Greetings FFG Forum Users,

Some of you a long time ago were part of one of my campaigns and it just ended up fizzling away due to many different things. Today I am here to introduce you all to the new campaign that I have titled "Thorns of Indignity". Unlike most campaigns for Rogue Trader we will not be locating our game in the Koronus Expanse or the Calixis Sector. The game will take place in the Broken Chord Territories, a set of Uncharted Territories set at the Galactic West. The region of space is located in the Galactic Halo and has the unique feature of having a one-way Warp Gate.

Our intrepid crew of Explorers will have to go through this gate in order to become the dominant power-bloc in an internal fight to inherit the von-Antioch Dynasty. In accordance with Dynasty Law and the Inheritance clause of the von-Antioch Warrant of Trade, the legitimate scions of the dynasty must prove to the Lord Governor and the Administratum that they are worthy of inheriting the Warrant of Trade. In the case that no scion is deemed worthy of the honor then all assets of the dynasty are turned over to the Imperium of Man.

The crew has 100 standard years to prove that they have what it takes by establishing a foothold in the Uncharted Territories. Once this has been accomplished they most crusade and explore the region and bring it back into the fold. The final phase of the Rite of Inheritance will be a pilgrimage to Holy Terra. Follow us through this adventure as we develop the stories of our crew.

Our Rogue Trader has submitted his background story and here it is hope you guys enjoy it.

Sebastian von Antioch

The third child of a Trenton von Antioch, former head of the once-famed, and now in decline, von Antioch dynasty, Sebastian was never fated to lead his family. In man dynasties, a third-born child could never rise beyond serving a role upon the vessels commanded by his older siblings. In many dynasties, Sebastian would have served as a Senechal and trusted advisor to his brother Helotus or his sister Abraxia. While that would have been expected in most dynasties, in the von Antioch dynasty, nothing was further from reality. See, since the first of his ancestor’s received the holy Warrant of Trade – some say signed by the God-Emperor himself – the von Antioch line had been one known for one thing above all else, intrigue. Conspiratorial and ambitious by nature, the scions of the line spent much of their time planning, though many would call it scheming. From grand endeavors meant to enhance the already considerable assets of the name, to conspiracies meant to advance one’s own position by removing any family members ahead of one’s self. Indeed, it is said by many that more Lord Captains of the von Antioch line have perished “accidentally” than any other Rogue Trader dynasty.

For millennia, this was a way of life. It was accepted by Imperial authorities because, simply, the von Antioch dynasty had proven to be loyal and adept at performing the duties to which it had been beholden since the Warrant was first issued. However, at the turn of the 40 ^th Millennia, this changed in the most abrupt of fashions. In what has since been referred by the family’s historians as the “Time of Tears,” the first of nearly one hundred assassinations took place – all of which are thought to have originated within the minds and black hearts of the members of the von Antioch dynasty, itself. From the then-serving Lord Captain, to children, some as young as 5 years of age, the members of the dynasty who were never meant to inherit simply removed any persons between them and what they perceived as the throne. What history has shown time and time again is that those mean to inherit power will be those most likely to use it well. Never has this been more true than in the aftermath of the Time of Tears.

As Lord Captains and their children fell, so too did the prospects for profit and gain. Those members of the dynasty cunningly vile enough to advance themselves through blood, though rarely remaining in power for long, were less adept at profiteering than they were at murder. With few exceptions, from 200.M41 until the present, the profits and assets of the dynasty declined steadily with each successive Lord Captain. Where the von Antioch line once enjoyed success in each and every endeavor it undertook, the surviving members of the dynasty, cowering in fear of the culling, watched in horror as defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory; as once dependable sources of income dried up. No endeavor, no matter how well planned and executed ever ended in profit. It was as if the Emperor himself was punishing the line for its actions – or so the more pious members of the line believed. Nonetheless, by the tail end of M41, the von Antioch dynasty was reduced to a small flotilla of vessels and a few, middling sources of income.

Sebastian was born into this time. The Time of Tears was over, not because the dynasty came to its senses, but because there were few people left to kill, and even fewer to inherit. Still fearing for his children, Trenton von Antioch, who had risen to power when his father was murdered by his uncle in an effort to take the Lord Captaincy, resolved to keep his children and his legacy safe. Sebastian’s eldest sibling, his sister, Abraxia, would take her place at their father’s side, so as to learn the trade first hand, as she would one day take her place as the head of the dynasty. His brother Helotus, always martially inclined, would serve in the Imperial Navy, to become more adept at the arts of war and to curry favor with an important branch of the Imperium’s military. Sebastian, unlike his other siblings or even his father, was a scholar – much like his mother had been. Ever inquisitive an curious, Sebastian took to history and science from an early age. As a result, and seeking to prepare his youngest son for his life by his sister’s side, Trenton von Antioch called in favors and sent Sebastian to the Schola Progenium program on Scintilla.

For the next 13 years, Sebastian drank deeply of the knowledge imparted upon him by the scholars and warrior-abbots of the schola. There, he discovered his adroitness in dealing with matters of state. He, for the first time in his short life, embraced a belied in the God-Emperor’s divinity, though he never quite took to the strictures of the Ecclesiarchy. While attending classes, he learned the sciences, mathematics, language and, perhaps most important to him, the histories of the ancient Imperium. That archaic lore and the ancient legends piqued Sebastian’s interests most. As a result of this insatiable pursuit for knowledge, upon completing the schola program, Sebastian obtained the permission of his father and the Adeptus Mechanicus upon Belacane to take his place within the crew of a small Explorator vessel bound for the deep, dark regions of the outer-galaxy, where, in his mind, he could unearth those archaic devices and prove those ancient histories true.

For 3 years, all Sebastian’s dreams came to fruition. Ancient human settlement were found, some possessing lost artifacts from the time before the Imperium. Sebastian marveled at the strange stellar phenomenon just as astonishingly as he gazed upon mysterious xenos constructs unlike anything he’d ever seen. This was everything he thought it could be, and more. As it turned out, it would end up being much more than not only what he could have imagined, but perhaps more than he ever wanted.

As the 4 ^th year of the voyage came, the Explorator vessel entered an uncharted star system in the halo stars to the deep galactic east, disaster struck. Following a faint beacon signal coming from the interior of the system, the Explorators came into contact with a Gravitic Tide more powerful than any ever charted. No matter the efforts of the Tech-Priests and other crewman, the vessel’s fate was sealed. The powerful riptide effect began to cause hull breaches within minutes. Unable to bring the now-crippled vessel clear, the last of the surviving crewmen altered their course and made for a nearby moon that seemed to be marginally life-sustaining. The landing, though it felt more like a crash to Sebastian, was hard and did enough damage to the vessel to ensure that it would never leave this place. As he exited a massive fissure in the port side of the ship into the crisp air of the cold moon, Sebastian and the surviving crewmen feared that they too would never leave this place. As fate would have it, that would not be the case.

Of the crew that weren’t ripped out of the vessel as its hull was holed by the massive gravitic forces of the stellar anomaly, a full 75% were killed or wounded beyond saving by the crash landing. That left approximately 2000 surviving crew, and only a single Tech-Priest beyond the rank of menial – Enginseer Karpan. For months, the surviving crew foraged from and hunted in the surrounding area in an effort to stay alive. None of the vegetation or animal life could be properly tested and the crew would determine by trial and error what was edible and what wasn’t. In the 4 ^th month, Sebastian took ill after consuming some form of vegetable that grew wild in a nearby valley – likely a form of bacterial infection. Nonetheless, the crew and Sebastian survived – something that the Enginseer would not do for long. It had long been determined that the explorator vessel could not be repaired, but the thought stayed close to Sebastian’s mind that the vessel had come in this direction because of a beacon. Perhaps something or someone useful could be found there.

