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Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon

poisonpill posted:

Only now, after a war of aggression (started by a false flag assassination) during which the man, woman and child civilian populace was roundly enslaved so that he could seize their unclaimed property, did Prosper begin to wonder if he might not be a moral paragon.


The Warrant of Trade. In appearance an elaborately decorated piece paper with an Imperial seal adorned in wax. In reality a document of nearly limitless power; carte blanche to spread the might of the Imperium of Man beyond the borders of known space. With its authority you have the power to consort with xenos, obtain incalculable levels of wealth, or ravage entire planets with fire. You bear the burden of terrible responsibility and terrifying power.

You are a Rogue Trader. An amalgamation of robber baron, conquistador, explorer, and diplomat, you control a dynasty of vast power and wealth. Tens of thousands toil at your command inside the depths of a starship the size of a city, and millions more live or die at your discretion. In a single moment you can spend more money than entire planets have earned in a year. You will see things Man was never meant to see, bargain with beings men were not meant to know of, and discover who you truly are. The only limits are those of your ambition.

Your name is Sebastian Prosper. Your dynasty is relatively new, having been granted its Warrant of Trade 2000 years ago during the Age of Redemption. During this great period of renewed faith following the calamities of the Age of Apostasy, Mankind was charged with recapturing the lost souls who had fallen to heresy outside the rescinded borders of the Imperium. The histories of your dynasty are filled with accounts of the numerous battles and planets your progenitor brought back to the embrace of the Emperor. Curiously the origins behind the establishment of the warrant are less evident; the prevailing theory (more a rumor) is that the Warrant was granted to waylay ambitions that could otherwise have been directed towards Terra. That ambition led your progenitor to discovering a source of incredible power and wealth in the form of a Halo Device.

Halo Devices are xenos artifacts of incredible power; they are life sustaining artifacts that bless the wearer with inhuman physical and mental abilities. This comes at the cost of the bearer’s soul as their body and mind are slowly overcome by an alien intelligence. Possession of one is the highest of crimes, and even the rumor of such a device will be relentless investigated by the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition. Your progenitor found one near the end of the crusades, and was imbued with its power when he touched it. Blessed with immortality and godlike intelligence he guided the Prosper dynasty to unparalleled heights of wealth and power. Much of the profit came from alliances with the scum of the universe; pirates, Eldar corsairs, even orks. His abilities, and his longevity, became a thing of legend as he guided the dynasty for millennia. Indeed to have endured the influence of a Halo Device for that long is a testament to his strength of will, but in the end all must fall.

As his soul was eroded by the influence of the Halo Artifact the guidance of the your progenitor faltered. The machinations of wealth stuttered without maintenance. The neglect grew until one day your family was forced to confront the man who had led them to this path. What they discovered was not a man, but a monster who attacked without hesitation. In the aftermath most of your relatives were slain, and your progenitor disappeared along with the flagship of your dynasty. Decades later neither he nor Prosperity Reigns has been seen again, while you and the remainder of your dynasty have endured the attention and interrogation of the Inquisition. Today the ordeal has ended. The Ordo Xenos has finished their inquiry and excised those found guilty of heresy or influence. The former Lord of the Prosper Dynasty has been expunged, all records of his name stricken from both paper and mind. You remain, the sole heir of the Warrant of Trade, the master of an entire dynasty.

Your legacy awaits.



Welcome to my CYOA! I've decided to get back into writing, and I had so much fun doing my Ork CYOA from years ago that I figured doing another 40K themed enterprise would be worth exploring. This time we will take the roll of a Rogue Trader, an independent rogue authorized by the Imperium to boldly go where no man has gone before, kick everyone's rear end, and chew space bubblegum. Imagine Star Trek if the Prime Directive was "be a bad motherfucker." As a Rogue Trader you control immense quantities of wealth, including a starship that's kilometers long and filled with tens of thousands of people.

How This Works
I will provide updates that move the story along, and at the end of each update I will provide you with a few options. In general I will also include the option for posters to come up with their own unique ideas. Whichever vote gets the most responses wins, although if two votes are close I may choose a hybrid option.

To make things easier I'm going to be using web polls to get your responses. I ask that you please vote on the poll using the link provided, and also post that you voted in the thread so that it stays bumped. Also please explain why you voted so we can have discussion; the more involved the community is in this project the better for everyone.

