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paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
Yeah leaping that impassable chasm is starting to look like it was a really bad idea

B Take me to your leader!

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Xun
Apr 25, 2010

B

Seems like a great idea to me! Now lets get a Natasha :black101:

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
These idiots are trapped because they can't figure out the codes to do emergency override on the doors or something, aren't they?

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer
D ask about the great foreman

Serpentis
May 31, 2011

Well, if I really HAVE to shoot you in the bollocks to shut you up, then I guess I'll need to, post-haste, for everyone else's sake.
^Good idea.

B and D, more information about the great foreman before we bump into the local xeno abomination / underground cult leader would be nice.

Kegslayer
Jul 23, 2007
Voting B

We need to make sure we purge ALL of the Xenos.

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer

Kegslayer posted:

Voting B

We need to make sure we purge ALL of the Xenos.

Oh god, I'm going to wind up the heretical Jimminy Cricket in this game aren't i?

Pirate Radar
Apr 18, 2008

You're not my Ruthie!
You're not my Debbie!
You're not my Sherry!
Now remember, it's possible the Subsixers are mutants, who we could use against the Xeno and then purge, rather than outright Xeno cultists we'll need to purge right away.

Now if Lowell is feeling like a real dick, they'll have a food processor they won't want to part with...

We should find out more by cautiously meeting the leader. B.

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
Well I mean they have to be eating something and this place doesn't seem to be flush with wildlife.

It's probably just a group of people descended from the original workers who got cut off and abandoned when some natural disaster occurred!

By which I mean we're going to declare them mutants or something so we can purge them and take their poo poo anyway.

Kegslayer
Jul 23, 2007

RandomPauI posted:

Oh god, I'm going to wind up the heretical Jimminy Cricket in this game aren't i?

Why do you doubt the Emperor's guidance on our path of righteousness? Purge them all for the Emperor knows those who are his :commissar:

Wentley
Feb 7, 2012
Mother is an AI of some kind. Is that heretical?

E. In any case, we are the awaited foreman. We will come and lead them out, and into our care. Either as a new tribe in Beyond, or for this war.

wiegieman
Apr 22, 2010

Royalty is a continuous cutting motion


B

There's a good chance these are tech-aborigines, descendants of the plant's original workers. That means we can get a plant and a ready-trained workforce all at the same time. We just need to talk them into it.

mepstein73
Sep 18, 2012

Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it's quite rusty.

wiegieman posted:

B

There's a good chance these are tech-aborigines, descendants of the plant's original workers. That means we can get a plant and a ready-trained workforce all at the same time. We just need to talk them into it.

This.

Deadmeat5150
Nov 21, 2005

OLD MAN YELLS AT CLAN

wiegieman posted:

B

There's a good chance these are tech-aborigines, descendants of the plant's original workers. That means we can get a plant and a ready-trained workforce all at the same time. We just need to talk them into it.

Exactly what I was thinking. These people are like the Tribes of Between, only in a Hive. B

Pinche Rudo
Feb 8, 2005

B and D Have her take us to leader and learn all we can along the way. If they are mutants those that can be of use shall be made into servitors. The rest....shall be cleansed with holy fire.

If they are tech-aborigines we shall convince them to serve us and the Omnissiah

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!





Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
We are the Foreman's envoy

GhostStalker
Mar 26, 2010

Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

Wentley posted:

Mother is an AI of some kind. Is that heretical?

AI is heretek of the highest order! After the revolt of the Iron Men during the Dark Age of Technology, the Adeptus Mechanicus declared all Abominable Intelligence tech heresy, to be replaced with the more complaint Machine Spirits.

wiegieman posted:

B

There's a good chance these are tech-aborigines, descendants of the plant's original workers. That means we can get a plant and a ready-trained workforce all at the same time. We just need to talk them into it.

Going with this. Tech-aborigines means that we (possibly) get a plant (if they have one, since they need to be eating something; and can be convinced to part with it, since we might be the aforementioned Foreman) as well as the required workforce for it (if they come with us and join the ship) along with some more possible troops, since if Tanya is representative, some of them might be martial in ability. Ask them about the Foreman along the way.

JT Jag
Aug 30, 2009

#1 Jaguars Sunk Cost Fallacy-Haver
You mentioned earlier in the thread that all House Members are in the range of a meter and a half tall. Does being Voidborn stunt your growth? That's pretty short, less than five feet.