Using what few functional ground vehicles they had at their disposal, Sebastian led the crew on scouting expeditions further and further away from the now-destroyed vessel. For months, there was little discovered – just flat tundra and a near-endless expanse of densely forested land to the south. It was not until the first “summer” – if scarcely above freezing temperatures could be called such – that the beacon was found. Coming to the crest of a distant ridge to the north of the crash site, Sebastian and 5 crewman gazed down into a formerly glaciated valley and looked upon the exposed aft-castle of an enormous vessel. The group had been to this location before, but it seems that the changing of the season had caused enough of the glacier to melt that the vessel was now visible. With so little of it exposed, it was impossible to identify the class, but based on the size, it was large. Perhaps even cruiser sized. With gold struck, Sebastian returned to the wreckage of the explorator vessel and spoke to the dying Enginseer. Their deliverance had been found. There were plans to make.

For the next year, under the direction of the Enginseer, the surviving crew – now numbering less than 1000 – with the assistance of the few remaining servitors, began to repair the ship. The ancient plasma drive was repaired first and the massive amount of heat created by the engine ensured that the glacier would not form when winter came. All the while, the dying Enginseer related all he knew to Sebastian – forbidden lores and little-known secrets, knowledge of the machine god and the spirit within all things technological. He told Sebastian of the existence of ancient and powerful xenos and human devices, from millennia long forgotten, the existence of which is kept secret such that mankind does not pity itself for all that is has lost. Through those conversations, Sebastian learned more in a few months than in more than a decade at the Schola Progenium. It made him sad and angry, yet, at the same time, it gave him drive. Drive to locate all those things, to deliver them back to mankind… and to profit by them. To this day, Sebastian has never spoken of these things he knows. And in his silence, he finds the strength to pursue those goals.

At the close of that year, with hopes high and spirits at their peak, the old Enginseer finally succumbed to his injuries. There was much work to do and without the direction of the priest of mars, the crew began to retreat into melancholy. Sebastian would not let this occur. He was certainly cognizant of the situation – without the Tech-Priest, the odds of successfully repairing the vessel would be low, but remaining at work would keep the crew focused. Sebastian knew all too well what occurred when man had too much free time. Whether successful or not, keeping the crew busy was, at this point, far more important than rapidly repairing vessel. If the opposite became true, there would be few of them left to escape this planet anyway.

While the crew worked, Sebastian skulked about the ship looking for spare parts. While hoping against hope that the crew could repair the vessel, Sebastian would tend to a secondary plan. With no astropaths remaining with the crew, there only way to communicate would be via vox. In this case, a wide-band vox signal, much like the beacon that brought Sebastian here in the first place. Within days, communications were brought up and for the first time, Sebastian entered the bridge. Stunned to near silence, Sebastian panned his view around the mysterious construct that seemed to be as much a living thing as a construct of control. Magnificent did not quite describe it, though mysterious certainly did. Pushing his awe aside, Sebastian activated the vox and recorded a simple distress message giving the planet’s and their own location, then set it to repeat. In hindsight, many years later and even to this day, Sebastian would rue the day he pushed aside his awe on the bridge. The clues were obvious. He should have seen it. More than anything, he should not have sent that distress message.

Within a week of sending the vox distress, they came. At first, they probed form extremely high altitude – watching and striking at any outlying groups of crew. Within days, it was a full assault. The Dark Eldar struck like lightening. Emerging from a bulkhead and closing the distance on unsuspecting groups of crew so fast that some bodies were found eviscerated with their tools, rather than weapons, still in hand. Within days, half the crew was dead or missing – likely taken by the vile xenos as prisoners or worse. Nonetheless, Sebastian and the survivors outnumbered the xenos considerably, and the confined spaces within the ship made for choke points that served as defensible positions. Numerous were said choke points around the most densely filled parts of the ship – particularly around sensitive systems. This allowed the crew to continue repairs while the remainder continued to fight off the invaders. For weeks, then months, Sebastian fought the xenos, who would come like the wind, murder, and then leave even more quickly than they arrived. Each time, taking lives and prisoners. But the work continued all the while.

On the day of deliverance, nearly 3 years after arriving on this planet, the power pathways leading to the turret system came back online. On that day, the xenos were driven back. They paid for their degradations upon Sebastian and the crew. They were sent screaming back into the void. That night, Sebastian led the crew in prayer. On that say, for the first time in his life, he felt the presence of that greater power than the abbots used to whisper about back at the Schola.

Within a few short months, the vessel was repaired. Through those last days on this world, Sebastian investigated the whole of the massive voidship. He dug through and reviewed counless scrolls, papers and dataslates in an effort to identify the origin of this vessel. It was an ancient Conquest-class Star Galleon. An old and curious vessel that was neither warship nor transport, yet seemed to be able to serve the role of both. This particular vessel, it seemed, was designed with both comfort and exploration in mind – two pursuits Sebastian very much looked forward to after having spent the last 3 years on this world. Other than the strange and curious bridge, which almost seemed alive, the remaining menials and mechanics among the crew often marveled at the design of the vessel’s plasma drive. It was tiny in comparison to most, yet dwarfed its less-stunning cousins in power output. While Sebastian, armed with the knowledge provided to him in schola and by the fallen Enginseer, presumed this vessel was of strange archeotech design – perhaps a relic of a time when technological advancement was mankind’s primary purpose – Sebastian could never determine its origins. This, too, would be a life’s goal.

Leaving the strange world, Sebastian was almost saddened. In some strange way, it had become home. Or perhaps more like the forge in which Sebastian’s thirst was smelted. Just prior to translating into the warp, Sebastian named the vessel “The Unquenchable Thirst.” A name which matched the innermost make up of its captain.

Here is the background on our missionary. Enjoy.

Jeremaia Asrod Soartora

Jeremaia was born on the hive world Necromunda.

From as long as he could remember, he and his father attended every sermon of the Emperor given by the Missionaries of the Ecclesiarchy. They would then review what they heard on the way home and throughout the day. The young boy understood the Imperial Creed and tenets from an early age of 10, and sought to serve the Emperor when he grew up.

At the age of 15 he became acquainted with the radical group known as the Redeptionists. He began observing their group, witnessing several mobs hunting down and killing the heretics. He viewed what they did as justified. Why would one defy our one protector? he would think, they deserve this.

His life changed at the age of 17 he witnessed another mob marching down his walkway. He decided to help destroy the scum that threaten him and his holy God-Emperor. His father being away at work, Jeremaia decided to take his father’s shotgun and rush to meet the group.

He met with the others, some dressed in red robes and cowls, lead by a priest yelling the sins of the men they must purge. Upon arrival of the site, they barge into the housing, grappling men to the ground. They fight back, and fight back well, as the cultists in question were of Khorne worship. They fight the Khornate cultists down, but they keep running from different rooms and parts of their Khornate “church.”

Caught in the confusion of battle, Jeremaia was unsure of what to do. He stood in the center of the room. His confusion, however was cut short as a cultist attacked him with a small, hellish looking dagger. Jeremaia dodged it’s swipe, bashed its face with the stock of the shotgun, and shot it as he fell to the floor. Jeremaia suddenly felt a bloodlust surge through him. He pointed his gun at another charging cultist, who dodged his shot and threw Jeremaia to the floor. The cultist climbed on top of Jeremaia, laughing for maniacal pleasure of bloodshed. Jeremaia noticed this cultist is particularly ornamented with wounds, bones, and utensils for death. The cultist unsheathed a dagger from his side, licked it, cutting his tongue. He ripped open the buttons of Jeremaias shirt, exposing his bare chest, and slashed an X across Jeremaia’s flesh. He completed a triangle at the bottom of the X, a horizontal line across the center, and two more lines on either side of the top of the X.

Jeremaia looked in horror as the symbol of Khorne was carved into his chest. The final plunge of the dagger was on its way. Filled with the rage of the cultist he was fighting, he blocked the dagger from hitting his heart and managed to push the cultist to his side. Jeremaia quickly reached for the shotgun to his left, swung it over his body to land straight into the temple of the cultist, exposing fragmented skull. He knelt up to a better position and swung again, landing onto the back of the head. Swing after swing he reduced the cultists skull to something less and less resembling a man. After he was satisfied he stopped for a moment to realized what happened. He looked at his chest and back to the others around him, realizing others were still fighting as well. Quickly he managed to cover his wounds and flee the scene.