I intend to make this rather open ended in terms of progression. I have some ideas in mind for a story, but my main goal is to be flexible and have fun. Sebastian is your character, and over time I expect him to grow and develop based on what you choose.

pre:
Rogue Trader Sebastian Fortunus Prosper

Origins, Motivations, and Actions
Child of Destiny: Trained from birth to be Lord of an entire Rogue Trader Dynasty. 
Tortured by the Inquisition: A lifetime of imprisonment has left him jaded and inoculated against all that is foul. 
Psychic Torment: Having suffered forty years of psychic interrogations his mind is hardened. The ordeal has left him with unusual knowledge of the Inquisition.
Rogue Trader: Lord of thousands, master of incalculable wealth, and scion of a Warrant of Trade. 
Gifted Shot: His abilities with ranged weapons is impressive.
Motivated by Pride: Seeks the admiration of allies and the respect of foes as he carves his name in a path across the galaxy. Never again will the Prosper name be mocked.
Fearless in Battle: Confident and fearless no matter the odds or the battlefield.  
Trained Voidsman: Well trained and practiced in the art of null gravity maneuvers and fighting.
Pragmatic Utilitarianism: Empathy is for the poor. 

Notable Weapons and Equipment
Ryza-Pattern Plasma Pistol
Lathe-Pattern Power Sword
Mezoa-Pattern Meltagun
Lathe-Pattern Bionic Arm of Best Quality with Integral Weapon Bracing
Lathe-Wrought Enforcer Light Carapace with Void Capable Modification
Tempest, Legendary Archaeotech Laspistol
pre:
The Prosper Dynasty
Wealth
Equivalent to a Hive Guild or Merchant House

Actions and Relations of Note
Good relations with the Magos Explorator of the Machina Scientia and the Lathe Worlds
Excellent relations with the Mining Clan of The Augmented, who have recently secured a new asteroid claim.

Resources of Note
Praetorians: Approximately 1,000 trained and highly skilled House Troops armed with hellguns, carapace armor, and meltaguns. 
Prosperity's Reach: A colony in the Koronus Expanse near the Heathen Stars.
Terra's Resurrection: A Chalice-class Battlecruiser currently residing on the surface of Prosperity's Reach.
pre:

Terra's Resurrection
Chalice-Class Battlecruiser

Speed: 7       Man: +15       Detection: +15
Morale: ???    Pop: ???       Rating: ???

Armour: 19     Turrets: 2     Shields: 2     
Hull: 65       Power: 38      Space: 18

Essential Components
Plasma Drive: Modified Saturine-pattern Class 4A "Ultra" Drive
Warp Drive: Strelov 2 Warp Engine
Void Shields: Repulsor Shield Array (No penalties when traveling through nebulas, ice rings, plasma clouds, or similar phenomena)
Gellar Field: Standard Gellar Field
Life-Sustainer: Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer
Crew Compartments: Clan-kin Quarters (Dedicated crew that considers the ship their home, resistant to morale loss and boarding attacks)
Bridge: Ship Master's Bridge (Improved piloting, navigation, and command of gunnery crews)
Auger Array: Mark-201.b Auger Array 

Armaments
Prow: None
Dorsal: None
Port 1: Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside 
Port 2: Lathe Pattern Landing Bay 
Starboard 1: Mars Pattern Macrocannon Broadside 
Starboard 2: Lathe Pattern Landing Bay 

Supplemental Components
Augmented Retro Thrusters (Improved Maneuverability)
Energistic Conversion Matrix (May reroute power to engines, increasing speed)
Grav Repulsors (May reroute power to resist damage from physical objects such as asteroids or torpedoes)
Field Bracing (Increases the integrity of the hull through powered force fields)

Additional Notes
Affinity: The vessel's maneuverability improves when she is in the gravity well of a planet.
Plasma Conduits: Fires are more common aboard this vessel due to the presence of volatile plasma.