GhostStalker
Mar 26, 2010

Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

JT Jag posted:

You mentioned earlier in the thread that all House Members are in the range of a meter and a half tall. Does being Voidborn stunt your growth? That's pretty short, less than five feet.

Yeah, it does. Lack of constant gravity and all that. Ohone was described as stunted and 1.55m tall, as evidenced on our edited character sheet in the OP.

JT Jag
Aug 30, 2009

#1 Jaguars Sunk Cost Fallacy-Haver
I wonder if we could acquire better artificial gravity systems, and install them solely in Upper Decks/command area. After a couple generations, House members might come out averaging over five feet all. And that would be better for looking imposing!

chin up everything sucks
Jan 29, 2012

Where the hell did this talk of AI suddenly come from?

Wentley
Feb 7, 2012

FireSight posted:

Where the hell did this talk of AI suddenly come from?

From how she talks about Mother. I assumed Mother was an A.I. As a hereditary title would be Shift Manager or something of the like.

GhostStalker
Mar 26, 2010

Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

JT Jag posted:

I wonder if we could acquire better artificial gravity systems, and install them solely in Upper Decks/command area. After a couple generations, House members might come out averaging over five feet all. And that would be better for looking imposing!

The Alpha Deck and Command Levels probably have the best artificial gravity systems available to our Rogue Trader Family, any better is probably going to be a relic of the Dark Age of Technology, which would be a miraculous find from the Omnissiah for a tech-priest such as Ohone. Probably worthy of a promotion of some sort if something like that is found, and the immense gratitude of the Magos and the Lord-Sire, plus maybe some favor (and envy) from other Family members.

The Family is probably all stunted as a property of being born in and spending most of their time in the Void. It does weird things to all of them, but not so much so that they're declared mutants. Rogue Traders arr too important to the Imperium for that to happen, and other Void Born improve the Imperium in other ways (mostly by dying messily and heroically when fighting the Emperor's enemies).

GhostStalker fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Dec 31, 2014

mepstein73
Sep 18, 2012

Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it's quite rusty.

GhostStalker posted:

...since we might be the aforementioned Foreman...

...since we might be the aforementioned Foreman...

...since we might be the aforementioned Foreman...

WE SHOULD BE THE FOREMAN

Or at least pretend to be.

GhostStalker
Mar 26, 2010

Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

mepstein73 posted:

...since we might be the aforementioned Foreman...

...since we might be the aforementioned Foreman...

WE SHOULD BE THE FOREMAN

Or at least pretend to be.

Fair enough. We find out enough information about this Foreman, and then do our best to convince these tech-aborigines and their "Mother" that we are the Foreman.

Tias
May 25, 2008

Pictured: the patron saint of internet political arguments (probably)

This avatar made possible by a gift from the Religionthread Posters Relief Fund
All arms, Prepare

It could shape up to be a fine war, really. From his command tent, perched on a massif over the staging area, General-militant Quint Zetkin could see rows of Basilisks numbering in their thousands, the barrels of their 300mm 'Earthshaker' cannons turned upwards as if dipping to greet him. A low fog hung over the hulls, leaving the guns to salute the Emperor in some scene out of legend. In front, pack upon pack of Chimeras, around which teams of technicians were working. Behind them, lined rows of mighty Leman Russ tanks, bulky turrets obscured in the mist.

A massive undertaking, to be sure, but no bigger than erecting the thousands upon thousands of tents, for barrack quarters, supply dumps and aid stations, and here the aid of Departmento Munitorum quartermaster-adepts were invaluable. The Imperium stood erect on a plinth of alliances between organizations large and small. In principle, all men were united in the purpose of the Emperor, guaranteeing an expeditious result. In practice, he was stuck with frag-for-brains retarded saps who would rather play political games for their lords' pleasure, than pursue a relatively straightforward campaign.

He looked around his command tent, and sighed deeply. The commissariat and sect leaders he could deal with: Hard men whose subordinates were now dying in droves buying his own corps the time to assemble. The mercenary leaders were likewise men of arms, with a narrow focus on wealth and results that he found delightfully close to his own mind.

Then there were, all the others. "What is wrong, General?", one of the merchant house prelates enquired. He was well-fed, with small eyes set deep in an placating face. Besides him, three two-bit aristos hovered closer, vying for his attention as well.