He returned home to find his father waiting at home. His father looked at him in disappointment, but later in shock as he noticed his shotgun in his son's hand, blood across his body, and a his feeble attempt to cover a wound. "Son, you're wounded." Jeremaia turned away, dropped the gun, and rubbed his hand through his long brown hair, beginning to sob. "Let me help you." Jeremaia only replied with more sobs and an extended arm to keep his father away. Finally, his father got to him, turning him around and exposing his still bleeding wound.

“Son...I...I know you didn’t...the cultists did it to you, didn’t they? You know you cannot show anyone. Your life is changed now…you cannot get too close with anyone. They will surely find out eventually. I...I’ll get our medikit.”

The next morning he awoke, bandages around his chest. He sat as his bed, contemplating his future. For the first time he lifted his head, noticing something on his desk that wasn’t there the night before. In a black leather sheath, a blade lie. Jeremaia unsheathed it and observed. The hilt is made of a metal shaped into the resemblance of a swirling vortex of skulls. The black blade is about eight inches in length, four inches wide at the base, and curves to a point. Jeremaia recognized the blade as the one wielded by the heretic who carved this symbol into his chest. Jeremaia assumed the blade was tainted, and threw it to the trash bins in the alley by his house. The next day it was on his desk. He went to the marketplace and laid it on a stand, however it came back to him again. Every day since, he has awoken with it on him, in his hand, or on his desk.

Jeremaia eventually joined into the Redemptionists, despite contrary advice from his father. He was initiated as a novice Brother. He would do the daily working tasks for the good of the cult. While he didn’t feel it to be his calling, he still believed they were tasks for the good men who fight for the Emperor. However, he was occasionally asked to go with the mobs of city men to purge the heresy from their hive city. He rose through the ranks, being recognized as being touched with the Emperors fury and becoming a Zealot.

Gaining experience, he was initiated into Crusades, his unit called Malicant’s Chosen. The five Brethren, Jeremaia, Garem Heron, Osman Retkite, Yuri Calcuta, and Jarl Fenrik, fought for many years to try to redeem themselves by inflicting their fury onto their enemies. They were later hired by the Inquisitor Cort Maxismus to lead his warbands by example; how to have faith and how to fight for the Emperor.

They fought in wars against xenos and renegade armies who have disassociated themselves with the Imperium, and most ferverously against Chaos worshipers. Jeremaia found himself preferring a weapon of the Redemptionists aside a weapon from his roots; an Exterminator Eviscerator and his father’s shotgun he inherited after his father passed from a work incident. He later became the unit’s Warrior-Priest after their former, Garem Heron, was killed in brave action. Dedicating the unit to him, Jeremaia renamed their unit name to Garem’s Redemption and adopted Garem’s son Grae into the unit.

Inquisitor Cort Maxismus felt that the Crusader unit did their job of teaching and inspiring faith to the warbands. Generously, he gave a large sum of money to the unit and let them do as they wish. The unit found a transport to Port Wander and sent the rest of the money to the Redemptionists on Necromunda. The aspired to help inspire the faith of the Emperor to the new founding worlds in the Koronus Expanse. Eventually Rogue Trader Sebastian von Antioch hired the Jeremaia.

Hi guys just got the background to our Arch-Militant hope you guys enjoy it.

He'ka Taan

Born on the paradise planet of Jawaee as a commoner He'ka has enjoyed a life that many Imperial citizens can only dream of. Education, though basic, was provided to all but the most unfortunate or criminally inclined individuals. An illusion of a degree of freedom unheard of since the time of unification and pre-strife was given to most of the Jawaee's citizenry. Though the caste and a form of feudal systems were still present the people of Jawaee rarely wanted for necessities. This of course did not stop them from wanting more as it is only human. Those that were essentially the noble caste, under the guise of a democratically elected government, still took more than their fare share, as all privileged are wont to do, but still gave enough to quell any thoughts of change. The imperial creed was taught to almost everyone and those that did not receive instruction were still aware of it due to its ubiquitous nature. While most of the citizenry had faith in the imperial creed many were lax in their observations. The nobles often outright flaunted their ability to break with the creed and delve into philosophies that were heretical but called it wisdom and deemed all was well in the pursuit of knowledge. In this environment He'ka would develop the qualities he would become known for in the grim dark days to come.

He'ka was raised by an elderly man named Anton DeRivero who took him in after his mother put him up for adoption. While He'ka also had a mother figure, Anton's wife, she passed in his early childhood and he only has fleeting memories of the kind woman known affectionately as "Lucky". Anton was a very reserved though not unkind man. He valued discipline and an honorable lifestyle though never actually using those words, or much words at all, and taught He'ka through action. Anton worked maintaining the habs in just about every way imaginable. Where he received the knowledge He'ka could only guess as he never directly told him though stories Anton told of his past provide some clues.

Anton was raised with extended family within the same stretch of lands owned by the Patriarch Obedio DeRivero, Anton's grandfather. A brutal man, he was a noble born former Major and Captain in the Imperial Navy and Imperial guard. Hailing from somewhere call Kasteel, which He'ka's grandfather implied was not a planet itself but a part of one, the nobles of that land had a very militaristic mindset and were expected to know how to function as part of an armada due to their history during the great crusade as one of the finest of the then Imperial Army's fleet contingent. Though the were separated post-heresy the people of Kasteel circumvented this by training their warriors for both and simply placing, and transferring, individuals where needed. Anton was fond of telling the tale of how their family came to Jawaee. After fighting in a great campaign against rebellious heretics Obedio was beginning to tire of war and what it was turning him into and during their travels around the system in which they fought he and his men had an extended stay for refitting and Obedio had a whirlwind romance with a noblewoman named Ava. Though it is never explained why or how, Obedio took his men and his ship and fled the war, the system, and the Imperial military. He eventually made his way to Jawaee, on the edge of the same segmentum in which he had fought which was only starting to be colonized, and there put down his roots.

Anton would tell He'ka of how his family had own vast tracks of land upon which they grew food for the people and their family. As time went on and the population grew exponentially they could no longer afford to maintain what was essentially a frontier lifestyle. The mechanicus demanded their land for use as a mass agricultural plant. All but the DeRivero's villas were taken and Obedio made a taskmaster for the laborers their. The up-and-coming nobles also took notice of the Derivero's estates. They questioned his lineage, source of wealth, and a few who managed to piece together part of his past questioned his claim to nobility. Eventually, they lost almost everything just after the patriarch passed away. Shortly afterwards a second great war broke out and eventually made its way to Jawaee. During a heretic raid the most beautiful and well known of its ports was attacked. Though little damage was done to the port itself nearly all the ships at or near the port were destroyed. Due to traitors in the port, as well as Jawaee, and the huge casualty figures of the nearby systems the whole system rose up in arms.

A young Anton, then only fourteen years of age, falsified his documents with help from family and friends in order to escape some trouble he had caused for himself. The Imperium being what it is gladly accepted more meat for the grinder. The war that would be called the second great war would eventually be won in large part due to the last minute intervention of Anton's home system fresh into the war, supplies to spare, or sell, which they did, and they would become the most powerful system in this segmentum. After the war Anton would travel finding work as an armsman for hire working mostly in guard work and helping the arbites, even becoming a gladiator briefly, and eventually settled down back home. Here he would raise a family and worked using tech skills that may have been learned while in the Imperial Guard. He worked mainly in building and maintaining the upper-most spires, Mechanicus comm-arrays, and Astropathic towers. One day, the young hot headed noble that supervised Anton's guild made the mistake of insulting Anton's wife after Anton got into an argument over the nobles' incompetence. He'ka was never told the specifics of what happened but at times it sounded like the noble was thrown off of something, likely off a spire, and perhaps even died. History would repeat itself and Anton would be subject to the punishments of Imperial law. Though he survived whatever trials he experienced he and his family had lost everything and would have to rebuild their lives. Shortly afterwards, a much older Anton would run into the infant He'ka.