Beer4TheBeerGod fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Mar 27, 2015

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Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon
Chapter 1: Rho
1-1: Introduction
1-2: Degrees of Guilt
1-3: Seventy
1-4: Machina Scientia
1-5: Asserting Authority
1-6: The Application of Compressive Force
1-7: Precisely 5,000
1-8: Planning to Plan
1-9: The Augmented
1-10: Not Really a Surprise
1-11: Acquisitions & Aggression
1-12: The Direct Approach
1-13: Worship In All Forms
1-14: Facing Death
1-15: An Abundance of Cherubim

Chapter 2: Kappa
2-1: Public and Violent
2-2: The Tone
2-3: Intrinsically Evil
2-4: A New Course of Study
2-5: Intuition
2-6: The Horrors

Beer4TheBeerGod fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Mar 26, 2015

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon


Unknown
Screams echo in the distance. The sounds are familiar, ones you yourself have made more than a few times. The methods of the Inquisition are both relentlessly thorough and utterly brutal, and the sins of your forebears have led to the utmost of scrutiny. Stone walls and floors bearing the marks of millennia of panicked men scratching and clawing to no avail adorn the place you have known as home since your youth. Indeed it was that youth that saved you from a more permanent fate. Your youth, and your lineage. One could argue your innocence also played a role, but the words carved above the arch leading to the Interrogation Halls make a mockery of that concept.

Pity them not and scorn their cries of innocence.

Your own quarters are a sharp contrast to the remainder of the facility. The stone walls are covered in solid wood paneling from a world you’ve never visited. A rich, thick carpet protects your feet from cold floors worn smooth by countless footsteps taken by your predecessors. Where other prisoners wear thin rags, your wardrobe is filled with regal garb worthy of the highest nobility. Your schedule varies considerably from the other occupants of the facility as well. As a child your interrogations were interspersed with schooling and lessons. As an adult your time is divided between the ministrations of the Inquisition and the petitions of your seneschal. You remain confident that you are the only human to ever have learned how to swordfight with an Inquisitorial Kill Team ready to shoot at the first sign of trouble. It certainly helped with your discipline.

Such is the absurdity of being the Lord of the Prosper Dynasty.

“Lord Prosper, it is time,” says a voice through the heavy door. The one thing the Inquisition never allowed your minders to decorate, the ceramite and steel construct serves as a constant reminder of your predicament. The threat of imminent death ceaselessly hovering over your head would be unnerving if you hadn’t gotten used to it before puberty. Instead you put on your finest regalia and look at yourself in the mirror. Tall, imposing, a stellar demonstration of humanity. You run a hand you’re your perfectly shaved head (standard procedure for psychic interrogations) and wonder if you should keep the look. Something to decide at a later moment.

You slam on the door and wait as heavy bolts are moved. Stepping through the archway, your seneschal Cornelius greets you. The old man nods and you walk together, flanked by acolytes and heavily armed storm troopers wearing the mark of the Inquisition. Your footsteps echo along the hard stone floor as you leave the screams of the damned behind. Stone and steel turn to worn wood adorned in brass as you enter a place you have never been. The room smells of parchment and worn leather, a welcome change.

One of the acolytes turns to you. “Please wait here, Sir.” You briefly remember that same acolyte staring at you with cold, uncaring eyes as a Senior Inquisitor shredded your mind during the course of one of countless sessions. Much like the smell, you have no complaints about the transition. The acolyte returns a few moments later, and you are guided through a pair of doors to another room. You find yourself in a sunken pit underneath an array of high backed chairs. Each chair is occupied by an Inquisitor, and you’re reasonably sure that at least half of them have tortured you at one point or another during your tenure here. At least for this interrogation you’re not strapped down.

“Lord Sebastian Fortunus Prosper, of the Prosper Dynasty,” says the acolyte with as much formality as he can manage. You stand up straight and stare each Inquisitor in the eye, defiant even after all this time. More than one Inquisitor chuckles at the introduction. “Yes Arno, we know who he is,” says one female Inquisitor with a dismissive wave. “What I want to know is why he is here, and not locked up in his luxurious cell where he belongs.”

The Inquisitor sitting at the head of the table does not chuckle with the others. He simply looks over you, with the same piercing gaze that has penetrated your psyche countless times before. Inquisitor Lord Aestaban Gant speaks in a low, calm voice that still manages to reach every ear in the room without fail. “He is here, Janelle, because the inquiry is nearly at an end.” He looks down on you and smiles. “Hello Sebastian. I imagine these trappings are more to your liking than our usual chambers?”

It’s your turn to smile. “Depends on the circumstances, Lord Gant. And more importantly the outcome.”

Gant nods. “Yes I imagine that might be the case. You may be surprised to know we don’t get to use this room very often. In fact it took the servitors several days to clean off all the dust. The name may clue you as to why; you are in the Chambers of Release.”