"Nothing, my augmetics are giving me vapours" he barked, not even trying to lie well. He turned to the maps set out before him, pict-casters set into the faces of tactical servitors showing force overlays, when he was buzzed by the tech-priest (and emissary!) Ohone. Taking it, he finally received some good news.

“Good. Decisive action. Tell the emissary we will try to move up a relief force before then. HQ out.” he finished the conversation, before ordering the activation of cavalry assets to bolster the tech-priests forces. Yes, it could shape up to be a good war after all!





((and Future Quint(tm) is in the house. Happy new year, thread! I'm happy and honoured to part of it.))

Tias fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Jan 1, 2015

Loel
Jun 4, 2012

"For the Emperor."

There was a terrible noise.
There was a terrible silence.



Tias posted:

All arms, Prepare

((and Future Quint(tm) is in the house. Happy new year, thread! I'm happy and honoured to part of it.))

:neckbeard:

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
Happy new Terran year! Nice to see you guys working together.

Successful Businessmanga
Mar 28, 2010

Ahoy Tias! Here's hoping Quint doesn't die in the past somehow and cause a time paradox, the EMPRAH would not approve!

Also B to the leader with us!

Loel
Jun 4, 2012

"For the Emperor."

There was a terrible noise.
There was a terrible silence.



To the leader you shall go

Subsector Six

You glanced back at your troops, then Tanya. “Do you think they’ll be excited to see us?”
“Oh yes. Usually its one vehicle coming over the Fissure. I’ve never heard of this many coming at once. I don’t think even the grandparents saw something like that.”
“Well, let’s be about it then. Let’s meet Mother, and Subsector Six.”

She clambered up the turret of your Chimera, sitting next to your gunner. He capped his hat at her, called her “Little Miss”, and Fluors sat on her shoulder. From there, it was back into the long tunnels and darkness. A dozen engines rumbled down the chambers, echoing strangely, and you could see bits of pebbles and dust vibrate at your approach.

The tunnels were a labyrinthian mess. You doubted you could have found your way through in a month, and Tanya showed a true mastery of the place. She chose each branch without hesitation, even telling little stories how she had found this one or that. Some of the walls had the old concrete look you were familiar with, but many others had been torn up by hand tools. It looked like this area had been explored quite thoroughly, although you couldn’t say if it was for minerals, or an exit.

Hiding a shiver, you wondered how long they had been down here. How long you might be down here. Would the Omnissiah cast you deep beneath the earth?

You could see how the promise of rescue had become a religion to these people, honestly.

Looking for words, you asked, “Who is the Foreman?”
Tanya looked at you, confused. “He’s … the Foreman. He’s the one who placed us down here to perform our Holy duties, and who will come for us when we have completed them. Mother says he leaves her messages of what needs to be done, and have faith. When we have done well, we will be raised above the earth, and see sky.”
“What do you think that’s like?”
She sat back in her seat, on more familiar terrain now. “Well, the old books say its like the ceiling lights, except it dims and brightens. I think that’s silly, what’s the point of having lights that go out? You couldn’t see what you were doing.”
“That does sound silly. Do you want to see the surface?”
Tanya shrugged. “There’s more than enough to see here, really. I know more of the tunnels than anyone, and I still have ones I haven’t gone down yet.”
She paused to direct the convoy down another tunnel, then continued. “Mostly, Mother has us maintain the farms and old engines. We used to dig, but all the tools for that broke. Mother has us trying to develop ‘the tools to build the tools’, but its a long project.”
“Do you think we could help with that?”
Tanya waved at all your machines. “Look at what you are bringing. I bet we could dig a thousand tunnels with those. Ah, here we are.”

You turned a corner like any of a hundred others, and blinked in surprise. Your driver nearly slammed the brakes right there, but discipline kept him going. Inside a massive cave chamber, nearly as big as the reservoirs you had driven through, was an entire city.

It was pleasingly compact like being aboard Ship, with buildings of a dozen stories leaning on the walls like old men. The streets were laid out in a great wheel, with the most formal looking building in the center - although even that building was formed of ad-hoc architecture and hope. Strung between buildings were lines of wire, and if your eyes were seeing them properly, wrapped in luminescent fungus.

Now that you had time to adjust, the fungus motif was everywhere. There was a field - or forest - of mushrooms on the other side of the city, and the buildings alternated with being carved from stone or supplemented with plant matter. Even the clothes seemed to be plant-based, and many of them had elegant and complex designs of fungal lights growing on them.