He'ka did not know much about his mother outside of fleeting memories and tales of a woman wronged by a noble and left to fend for herself in the backlash that only ever hurts everyone other than the perpetrators of such crimes. The local arbites found and took bleeding He'ka from his mother and she was never seen or heard from again. This happened near the area in which Anton lived and it was he who discovered the wounded boy. During the second great war Anton saw many children left to die or fend for themselves in the ruin that both sides created for their people. These experiences and the sight of the wailing bloody He'ka spurred him to request to become the guardian of the boy rather than let him rot in the orphanages where the children of non-imperial soldiers were placed. Here under the unwavering gaze of Anton He'ka would grow into the idealistic, stoic, and sanguine individual he would be known as. Upon completing his basic education He'ka volunteered to be part of the small tithe of manpower given to the imperium and specifically requested to join the guard.

He'ka fought in the Armageddon cities as a medic guardsman in the 2/299th regiment Koa or "Warriors" in the old Jawi tongue. Though they played only a small security role for the command and control bases and already established footholds gained by other units during the war He'ka was repeatedly seconded to units short on medics. Here he would experience all the stupidity and honor, or dishonor, or war and the warriors that fought it. On many occasions the leaders and the most boastful and aggressive would often be found incompetent and break in the face of truly dangerous enemies and overwhelming odds. He'ka would learn to recognize and despise individuals such as these even going so far as to question and defy them. Though he served with distinction he would never be recognized for any of it and was told it was a mercy he was not thrown to the penal legions. Eventually, he requested to be transferred to the front lines which was gleefully granted by his petty commanders.. He'ka idealism would not allow him to see reality however and he volunteered for a second term if they would just allow him to serve on the frontlines. This he did, eventually coming to fight in the mountain ranges of the Hemlock river valley. Here he would fight along side men that he actually felt a kinship with. Though they were undermanned to begin with and took a great many casualties the men fought tenaciously and the lower ranks trusted each other explicitly. The mountain ranges that comprised their area of operations would be known for long period of intense combat which time after time ended in victory for their company and He'ka's platoon. When the sudden and surprising "end" came to the third war for Armageddon He'ka's company remained to battle the seemingly permanent ork infestation and cowardly fiends that always appear to prey on the weak during war. It was during this time that He'ka would face the worst trials of his life.

Having receive enough reinforcements to continue the fighting once the time of fire was over, He'ka's platoon continued operations from their remote outpost in the Hemlock mountains. They now had a new lieutenant as well as several senior sergeants fresh from the rear with zero combat experience. All of them, with the exception of the lieutenant, had spent most of their careers hiding from combat tours through political machination and sycophancy. Only now arriving so as to climb further up the ladder and reap the honors bought with the blood of others, He'ka once again found himself in the company of cowards and incompetents. During one of their first missions together He'ka, now a sergeant, one of the original squad leaders, and all the new troops, to include their two lieutenant and platoon sergeant, went on a routine patrol to show them the trails as well as help survivors living in the mountains. During this mission they received intel that a group of scum were in the city and ready to ambush them as night fell as well as other separate groups waiting to whittle them down when they inevitably pulled back in the face of greater numbers. The leaders quickly decided to simply leave and along the way they took a single shot that did not hit anyone. As soon as this happened the mostly green squad began to go as fast as they could to get back to the outpost. While the squad leader attempted to forge some semblance of order, the lieutenant and platoon sergeant quickly countermanded his orders. Along the way He'ka, now carrying the squads heavy weapon and excessive ammo, began to fall back. Only the squads marksman, and youth name Ivanski, stayed with him as the group slowly abandoned them both. The scum seeing this, quickly attempted to fall upon them. He'ka and Ivanski made their way back to the outpost slowly through the night all while attempting to evade being captured or killed. About halfway up the mountain ridge upon which their outpost sat He'ka and Ivanski began to see mortar flares lighting up the area just behind them. Under the light the scum gave up chase and crawled back into the holes they crawled out from. The duo then noticed that the flares were being "walked" towards them and they realized that they were under observation and were possibly being mistaken for enemies. In addition, several hovercraft both utility and assault were now in the area. He'ka counted at least four with one fighter aircraft making passes. With this new change of events they pair now had to stop and hide whenever the flares light the valley. Now advancing at a snails pace, He'ka and Ivanski eventually made it to the outpost, essentially sneaking up on their own outpost undetected, and announced their presence.

Apparently, the hover and aircraft were out in force to find and protect them. Almost all of the original group had also gone down to find them with the assistance of several squads from the other nearby platoons. As they approached what passed for their command center they could hear the lieutenant saying, "It's all my fault, It's all my fault. We shouldn't have left them...", and saw their new platoon sergeant sitting down and staring blankly at nothing. When all was said an done it seemed like their excuse was that they "though you two were still with us a just a little behind" and when they arrived at the outpost most of them simply took off their gear and went to rest, much to the still protesting squad sergeant's dismay. When he finally went to get a head count and had waited more than long enough for the pair to arrive they finally realized what they had done. This unfortunately would only be the beginning.

Just before He'ka and some of the other original members of the company were scheduled to leave they would suffer their greatest loss. During a mission to conduct a surprise raid on a small survivor outpost believed to be supporting and hiding the scum attacking and looting these lands, they lost one of their best and brightest to friendly fire. Jean Peniche was the second born son of a minor noblewoman and a high ranking Imperial commander. He quickly won over everyone with his skill at arms, intellect, and charm. These traits along his time with the unit would see him quickly promoted to sergeant as well as being the de facto leader amongst the lower, and even some of the higher, ranks of the platoon. Upon engaging the enemy and causing them to attempt to flee into the waiting overwatch He'ka's platoon called for mortar support. When the first round landed almost on top of them they called out for cease fire. The commander took the screams for a cease fire as well as some of the other commentary as a personal insult. He expressed this belief over the radio while also berating those calling for cease fire. He then gave the command to fire for effect. The very next round landed next to Sergeant Peniche instantaneously killing him and severely wounding most of the platoon present at the raid. In the days after no one had a complete picture of just what happened.

Those present at the raid were quickly sequestered and question by investigators and upon being released the platoon found that they had been betrayed. The company captain had ordered the mortar cogitators altered so that it appeared that He'ka and his men had given their commander and mortar crew the wrong coordinates. In effect this absolved them of the responsibility of their arrogance. The fire support officer and mortar crew had agreed before the platoon had even been evacuated so as to cover their own asses. Many of these men were known to He'ka and he and his men considered them friends or even brothers-in-arms. From the crew left at their outpost they also found that their sworn testimony from the investigation was non-existent. Only contradictory reports that sounded nothing like anyone in their platoon could be found by them when they visited their company outpost and demanded to know what the fug happened. A few of the mortar crew and two forward observers working with the fire support officer during the incident relayed the rest. It was not long after this that they were disbanded, separated, and discharged, several of them dishonorably with no cause given.

Upon finishing up his term He'ka felt disappointed with the selfishness, arrogance, and corruption he had seen throughout his life throughout the Imperium. His grandfather had warned him about the foolishness of war and the mostly "grox **** officers" that ran it and called him stupid for joining. He'ka's idealism had not allowed the reality of what the elder veteran was trying to teach him. Even after being discharged and stranded on a planet he did not know he still believed that most people were inherently neutral and circumstance shaped them into what they were. He tried doing labor work and even spent time as an emergency and hospital medica, but found that he could not relate to anyone, even other veterans, and that he had almost become a new person.

He could not sleep unless he drank himself into oblivion. He could not tolerate most people who spent their live only wanting more comfort and cared little for others let alone to contribute to the whole. He felt lost, dishonored, forgotten, and alone. He no longer had any purpose. With his mental stability failing but his skill remaining sharp he quickly got into bad situations where the only solution, that he could see, was violence. He turned his bitter and cold rage outwards and found work as a bounty hunter, mercenary, and "contract security personnel". It was during this time that the Rouge Trader Sebastian von Antioch found him and hired him as Chief of Security for the Unquenchable Thirst.

Loving the rich in-depth backgrounds created for each of these characters so far. Very impressive and if the game is as rich and lavish as the characters I expect it to be a classic.

Welcome to our first game narrative report of our game please read and enjoy.
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The Pillars of Altair

Episode 1 to Thorns of Indignity

Enjun Kel

Let me introduce myself I am Adept Enjun Kel of the Unqquenchable Thirst I have been directed to keep all of you appraised of the personal history of Captain Sebastian von Antioch and his senior officers. I will try to keep you as well informed as I am capable and as I am given access to restricted information. So let us begin this tale of adventure that is the history of Captain Sebastian von Antioch.

