Hello all,
I've made this NPC navigator for my gaming group. If there are some of you out there that (also) need a NPC navigator please feel free to use my slimy- not-very-legal-but-hey-its-the-best-you've-got friend over here.
If you are going to use him i would like to get writing credits for this guy (vanity, its a sin, but i'm merely human ;-))
Strang Orla Dacton
Little is known to you about the main Navigator of the Cede Maori, the things you do know are
whispers, half truths and outright lies. He is called a spy for the inquisition, a vassal for Chaos, a rival
for the captains throne and much much more. Since he usually does not leave his “inner sanctum”
deep within the bowels of Cede Maori, rumors about his person are widespread abroad your
starship. All hands, from starboard to port, be they officer or common voidfarer know the name of
Strang Orla Dacton, head Navigator of the Cede Maori.
Whatever the case may be with this old and strange man, be he spy, vassal or rival all in one
disgusting figure, he is first and foremost your 1st helmsman in the warp. The one most experienced
with the tides and fickles of the warp. He has been in this position for nearly one hundred terran
years, a feat that only very few of his siblings can claim. Being this long exposed to the warp has left
his mark on the man, where once was flesh there now are slimy tentacles, where once were teeth
there are now long razorsharp fangs, and where once was sanity there is now only experience.
An aloof, vain and morally dubious creature, Strang Orla Dacton has carved himself a little empire
within the bowels of Cede Maori. Although when pressed he is ultimately held to the contract that
the Valeray dynasty has for over 400 years with house Dacton. He has been allowed by the Cede
Maori’s former Lord Captains to “make himself at home” and that he did. When approaching his
sanctum one cannot help but notice the beautifully carved doors that tell the tale of house Dacton.
From the very first beginnings as imperial sanctioned navigators to the great ascension within the
ranks of the most powerful Navis Nobilite in the Segmentum. Not one feat of strength is left untold
and since 1st navigator Dacton likes to keep his guests waiting one has usually time to look and be
awed by the craftsmanship that is been put into these doors. True oak form the dense forests of
Terra itself, only a splinter of this hallowed wood is worth millions…
When allowed entrance in the “first hall of the Navigator” you notice it is completely without lights,
why this is or how this came to be is subject of many a tale on the Cede Maori, some voidsmen
claim that the Cede Maori herself is afraid to look upon the 1st Navigator, while others claim that she
cursed the Navigator many a journey ago and condemns him to the “darkness of the void”. Be it fear
or curse, 1st Navigator Strang Orla Dacton likes the dark and seems to have no hinder from it.
Since his life usually takes place in complete darkness and he rarely leaves his sanctum (another
source of myriad tales abroad the starship) nobody knows how he exactly looks like, he is constantly
guarded by House Dacton’s soldiers, and his acolytes are sworn to silence. He is a mysterious man
that mostly keeps to himself and his acolytes, when summoned he only appears if the summon
comes from the Lord Captain himself. Since he feels vastly superior to anyone onboard he has little
to no friends or allies, evil tongues place him at the birth of the underdeck village Maori. A grave
matter if true (and known to the inquisition) but up until now this is just one more rumor about one
of the Cede Maori’s more colorful residents.
For all the tales about your Navigator, and for all his bad habits, unspeakable and blasphemous looks
(for he is most certain a mutant) there is one thing that keeps him in his inner sanctum and out of
the clutches of the inquisition. The fact that he is a very good navigator with an almost unsurpassed
knowledge of both the warp and the Cede Maori. The famous Lord Captain Mercurius Valeray himself
stood eye to eye with this creature more than once and since he is still on the ship, it seems that
Strang Orla Dacton has made himself indispensable for the Lord Captain of the Cede Maori…..almost
indispensible that is….
House Valeray is not able to live with House Dacton nor is it able to live without it. In the past,
present and in the future there were, are and will be many disputes regarding the Navigators
abroad the Valeray starships. Either way, both houses cannot afford to lose the mutual bonds and
agreements that have existed for over four centuries. From both sides there are many negotiators
and diplomats constantly battling over the contracts and “fine print” that exist between the 2
houses.
This constant bickering, combined with the nature of the Navis Nobilite and the edges of imperial
space, where the inquisitions mighty hand somehow seems weaker has been the reason that 1st
Navigator Strang Orla Dacton was able to keep his position aboard the Cede Maori for as long as he
has. The Inquisition seems to have no records of him (anymore) and he is therefore of their radar.
Although there are many reasons to celebrate this fact there is also a downside, since he is not in
the inquisitorial records that also means he is unsanctioned, a grave abomination to the emperor’s
children and a danger to its holy light. This fact is also something that is can be exploited by the savvy
Rogue Trader that is aware of this fact.
As the cards are dealt right now Strang Orla Dacton keeps safe within his “sanctum” carefully and
seemingly easy guiding the Cede Maori trough the warp. Her Lord Captain may set the course but it is
1st Navigator Strang Orla Dacton and his Acolytes that get’s the Cede Maori there……
.