idea of the genecoded item, or the stealth servo skull. My first idea was also dark vodoo and sorcery so I find it great to use it like a gene-coded key most player will think in the vodoo way.

Make it a lowly luminen globe servo skull, make it flies only 50cm from the ground, with the name of the rogue trader etched on it. Make it an object of contempt, a permanent insult, with a related profit factor lose (until it is recovered). And, of course, put it in the hands of a very influent person.

Use it as proof that you have killed the Rogue Trader to claim the right to his Warrant.