In the late years of M41 in the Broken Chord Expanse the once great Antioch Dynasty makes their final stand against the onslaught of time. Lord Captain Trenton von Antioch leads an expeditionary mission through the mysterious Warp Gate that has been designated Astravia Proxima.

It is still unclear what happened to the expedition or why the Imperium authorities at the Pillars of Altair lost all forms of communication except one phrase in an Astrophatic message. “The Inheritance Protocol is activated.” That was the last that anyone heard from St. Gillian's Redemption, Trenton von Antioch's flag ship.

When the Pillars of Altair received the message of the activations of the Inheritance Protocol they knew the clause was in effect. In the case communication were to be lost with the Patriarch of the Antioch Dynasty the Antioch Warrant of Trade requires all legitimate scions of House Antioch to gather at the last recorded port of call that the Patriarch of the Dynasty was recorded departing.

Our historical records show that Captain Sebastian received a fast courier package before he departed Port Elion, The courier delivered a Stasis Sealed Casket with a data cylinder. We only know that the data cylinder was sealed with House Antioch ciphers and a genetic key. The content of the cylinder seems to be data fragments of a very large navigational chart. In this records we have become aware of deposits of Keirusi High Yield Plasma and of a star system of highly inhospitable environments but high in yield of material resources.

Upon translation from Port Elion in the Ja'kri Sub Sector of the Broken Chord Expanse the summons to gather at the Pillars of Altair arrived. The atmosphere on the Unquenchable Thirst became that of a funeral dirge. The crew and officers were all aware what this summons was intended for. Captain Sebastian ordered his officers to gather at the conference chamber and layed out his plans upon arrival at the Pillars of Altair.

Captain Sebastian began that meeting by acknowledging the rumors that had been floating around the bridge of the ship that indeed it seemed Lord-Captain and Patriarch of the Antioch Dynasty Trenton von Antioch his father was now classified as missing in action. He informed his senior officers that he will have to attend an conclave with the other Scions of Antioch for the selection ceremony.

He also started to outline the plans of establishing a colony on the moon of the gas giant in the Uncharted Territories. Sebastian expressed the need to establish a food hold in this new lands in order to acquire new sources of profit for the dynasty. While he himself could not attend to the needs of acquiring the resources needed he assigned his trusted advisors to specific tasks while he met with the Lord Governor of the station.

The assignment for colony security was assigned to Master at Arms He'ka Taan a grim veteran of many conflicts and excellent survivalist. His job was to locate potential mercenary units or military support for the dynasty and procure their services while he, Captain Sebastian was in the meeting with the Lord Governor. The task of tecnological support was assigned to an advisor from the Cult of the Machine God, Lucious Bolt. Not much is known about him other then he keeps to himself and does detail research in the archives of the Unquenchable Thirst. The task of recruiting colonist was given to Missionary Jeremaia, a very energetic and dedicated man of the cloth. With the planning stage of the operation in place the crew arrived at the Pillars of Altair with no incident.

Upon the arrival of the Unquenchable Thirst and after we exited translation into real space we were greeted by communications from the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch, the core of the Pillars of Altair star fort. As the preotective shielding lifted from the archives we were able to see the sea of starts that were captured in the Astravia Proxima the Warp Gate to the Uncharted Territories.

When we arrived at the docks for the port we were able to see the sister ships of the dynasty the proud and honorable Cephiro's Wrath an Ambition class cruiser captained by Captain Sebastian's olderer brother and on a nearby docking clamp the brilliant perl of the dynasty Eluria's Pride a Endeavour class Cruiser. It would seem that the last one to hear the summons was our captain. The control crews of the Pillars of Altair guided our helmsman into a proper berth for our own ship and we were notified that our captain had the better part of the next day station time to prepare himself for the meeting with the administration.

The next couple of hours were a frenzy of activity in all sectors of the ship the Adepts of Mars started the ritual of dreamless slumber in the generatorium and the clerics of his grace the God-Emperor started purifying the chambers across all levels of the ship. They started to exorcise any ill-omens that boarded the dark corners of the ship. Since my primary work focused around the archives I helped Advisor Lucious Bolt on his research for local providers of colonization equipment.

As I went through the deep section of the archives I was able to find some old records that made passing references to colonization in this region of space. I carried the tomes of fragmenting paper to Lucious and entrusted him with the knowledge. As far as I can tell though my knowledge of the Cult Mechanicum is not that extensive I would say he most be a relatively a high acolyte of the cult. He has many elaborate augmentics that not many would be able to afford on a traditional payroll. As I sort through other tomes of knowledge he speaks to me in a quiet mecahnical voice that implies wisdom and a thirst of knowledge. He indicates that records show of detailed merchantile archives in one of the stasis vaults of the archives. He requests for me to bring this records while he does an exustive cross referencing of the data he has collected so far.

While I am in the archives stasis section I bring the request to my supervisor Senior Librarian Azel Kaine. He is an elder gentlemen but he has been with the dynasty for many years and is a knowledgeable person in many subjects. He once claimed that he was the tutor to Lord-Captain Trenton von Antioch and that he was established as keeper or the Sealed Archives due to his excellence in service to the dynasty. The truth might be different but the old man seems to be happy telling that story to anyone that asks. He opens the vaults and comes with me to select the tomes of knowledge.

I return to Advisor Lucious research room and bring in the cart with the tomes he requested. As I keep records of his findings he discovers that in this region of space their might be a handful of merchant houses and Adepts of Mars that might be able to assist Captain Sebastian on his task to establish a colony in the Uncharted Territories. As I take a look at my chrono I see that the ship time is near the night sermon at the temple. I excuse myself from the research that Advisor Lucious Bolt is performing and head out after taking a final note of the merchant houses that are reported to still operate in this area of space. The Glennorth Conglomerate, the Aizari Colonial Industries, and a handful of others.

While on my way to the temple I meet with a fellow keeper of the archives Jason Kirzon and he tells me that the Captain has granted shoreside privileges to anyone that wishes to visit the station. I was also told that our Missionary was heading to the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch. While I headed to the transfer point I heard that the rumor that the missionary was going to preach at the basilica was going to be an extraordinary sermon. I would never call myself a hard core zealot like our Missionary but I do respect his God-Emperor just like any imperial citizen.

I stop for a moment and think to myself that it might be an interesting experience to visit the Basilica since this might be my only chance in my life to see it. With that I make up my mind and request my permit to go into the station from the ships administration. The processes took the better part of an hour but I was able to be granted permission. The time granted was 48 standard hours ship clock. I sync my chrono to ship time and set the time for station time.

The air in the station seemed a bit fresher then was the air in my home is traditionally but it is to be expected that a crossroads of humanity would have greater quality of air then that of a merchant's transport. I get some directions from a kiosk at the juncture point Epsilon-Kappa 17. I am supposed to ravel into the Promenade district and follow the main roads to the apex of the district. I was told I should be able to see the great gates to the Basilica from the Promenade. I check the station time and see that I am a bit early for the stations night service.

I choose to stop and eat at the promenade and pay a couple of Thrones Gelt for my meal. While eating I spot a spectacle that I was not expecting. If I was not mistaken the Master at Arms from the Unquenchable Thirst was boxing in the middle of the street with three massive scarred thug looking beasts. As I eat my meal I think to myself this might not be good for our ship. The last time the Master at Arms was engaged in combat the dynasty had to pay a hefty sum for damage to the merchant district in Okapi VI. I wisely choose to keep my distance as the Arbites quickly come in and restrain the entire lot of them. Later that night after I went to the service at the Basilica I found the rest of the story of why the Master at Arms engaged in reckless action once again. It appears that the onces he was fighting were from the 117 ^th Armageddon Steel Legion a Siege Regiment if memory serves.

The rumor among the armsman on the ship is that the Master at Arms has a dark history with that world and having spotted them must of created a problem. War can change even the simplest of man. From what I have been told by some key officers in the Master at Arms service he managed to get them on board as part of our security forces for the colony in the Uncharted Territories.