You let out a low whistle. You remember hearing one of the guards do it when you were ten, and it took you two weeks to figure out how to do it yourself. It took another decade to determine the social cues to determine when it was appropriate. You’re pretty sure you got it right.

“As I said the inquiry is nearly over. We have one question, and then judgment will be rendered. If the outcome is a determination of innocence you will be allowed to leave. Given your position and means your future is only limited by your ambition. So my question is this; if you are released what will you do? What will motivate your actions as you enter the void?”

How do you answer?

A. Creed. Your faith in the Emperor enabled you to endure the ordeal of your interrogation, and you will spread that faith throughout the universe. This choice will increase your skill in charming people as well as give you knowledge of the Imperial Creed, plus a talent that makes you better at inspiring hatred.
B. Duty. You find strength in serving humanity, and feel shame at the failure of your predecessor. You will endeavor to further the glory of the Imperium and bring back honor to the Prosper name. This choice will grant you a talent that will increase your Willpower and make you much more resistant to fear.
C. Fear. You dare not speak the truth, but the fear of ending up here again drives you with relentless ferocity. No action is beyond the pale if it prevents you from returning to the tender mercies of the Inquisition. Choosing this option increases your Perception and also makes you more paranoid, making it harder for people to get a jump on you.
D. Fortune. You are a Rogue Trader, and a Rogue Trader who isn’t bedecked in ostentatious displays of wealth is a failure. Your only motivation is the clink of a Throne coin as it lands on top of another. Everything else is secondary to that. Choosing this option gives you an extra Fate Point, which makes you luckier and able to escape calamity. You currently have four.
E. Pride. Your entire life you have been the laughing stock of the galaxy. The imprisoned Lord of the Prosper Dynasty, a Rogue Trader without a ship, the mockery of the galaxy. Now it’s your turn, for the admiration of allies and the respect of your foes, as you carve your name in a path across the galaxy. They will never laugh again. Choosing this option will give you a best quality archaeotech pistol, a weapon of incredible rarity and a status symbol amongst Rogue Traders and the elite.
F. Other. Choose another motivation from Rogue Trader and justify it here.

Vote: http://goo.gl/rjMi6i
Results: http://goo.gl/NZTkAi

After you vote, please reply to this thread and explain what you chose and why. That way we can maintain visibility.

Beer4TheBeerGod fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Jan 28, 2015

MaliciousOnion
Sep 23, 2009

Ignorance, the root of all evil
E - pride. This is loving Rogue Trader; pride is a necessity.

Sormus
Jul 24, 2007

PREVENT SPACE-AIDS
sanitize your lovebot
between users :roboluv:
E - Pride.

Take all the shinies.

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.
B. You don't survive an Inquisitorial inquiry without having an ironclad will, and a strong sense of duty and purpose. And given what depths our progenitor dragged the Prosper name into, it's our duty to unfuck this and restore the family's honour!

chin up everything sucks
Jan 29, 2012

E Pride, because a man with pride will do anything to assuage it.

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
E. Because even after everything else has (apparently) been taken away from us, it's what we've still clung to and it's what will keep us going as we restore our name to its rightful glory (and score embarrassingly large sums of cash and stuff).

kingcom
Jun 23, 2012

E Pride, I was born better than you, raised better than you, lived better than you, and die better than you.

Wrestlepig
Feb 25, 2011

my mum says im cool

Toilet Rascal
F: Spite. The inquisition has held you in their prison for your entire life, and turned you into a shadow of your noble heritage simply to make torture more effective. And now they're going to kick you out to do their dirty work. You are nobody's slave, and the best way to prove that is to take back your legacy. And you're going to prove this by taking the halo device and putting it on the inquistor responsible for your current status. If he wants to look for heresy, you're going to give it to him.

frajaq
Jan 30, 2009

#acolyte GM of 2014


B - Duty

Because goddammit you're gonna redeem the name of your family after everything they went through, hopefully killing a lot of xenos and heretics all the while!

goatface
Dec 5, 2007

I had a video of that when I was about 6.

I remember it being shit.