The people themselves… seemed as shocked to see you as you see them. From every vantage point you could see, the entire town stopped. And then rushed you with abandon, cheers, whoops, crying. Your gunners swung their weapons to the crowd, and you quickly shut them down. A massacre was not the first impression you wanted to make. At least not yet.

They were … odd, certainly. Their features somewhat stretched, with a tendency towards white skin and hair. Within the margins of acceptable Humanity, but you’d bet your servomotors another ten generations would separate them entirely. The dialect required some effort to process, but once you did you were shocked at the ribaldness of the offers.

Apparently this town really liked guests.

You glanced down at Tanya, who was smiling, happy to be the center of attention. “Is it normally like this?”
“With new people? Yes. Mother says new people are vital to Subsix, to spread their genes as much as possible. We don’t get enough, she says.”
Hm. Thoughts of a golden face flickered through your memories. Could be nothing, but…

Raising your voice, you shouted to the crowd. “My friends! People of Subsix! I am Ohone, a Tech-Priest! I have come to speak with Mother! Allow us this, and then my people will be happy to meet with you!”
The crowds cheered, their cried, they opened a gap for you. You quietly radioed your vehicles. “Don’t let them aboard the vehicles. DO NOT allow seductions, I’ll turn you into servitors. Don’t fire unless those rules are broken. I am going to see Mother.”

Dismounting, you let Tanya lead you to the center house. The crowds were nearly absent here, focused entirely on the new visitors in their midst. Tanya stood outside the door, back leaning on the wall. “I can’t go in. I’ll be here when you come out.”
Eyes narrowed, you nodded at her. Could be an innocent thing, kids not allowed in the Mayor’s office, or…
Mentally, you reviewed your weapons, checked the windows. A sudden exit might need something to land on.

You looked at the door. Thick curtain, more so, made of mushroom folds, decorated with plant inks. Cautiously, you touched it, pushed it aside. It was heavier than you expected.

Inside was a cluttered mess. Old papers, office chairs turned into couches, strong colors in brownish red and yellow. More of those mushroom folds curtained from the ceiling, creating simple rooms, a feeling of tightness and age. You didn’t think there were many visitors here.

Weaving your way forward, around the hoarding. This place felt as much a home as a court, as much a court as a home. Deeper into the house, you began to see people resting on chairs, laying in corners. Well, bodies. Old, emaciated, dried out and desiccated. Possibly a respectful funerary custom… possibly the remains of some xeno feast. Your fingers itched, checked your weapons.

Up a set of stairs, in a darker room than the rest. You could hear the drip of water, see forms sitting in chairs. Upon approach, they still breathed. Nearly as old as the ones downstairs. Dressed in fine clothing in the same ugly colors as below, they watched you with ancient eyes, unmoving forms.

Well, here you were. “Mother?”
All spoke at once, a hideous chorus. Blue electricity arced across their mouths, their eyes. You could feel the ozone and the sudden pressure of unsanctioned psykers. “We are Mother.”

What do you do?
A. Open fire! This is xenos!
B. You need a buffer. Grab the alien artifact in your bags, but still have a conversation.
C. No sudden moves, maybe you’ll get out with your skin. Diplomacy, without using the artifact.
D. You are a Tech-Priest on a holy mission! Intimidate and make them bend the knee!
E. Something Else

Loel fucked around with this message at 23:23 on May 16, 2016

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
Hmm...looks like there's going to be a purge today after all! But we should probably get out of this building first. C

Successful Businessmanga
Mar 28, 2010

D When in doubt shout everyone into compliance!

Grognan
Jan 23, 2007

by Fluffdaddy
C

Volmarias
Dec 31, 2002

EMAIL... THE INTERNET... SEARCH ENGINES...
C There's no need to be rude, and this is probably the worst time/place for us to try to fight.

Esper
Nov 23, 2004
Killed a baboon, once.
This seriously feels like a movie. I want to say D, but I'm thinking C.

RandomPauI
Nov 24, 2006


Grimey Drawer
C

chin up everything sucks
Jan 29, 2012

Demand an explanation and a reason that the psyker should not be purged.

Ralith
Jan 12, 2011

I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn't for your misfortune
I'd be a heavenly person today
C

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HiHo ChiRho
Oct 23, 2010

C. we purge when we know we have the advantage.

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