When I finished my dinner and after the Arbites took the Master at Arms away I headed to the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch. All I can tell you is that the house was of fire. Missionary Jeremaia and the local clerics of the Basilica had a great sermon for us. It talked about the nature of humanity and how we were made to spread across the galaxy as the emissaries of the God-Emperor. The ones who should inherit this galaxy. It was a call of manifest destiny. I was moved by the sentiment that the missionary had that we should attempt to recover St. Gillian's relics. The atmosphere was ecstatic as we all walked out I overheard people talking of signing up as pilgrims on my ship to go to the Uncharted Territories. They spoke of a utopian colony to chart the unkown and rediscover St. Gillian's Fate.

One final thing that I would like to report is that Captain Sebastian himself went to visit Lord Governor Thulian Fox at the Spire of Light in the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch. From what I am able to read from the official records the meeting was like any other that he would make upon arrival at a new port. He presents himself and makes his intentions known to those in charge. I think our captain is very straight forward and that he might find it difficult to deal with his siblings in the not so distant future.

Hi guys this is a little late but in our first game we had our Explorator join us at the last minute and here is his characters brief background.

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Lucious Bolt

Lucious spent his formative years in the Sheol XVII penal colony, where his family was sent for tek heresy. Distant descendants of the shattered Meritech Clans, they believed technology was not to be feared and that it was to be embraced, not shunned. Occupying the same asteroid was an Adeptus Mechanicus outpost, which meant a great deal of discarded tek made its way into the penal colony black market (really, the only market). Lucious’ natural affinity for all things technological led him into this shadowy world, where he quickly made a name for himself as a technomat and armourer.

It was not long before the local Adeptus Mechanicus priests learned of Lucious, and their wrath was quick and decisive. They took him from the Penal colony and “reprogrammed” him to expunge the taint of heresy from his mind. Having successfully broken him, the Adeptus Mechanicus determined that his talents, and his unfortunate past made it safer to induct him into their ranks where they could keep an eye on him rather than release him to his own devices.

Lucious’ advancement was slow. His natural curiosity and willingness to embrace new ideas kept his superiors suspicions of him alive, but eventually he was given a place aboard an Imperial vessel of Battlefleet Calixis. It was thought that his predilections could be circumvented through a lack of exposure to unsanctioned tek. Unfortunately, the vessel was then transferred to Passage Watch 27 est, where it was given the task of interdicting the cold trade. It was exactly the circumstances that his superiors had been so eager to avoid. Lucious quickly took to reverse engineering the new tek recovered from captured cold traders and slowly began falling back into his old heresies. This time though, he was careful to hide it.

Eventually Lucious’ tour aboard the Imperial vessel ended, and he found himself on Port Wander. There he found the Unquenchable Thirst, a vessel that blended modern engineering with Archeotech and Xenotech. This vessel had the potential to be the embodiment of his deepest heresies, and Lucious immediately petitioned for a place aboard the vessel. Since then, his time has been spent in communion with the strange chimerical machine spirit, uncovering its secrets and planning for the future.

Hi guys here is part 1 of our 2nd game narrative so much happened in the game that I have to brake it into multiple points of view so enjoy this first part, next one will be up in a week or so.

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Cephiro Station

Episode 2 to Thorns of Indignity

Enjun Kel

I, Enjun Kel of the Unquenchable Thirst, would have never imagined that my humble soul would ever become of service to the God-Emperor. As I started my day just like any other day, I went down to Kyr's Lounge and grabbed a #17. The newsfeed on the Unquenchable Thirst reported that Captain Sebastian had boarded the Unquenchable Thirst late in the night Local Ship Time (LST).

Kyr, the owner greeted me and asked me how the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch was in person. I told him that while the data feeds had captured great perspectives it did not do it justice. It was one of those places that you just had to go yourself to get the full experiance. While we spoke the news feed kept reporting that we were to be taking on supplies and pilgrims with us.

I ask Kyr what is take on the news that our Lord-Captain has agreed to transport pilgrims to a yet unknown location. Kyr tells me that he thinks it might be a bit of a disturbance at least here in the common decks. He points out that we do not have proper quarters to house more individuals on the ship and that the pilgrims might establish themselves into shanty communities in one of the grand vaults. As we speak about the pilgrims Olik the local dry goods supplier sits himself at the bar and give sus his two thrones on the subject.

While we do not have the housing for them at this time we were all at one time pilgrims until Lord-Captain Sebastian von Antioch adopted us into this family. We should see it as we are helping our extended family find a new home. On the other hand new people on the decks means a possible upswing for our local economy. Think about it we can finally get rid of some of those dreadful underdeckers that raid our vaults.

I tell Olik, well that could be true if the pilgrims are anything like our Missionary at our Temple of the Golden Throne we should be thankful for their services. You are right also about new sources of resources besides that we should not have to much change they will only be here for a short time and then things will return to normal.

Kyr then asked the question that we have all been wondering about, what will happen to the Unquenchable Thirst once the Conclave of the Broken Chord ends later tonight. That seems to be the top news in any of the news feeds in the area. I don't know Kyr but after the incident 10 years ago be glad that she is still holding together. That reminds me that we are not that far from the Festival of Resurrection. Will either of you do the pilgrimage to the Memorial Spire this year?

Olik was the first to respond to my question. I do not think I will have the time especially since we are taking in the pilgrims from the Pillars of Altair. They will keep me busy here at the shop. In any case I have already gone once before since the Long Winter to pay my respects to the Lost Ones. Kyr says that he might close the shop for the Festival and maybe request a slot at the Festival Ground in the Grand Vaults.

I look at the chrono that is embedded in the news feed and take note that my duty shift is very close to starting and I excuse myself from the conversation and head to the Librarium of the Unquenchable Thirst.

Ever since being assigned to the archives division of the Librarium I seem to have been granted a higher standing then someone of my status should have.

When I arrived at my station I noticed that one of the supervisors was waiting for me to arrive and he was accompanied by a rather attractive looking young lady. Iwas informed that I had been requested by the young lady for some special services. If I had known that this meeting would have been the moment I was to be of service to the God-Emperor I would have more then likely have faultered.

Even now that I am handling the sealed records of House Antioch I question the nature of duty and service I have provided to his Majesty on the Golden Throne. I was escorted along with the young lady to one of the meeting chambers were the staff of the Liberarium had briefings for the affairs of the ship. She introduced herself as Interrogator Tali Alyor envoy of the Holy Ordo.

I include this meeting in this records only because it will highlight other events that I will comment later in this records. What I will note is that the revelation that the Inquisition was in system freaked me and I was not a very graceful person in the meeting. Tali informed me that as the assigned chronicler of the Unquenchable Thirst I would have access to all sorts of data feeds and that I am the best placed to be the eyes and ears of the God-Emperor in the Uncharted Territories.

I had never expected that I would ever be involed with such a secretive organization. Then as now that I am compiling this accounts have also wondered to who I was truly loyal in those days. I was a survivor of the Ascension of Winter's End. One of the few who were not lost in the raids of the xenos. I found that this traits along with my current status was what the Inquisition wanted from me. I was no longer an ignorant member of the Imperium.

I had been given two choices the first was reassignment, that involved being mind scrubbed and loosing my identity copletely or to be exiled along with the rest of the crew into the Uncharted Territories were we would not be a burden on the Imperium of Man. I think anyone would have chosen to become an exile rather then to loose oneself to the unknown.

Interrogator Tali Alyor smiled when I made the choice and that day I became an acolyte of the Ordo Mythos of the Broken Chord Sector in service to the God-Emperor.

Our meeting while brief was one that I would not forget for many years. I would also not see her for many more years but the day would eventually arrive when a report would have to be made. When I went back to my station I found it in a disarray. For all the blessings that the God-Emperor in his aspect as the Omnissiah he did not grant servitors with enough insight to organzie incomming dataslates.

One of the first things I was able to dig through was a report from the Adeptus Arbites. In it the report detailed a list of charges for the disturbance that Archmilitant He'ka Taan was involved the day before. I filed that report under legal archives. The next thing of note as a set of Pict-Feed storage modules that had to be transcribed to permanent records.

