Ketosis
Eight stars drifted in gigantic circles around the black hole Ketosis (designation Black Hole K), their orbits slowly degrading over the aeons. Eventually they would be consumed, but the generations that will witness that event will have nothing in their histories about those who were there today. Inquisitor Berlin had been investigating reports of whole cities gone mad in the planets in the Circle system, populations devolved into blood, lust, disease and madness. Within his great cruiser was a ground force of elite Grey Knight terminators, but he felt it wise to bring in outside help for this mission; warriors of a more disposable nature. There were no local guard to speak of, merely militia, and even so they would prove too frail for the task at hand. The Astartes also had no significant presence nearby, bar for one small outpost. A veteran chapel; a space station orbiting a barren world, where the most decorated of the Novamarines would take pilgrimage to reflect on the glory of the Emperor. And decorated though they may be, they were also wise enough to answer Berlin's call. There was no need to anger an Inquisitor.
Grey Knight Brother Dresden had gone in ahead, and greeted the Inquisitor at the airlock. Leading him further into the bland domain, Berlin observed the nature of the Novamarine chapel satellite; scoured of any decoration that would distract from the Emperor's majesty. An eclectic group of Novamarines was gathered in prayer in a central chamber. They looked up as Berlin entered, uttering an ominous phrase: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K".
The weird signal seemed to be coming from inside the ancient cairn, somehow older yet newer than the ruined Imperial city around it. The jungle had been reclaiming its territory in the centuries since civilised humans last lived here, but the vegetation was of no concern to Inquisitor Berlin. With his trusty Grey Knight bodyguard and a few of the Novamarine Astartes squads on hand, he was compelled to investigate. Unfortunately the place was not as uninhabited as it appeared, and Berlin wasn't the only one investigating the signal.
Rogue Trader game; main objective to investigate the dungeon under the cairn. Secondary objectives all sorts of weird stuff we made up and rolled randomly. Fluff above written from my own perspective. Other players may have seen things differently.... History is written by the victors!
Inquisitor Berlin had commandeered the Novamarines from the output for a local mission to a suspected chaos incursion. It had turned out to merely be a weird Xeno with a beacon, although the signal did ripple into the psyche a little. Dropping in to the area were some unruly orks, gangs and even some Space Wolves all setting out for the same purpose.
The ork force was honing in, but seemingly more interested in the potential fighting with other factions arriving for the signal, than the signal itself.
Some Space Wolves, too, had come through. Berlin was not aware they were in the area, which was unsual considering his range of contacts in the Imperium. Yet they were happy to deploy some dreadnaughts with his force, while they moved in from a different flank.
The Novamarines were glad of the heavier support, advancing with the blue one. It was not quite their chapter colours, but close enough. Their own dreadnaught was currently off getting repainted and unavailable for the skirmish.
The orks were easy pickings, their primitive armour and strange desire to stand up on high in plain sight not doing them any favours.
Craters from an earlier time provided some cover for the Imperial advance.
The Space Wolves were pushing up harder, while the planet's local biker gang cruised in.
Ork Nobz followed the advance of their more expendable kin.
While the ork infantry were soft targets, the ork dreadnaught was another prospect entirely. Berlin and the Novamarines were kitted out for anti-infantry roles, and the heavy armour and beefier firepower of the dreadnaught were an unwelcome surprise.
Bikers and nomads circle the cairn from whence the strange signal was emenating.
Berlin could see a violent skirmish in the walker that the Space Wolves had transported over from Rynn's World. Over the comms there was a lot of screaming, something about a vampire? That could not be right...
Space Wolf jetbikes show the primitve tribes what highly tuned imperial tech can do.
The Nobz continue to trudge through the undergrowth.
The Novamarines cover the rear while the Grey Knights advanced.
The sun was setting and smoke grenades covered the field.
The Grey Knights closed on the ork dreadnaught, their power weapons their only hope against its steel plated shell.
Meanwhile, the biker gangs descended into the cairn....
....finding an underground complex that smelled rather awful.
A rag-tag band of adventuring pirate types also want in on the fun.
Yet another dreadnaught! Assault cannon rounds rip through the Imperial armour.
The ork dreadnaught was taking damage, but the mechanical claws it wielded were not to be trifled with, and one of the brothers fell.
Encouraged by its earlier kill, the strange dreadnaught runs for its next victim.
Berlin himself closes with the ork dreadnaught, hammering it with his powerfirst.
Across the field the walker's platform is filled with mutants and misadventure, and point-blank crack missiles.
"By Gork's ballz I'll get you!" the encased grot cries.
But with a blazing series of blows the dreadnaught is felled.
The Novamarines, not even really very commited to this whole adventure, seeing as it was not their mission, advanced cautiously towards the carnage at the cairn.
Down underground beneath, a strange beast arises to defend its psychic egg.
The bikers will not fare well against this mound of claws and teeth.
The carnage in the walker grows ever more bloody.
There was a small crew over there, too, being even more cautious than the Novamarines. Who were these mercs?
An ork battlewagon tries to run down some Novamarines.