I realize as I was doing my duty that my life had just changed in a dramatic way. Not only am I a servant to House Antioch, a survivor of the Ascension of Winter's End, but now I am an acolyte of the Holy Ordo. Today just became a difficult day at work.

When I see the designation of the module I notice that it is from Lord-Explorator Lucious Bolt's personal Servo Skull. I insert the data module into my station and start the work of transcribing the audio records and visual records into print records.

The first module shows Lord-Captain Sebastian von Antioch following an Adeptus Arbites servitor through what seems to be the detention block of the Arbites Precinct. In the record I see our Archmilitant in the cell with the three Imperial Guardsmen that he was in the disturbance with.

The Lord-Captain and the Archmilitant exchange greetings and a round of introductions happen. I note that the Archmilitant refers to the one in the center as an important person in the structure of the 117 ^th Armageddon Steel Legion. I make a note of this deail and mark a cross-reference to the regiment. It seems that they were in service during the Third War of Armageddon and were in some association with the former regiment of our Archimilitant.

The next couple of scenes show the Archmilitant being assisted by our Missionary who provided a brief medical examination and then all three were escorted out of the Arbites Precinct by the servitor. Out in the plaza the Lord-Explorator waited for them. The next couple of scenes I take note of as being small talk between the senior officers and the Lord-Captain.

I would like to make a personal notation on this record that the district that the Adeptus Arbites Precint is actually in a two tier module of the Pillars of Altair. The lower section is were you find the mass entrance to the Basilica of St. Gillian of Oliarch. The Upper tier is the upscale sub-district were the nobles and wealthy voidfarers could find services that were equal to their purses. It is this upper tier that the Lord-Explorator's servo-skull shows me in its pict-feed.

As I take notes and transcribe the events of the feed into written record I wonder to myself how it would feel to experience the oppulance of places like the upper tier of Basilica Plaza. The pict finally settles at a location called Arloc's Parlor a very expensive looking restarount. While the officers were having breakfast with the exception of Lord-Explorator Bolt they discussed matters of expansion of the dynasties holdings. I hear the Lord-Captain request the Missionary and Explorator to go along with Seneschal Gintaro Xelion to negotiate with the trade houses for mass colonization supplies. I make a note of the assignments and think to myself that it is only natural that our Lord-Captain would want to establish a colony with the support of the pilgrims. I guess that answers one of the questions we had this morning.

The other thing that I needed to put a citation was that the Lord-Captain and Archmilitant scheduled to come back to the Unquenchible Thirst to transit to Cephiro Station, an Orbital Station over Iori Prime. They were scheduled to meet with the Lord-Admiral of Battlefleet Arpeggio and the Lord General of Battlegroup Tel-phra. Shortly after the return of the Lord-Captain to the ship the module clicks and powers down. I carefully petition the spirits in my workstation to grant me the ability to retrieve the data module and replace it with the next one. The machine spirits seem to be in a good mood today and I had no problems switching the data modules. I placed the first module on the side and then continued with the pict-feed of the second module.

The pict-feed in the second module seems a bit more distorted I would imagine that this has to do with the absence of the Lord-Explorator. In some ways I would like to think that the machine spirit of the servo-skull missed his master so it was not working at its full potential. I do note and cite that the Lord-Captain embarked 10 AM LST (Local Ship Time) on the Guncutter 'Imperial Regent' piloted by an Ensign Quin N'york. With the help of the machine spirits in my workstation I am able to cross-reference the data in the pict-feed to the flight plan of the Guncutter. According to the records from the flight decks it took them around two standard hours in transit.

While in transit a conversation occurred between the Lord-Captain and the Archmilitant that related to the Imperial Guard regiment that he was involved with prior to his induction into the household as Archmilitant and how his former regiment has ties to the 117 ^th Armageddon Steel Legion. I will do my best to paraphrase his story for the records and place a dat citation to the pict record in my transcription of the events.

Account of the Battle of Epsiolon VII – Hesperus Battlefront,

Third War of Armageddon

By: Archimilitant He'ka Taan

The Archmilitant goes on to serrate that during the Battle of Epsilon VII in the Hesperus Front his regiment the 2/299 ^th Koa Guardians a Siege Infantry regiment were tasked with holing the line as the 117 ^th Steel Legion made a strategic retreat to higher grounds as the forces of Warboss Deff Snir made landfall. We managed to arrive just prior to the arrival of the xeno forces and provided support as they made a fighting withdrawal. During the conflict I was assigned as the Medic of Squad Hesper Delta VI.

The squads mission was to extract the senior staff of the 117 ^th Regiment and escort them to the high ground beyond the Ork Landing zone. We were given minimal resource allocation by the Minitorium quartermaster for our assigned mission. With our primary objective given we were also tasked with the secondary objective of providing Medicae assistance to the command company of the 117 ^th Armageddon Steel Legion.

When we deployed on to the warzone we discovered that the concept of “Military Intelligence” as usual was an oxymoron. The xeno forces had already made landfall and the extraction mission just had become a much harder perspective. We decided to take our trusty chimera partner that Sargent Jun'ta nicknamed “The Iron Coffin”. It would provide heavy weapons support and a mobile platform to treat wounded.

It is needless to say that things never go as you plan them. We were ambushed by Ork Komandos and we lost Sargent Jun'ta in that mission. I was the next most senior guardsman in the squad and was field promoted to the rank of Corporal. To say that I was an officer of the line would be an exaggeration. Like most of the squad we did not want to be in the frontline, hell we did not want to be in Armageddon in the first place.

In any case we finally made it to the field base of the 117 ^th Steel Legion and the place was a mess. We managed to brake through the Ork blockade with some luck thanks to our Engineseer who incoraged the machine spirit of the Chimera to overrun the foul things that the Orks were.

When we made contact with regimental command we discovered that Colonel Arieth Gelthran had been wounded in the last blitzkrieg assault and that the field hospital had been devastated by the last assault. Since our mission briefing was to extract the command staff and provide medicae aid if we could we did as ordered. On a side not, I would like to say I would have done it anyway since I have taken the Medicae Oath of service.

As Archmilitant He'ka Taan's account of the battle concludes I am able to see through the pict-feed that the Lord-Captain has been thinking about something. I hear him voice his desire of meeting with the command staff of the regiment to see if they would be interested in providing security for the new colony that the Dynasty of Antioch would be creating.

The Archimilitant says that while he was in the cell with the other members of the 117 ^th he was informed that they are being housed in an old Universal Mass Conveyer called the 'Fat Dragon' on the Cephiro Naval station. The conversation concludes with the Lord-Captain planning to meet the 117 ^th Armageddon Steel Legion to request their services and also to request leniency on the other members involved in the incident with the Archmilitant. The last thing I can hear in the pict-feed is the pilot announcing that they have docked at Cephiro Station.

Well greetings readers, I am working on a couple of updates now that i am out of school. In our last game we had a 5th player join the cast of characters. An Ork Wyrdboy by the nam of Khan Thin;kins. The player requested some help in adapting his backstory into the game and I did just that. What follows is my edited version of his background.
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Khan Thin’kins, Kranium Blasta

Greetings, my name is Leito Bolta Xeno-Biologist in the service of House Antioch. It has fallen upon me to act as an interpreter for Mr. Khan Thin’kins one of our acquisitions from our dealings in Armageddon. Lord-Captain Sebastian has instructed me in attempting to gather as much useful information of Mr. Thin’kins.

My specialize field of study in Xeno-Biology is the Orkoid species. While i share the opinion of most Imperium of Man citizens I am also a pragmatic man. In order to know our enemy we must study them in great detail. Our Lord-Captain has acquired the services of a willing Orkoid and one of particular strangeness at that. According to the traits he exhibits and the markings he was collected with he is a member of the caste of Orkoid known as a “Wyrdboy”.

My understanding of this caste of Orkoid is limited but as I understand it they are an equivalent to our Sanction Psykers within the context of Orkoid society. I have been granted acceses to Mr. Think’kins by the Lord-Captain along with an escort of a platoon of Veteran Armsmen from the conflict in Armageddon. It is my plan to interview Mr. Thin’kins in order to add to our body of understanding about this caste

I arrive in Cargo Hold Gamma 47 designated name by locals as “The Scrap Slums”. Lord-Captain Sebastian assigned this cargo hold as Mr. Think’kins residence and needless to say not many crew members bother to stay around the area. I let the Lieutenant in charge of the escort that we are moving into the area and making contact with Mr. Thin’kins. When we finally find him I start noticing the early stages of an Orkoid ecosystem starting to form in the cargo hold. I take note of this and mark it as expected xeno-biology behavior for the Orkoid species we are here to interview.

In the distance I am able to hear the ranting heavy accented Low Gothic speech of Mr. Thin’kins and I make myself known to him. He regards me with a bit of a puzzled expression. As if he is not sure if I am a real thing or a part of his xenos cognitive functions. I progress and inform Mr. Thin’kins that “The Boss” wishes to know more of his exploits and has sent his servant to record his mighty deeds on Armageddon and else where you might have been.

With the statement that “The Boss” wanted to know more about his exploits he seems to come slightly more into focus and lucid. Mr. Thin’kins response though predictable was “Oi Hummie wat Boss want wit my s’toriz?” As many of us would in no doubt think that the Orkoids are barbarians with poor language skills at best I am aware that for them body language is more important than the words they speak. My simple response with an injected harshness with slightly exagerated body language of aggression said “The Boss wants entertainment and he thinks you are a good source of great stories.”

He ponders what I told him for a sec and almost as if his thoughts started to trip over themselves he grabbed two crates and offered a sit down. My personal expert reaction was that this is very unusual behavior for an Orkoid let alone one of this particular caste. I trigger my internal recorder as I sit since Orkoid culture tends to be proud of oral traditions. Mr. Thin’kins brandishes his handgun an odd device that looks like a Gunmetal Revolver with no barrel and were the cylinder of bullets would be located a special compass of some sort is embedded it it. The gun if we can call it that is known as “Kranium Blasta” and I ask him to tell me the story of his artifact.

He tells me that he acquired it after he outsmarted a Big Mek named Kar’vul the Unlikely. Let me intergect a minor not on what he means by “Big Mek” in Orkoid society a Big Mek would be a parallel to a High Magos in the Cult of the Machine. He tells me that the ol’ git lost it after he got his ‘ead blown off by a disgruntal gretchling. The rest of the Meks ignored the devices. No Ork could make the gobin work so they gave it to the Wyrdboy as a shiny toy. Little did does gitz knew that it was a “WAAAAGH!!!” hand cannon.

Orkoid technology works on faith alone not technical knowledge. So that would explain why Mr. Thin’kins could use it and not other Orkoids. While the limits of my understanding are that they lack proper technical skills the fact that they think it works is enough for devices to function no matter the size. This was proven by the mission reports from Armaggedon. Mr. Thin’kins managed to single handedly wipe out a company of Leman Russ tanks with that relic of his. Beyond the relic I ask him of his “Klan” or the Orkoid equivalent of household.

He proudly informs me that he is from the Blood Axes a subset of Orkoids that have been known to become freelance muscle for less reputable civilizations. As he speaks he looses focus for a few minutes and turns around and talks to thin air. He speaks about how Mork and Gork were idiots and that he could have completed the procedure before the Star Vampires arrival. I take particular note of this side conversation as I would normally say this is a clear sign of mental instability but since we are talking of an Orkoid psyker anything could be “normal” for them.

When he comes back into focus and realizes he was speaking to thin air and turns back to me he just says “It dos ‘eadaichs me hear them all the time, dam witle gitz gibbering bout some war in ‘eaven”. If I translated his Low Gothic correctly he said something about things he is seeing talking about a War in Heaven. If I combine his mention of Star Vampires and this term I can trace back a concept. In Xeno-Arceology I have herd that the Eldar xeno race has a story of a vast galaxy spanning war akin to The Great Crusade. I file the information for later review and continue with the interview.

I request to be told how “The Boss” Lord-Captain Sebestian acquired his services during the War in Armageddon. A harsh level of brutal angrer flashes through his eys but slowly soften as he speaks. “The Boss Hummie out witted the smart Khan Thin’kins ‘n’ the Brain Bustas in a game of ‘ogik. Me chose to be smart and use me wits as a weapon. Boss Hummie av bete wits in tiny brain. It be as simple at that Digga.” While i know the real method Lord-Captain Sebastion used into tricking Mr. Thin’kins I think he no longer has any real reason to confront him over the simple trick. The trick was a play on words that can mean two or more things in different context so you can win with a less developed contestant all the time. I thank him for his time and choose to walk away and let him return to his scribbles on the walls.

Once I had completed the interview with Mr. Thin’kins I returned to my Xeno-Biology lab in the St. Aquelius of Osora Center of Research. When I arrived the dataslates I had ordered from the archives had arrived. Some of the previous talks I have had with our acquisition were interesting to say the least. He claimed that he had a “Kruzar” dropped on him. While that is very unlikely I thought it would have been more prudent to dig through the after action reports and see what is fact and what is xeno’s perception of reality.

One of the first dataslates I input into my research cogitator deals with the fleet engagement of Battlefleet Armageddon. The records show that the Battleships, Imperial Rex was redirected to intercept a new Ork battlefleet. The new Ork fleet was designated as the Crimson Jackals by Naval High Command. The Imperial Rex along with her fleet of escorts engaged the fleet and based on telemetry from Imperial Guard observation stations in the Ash Wastes of Armageddon the Ork Kruzar designated The Jackal of Armageddon was blinded by a critical impact to the assumed command fortress.

The report from Station Epsilon-Kappa 85 states that the Ork ship crash landed in the style of all Orkoids. The impact crater was akin to a large nickel core asteroid leaving a sizable basin were the wreck ship was spotted. I have taken the liberty to include a brief section of a previous interview with Mr. Think’kins that fills some of the gaps in the Imperial Guard report.

To give you the brief version of the attached interview Mr. Thin’kins told me how after the “Warboss” command fortress was obliterated and the Kruzar was plumeting to its doom in true Orkoid fashion internal fighting broke out. In the conflict he managed to evade his “Minderz” and following his compass found an unlikely safe harbor. The impact of the ship killed many Orks that according to him were not “‘Ard” enough to care about it.

Those Orks that followed him took the titles of “Brain Bustaz” since they now acted like minderz to the newfound leadership of Mr. Thin’kins. The Brain Bustaz escaped the impact zone with the help of the Ork relic that as I have reported is known as “Kranium Busta”.

Our best sources for the Orkoid relic are at best xenos mythos as told by the acquisition itself. As some practical advice might be needed for the relations of our senior staff and our acquisition I would like to submit along this report a couple of valued concepts as they relate to Orkoid physiology as we understand it and the Okoid interpretation of society.

An Orkoid of any caste and subspecies reproduce through the expelling of fungal spores. Our understanding of the biology behind this processes has been limited to the context of conflict but we estimate that the shed spores once per standard day cycles. The quantity of spores is relative to the mass of the subject. The exception to this is when an Orkoid is killed they expel forty times their own mass in spores.

Another vital concept is that Orkoids do not interpret gender roles as we do. To them the concepts of masculine, feminine, bysexual, homosexual, transexual are irrelevant. This however does not mean that they do not have a “sex” as we do. When it comes to Orkoid reproduction we should look at the biology of plants rather then animals like ourselves. An Orkoid has the potential for both sex types and since the concept of gender is not important they retain a gender neutral personality.

To be more precise Orkoid reproduction is more akin to pollination in plants. When Orkoids shed the spores reproduction occurs in the environment on its own. Beyond this core concepts that might assist our senior staff I would like to add some projections on the development of Mr. Thin’kins.

From my professional understanding Mr. Thin’kins is just out of the Orkoid “Yoof” stage of development or the equivalent of our juvanile stage in development. The more conflict we see the more powerful he will become and a potential source of trouble. As the reports have filtered in I can see that Archimilitant He’ka Taan and others will have trouble adapting to his acquisition. This concludes my report on the subject of Mr. Khan Thin’kins, self titled The Kranium Blasta and his ecosystem the Brain Bustas.