Once Berlin realised the futility of the exercise, he quit the field to save precious Astartes resources. Upon returning to the Novamarines outpost he was greeted by the newly arrived Captain Meneac.
Harsh words were exchanged, but in the end Berlin convinced Meneac that the mission had to have been done. Curiously, the Captain asked Berlin if he had seen any rogue traders or other inquisitors while on-world. Specifically, one Inquisitor Librarian. It was a strange name, and one not yet familiar to Berlin....
Grey Knight Brother Dresden had gone in ahead, and greeted the Inquisitor at the airlock. Leading him further into the bland domain, Berlin observed the nature of the Novamarine chapel satellite; scoured of any decoration that would distract from the Emperor's majesty. An eclectic group of Novamarines was gathered in prayer in a central chamber. They looked up as Berlin entered, uttering an ominous phrase: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K".
The weird signal seemed to be coming from inside the ancient cairn, somehow older yet newer than the ruined Imperial city around it. The jungle had been reclaiming its territory in the centuries since civilised humans last lived here, but the vegetation was of no concern to Inquisitor Berlin. With his trusty Grey Knight bodyguard and a few of the Novamarine Astartes squads on hand, he was compelled to investigate. Unfortunately the place was not as uninhabited as it appeared, and Berlin wasn't the only one investigating the signal.
Rogue Trader game; main objective to investigate the dungeon under the cairn. Secondary objectives all sorts of weird stuff we made up and rolled randomly. Fluff above written from my own perspective. Other players may have seen things differently.... History is written by the victors!
Inquisitor Berlin had commandeered the Novamarines from the output for a local mission to a suspected chaos incursion. It had turned out to merely be a weird Xeno with a beacon, although the signal did ripple into the psyche a little. Dropping in to the area were some unruly orks, gangs and even some Space Wolves all setting out for the same purpose.
The ork force was honing in, but seemingly more interested in the potential fighting with other factions arriving for the signal, than the signal itself.
Some Space Wolves, too, had come through. Berlin was not aware they were in the area, which was unsual considering his range of contacts in the Imperium. Yet they were happy to deploy some dreadnaughts with his force, while they moved in from a different flank.
The Novamarines were glad of the heavier support, advancing with the blue one. It was not quite their chapter colours, but close enough. Their own dreadnaught was currently off getting repainted and unavailable for the skirmish.
The orks were easy pickings, their primitive armour and strange desire to stand up on high in plain sight not doing them any favours.
Craters from an earlier time provided some cover for the Imperial advance.
The Space Wolves were pushing up harder, while the planet's local biker gang cruised in.
Ork Nobz followed the advance of their more expendable kin.
While the ork infantry were soft targets, the ork dreadnaught was another prospect entirely. Berlin and the Novamarines were kitted out for anti-infantry roles, and the heavy armour and beefier firepower of the dreadnaught were an unwelcome surprise.
Bikers and nomads circle the cairn from whence the strange signal was emenating.
Berlin could see a violent skirmish in the walker that the Space Wolves had transported over from Rynn's World. Over the comms there was a lot of screaming, something about a vampire? That could not be right...
Space Wolf jetbikes show the primitve tribes what highly tuned imperial tech can do.
The Nobz continue to trudge through the undergrowth.
The Novamarines cover the rear while the Grey Knights advanced.
The sun was setting and smoke grenades covered the field.
The Grey Knights closed on the ork dreadnaught, their power weapons their only hope against its steel plated shell.
Meanwhile, the biker gangs descended into the cairn....
....finding an underground complex that smelled rather awful.
A rag-tag band of adventuring pirate types also want in on the fun.
Yet another dreadnaught! Assault cannon rounds rip through the Imperial armour.
The ork dreadnaught was taking damage, but the mechanical claws it wielded were not to be trifled with, and one of the brothers fell.
Encouraged by its earlier kill, the strange dreadnaught runs for its next victim.
Berlin himself closes with the ork dreadnaught, hammering it with his powerfirst.
Across the field the walker's platform is filled with mutants and misadventure, and point-blank crack missiles.
"By Gork's ballz I'll get you!" the encased grot cries.
But with a blazing series of blows the dreadnaught is felled.
The Novamarines, not even really very commited to this whole adventure, seeing as it was not their mission, advanced cautiously towards the carnage at the cairn.
Down underground beneath, a strange beast arises to defend its psychic egg.
The bikers will not fare well against this mound of claws and teeth.
The carnage in the walker grows ever more bloody.
There was a small crew over there, too, being even more cautious than the Novamarines. Who were these mercs?
An ork battlewagon tries to run down some Novamarines.
Once Berlin realised the futility of the exercise, he quit the field to save precious Astartes resources. Upon returning to the Novamarines outpost he was greeted by the newly arrived Captain Meneac.
Harsh words were exchanged, but in the end Berlin convinced Meneac that the mission had to have been done. Curiously, the Captain asked Berlin if he had seen any rogue traders or other inquisitors while on-world. Specifically, one Inquisitor Librarian. It was a strange name, and one not yet familiar to Berlin....
TLDR
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