Grimey Drawer

chaos rhames posted:

F: Spite. The inquisition has held you in their prison for your entire life, and turned you into a shadow of your noble heritage simply to make torture more effective. And now they're going to kick you out to do their dirty work. You are nobody's slave, and the best way to prove that is to take back your legacy. And you're going to prove this by taking the halo device and putting it on the inquistor responsible for your current status. If he wants to look for heresy, you're going to give it to him.

That would probably come under Vengeance, with Hatred (Inquisition)

I voted B because I don't think they'd let you out if they weren't sure of it. But Fear: Tormented by the Unspeakable (so you start jaded but already somewhat insane from the torture) would work.

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon
We're not going to go too heavily into mechanics (they're more like... guidelines), but here's the character selections:

Homeworld: Child of Destiny
Birthright: Tortured by Inquisition (Tainted by the Warp) - Dark Soul, Jaded, Forbidden Lore (Inquisition)
Lure of the Void: //**DATA LOST**//
Trials and Travails: Psychic Torment (Warp Incursion) - Resistance (Psychic), Light Sleeper
Career: Rogue Trader

sullat
Jan 9, 2012
D Fortune is our birthright, we should claim it posthaste.

LGD
Sep 25, 2004

sullat posted:

D Fortune is our birthright, we should claim it posthaste.

Get money, gently caress bitches, smoke trees

Loel
Jun 4, 2012

"For the Emperor."

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



Yesssssss....

C - Fear. Let them have their baubles, you will be prepared for what is coming.

Successful Businessmanga
Mar 28, 2010

C No one is going to put us back here! Nothing will stop us! Victory at any cost! Also keep that smooth shaved head. :v:

Welcome Back to cyoaville man! I missed you! :glomp:

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

Heretics.

B - Duty to the IMMORTAL GOD EMPEROR is what sustains us!







Look upon his glory and fall upon your face in shame!

We need to CONQUER IN HIS NAME!


Diogines fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Jan 28, 2015

HiHo ChiRho
Oct 23, 2010

E. because I want to be the space pirate equivalent to a bullied nerd that can now get his revenge

Waci
May 30, 2011

A boy and his dog.
B. We may be a rogue trader, but as a kid we did so dream of becoming a lord general.

A RICH WHITE MAN
Jul 30, 2010

See them other chickenheads? They don't never leave the coop.
!!!!

Welcome back to the CYOA world.

Also D! Because fate points are great to have, and also because

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twa-Q6HRwH8

Hot Dog Day 80
Jun 23, 2003
B. Duty. You find strength in serving humanity, and feel shame at the failure of your predecessor. You will endeavor to further the glory of the Imperium and bring back honor to the Prosper name. This choice will grant you a talent that will increase your Willpower and make you much more resistant to fear.

Grognan
Jan 23, 2007

by Fluffdaddy
C

By popular demand
Jul 17, 2007
Probation
Can't post for 11 hours!
HAte , hate will guard us against the alien.
Love of the golden throne to lead us into light.
And Creed to protect our souls from the whispers of chaos.

:smugissar:

I like the potential for insane zealotry

A RICH WHITE MAN
Jul 30, 2010

See them other chickenheads? They don't never leave the coop.
Changing my vote from D to E

Balder
Apr 3, 2011
E.

They'll see. They'll all see!

(echoing the sentiment of a bullied nerd out for revenge)

Mr Apollo
Jan 1, 2013
Duty above all else.

Hexenritter
May 20, 2001


E all the way
It is the fate of the bullied to one day become the bully.

Inexplicable Humblebrag
Sep 20, 2003

F, VENGEANCE

On whoever lured your family to disgrace!

fakeaccount
Jun 22, 2012

by FactsAreUseless

chaos rhames posted:

F: Spite. The inquisition has held you in their prison for your entire life, and turned you into a shadow of your noble heritage simply to make torture more effective. And now they're going to kick you out to do their dirty work. You are nobody's slave, and the best way to prove that is to take back your legacy. And you're going to prove this by taking the halo device and putting it on the inquistor responsible for your current status. If he wants to look for heresy, you're going to give it to him.

This, all the fuckin' way. Growing up in a goddamn inquisitorial prison cell, having to endure psychic torture all the time - You don't want those who tortured you to do ANYTHING to you again. You're even resentful of them being in the room when you're set free.

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon
Chambers of Release

You look Gant in the eye. "I'm innocent, aren't I?"

Gant stares back. "There is no such thing as innocence, only degree of guilt. The inquiry isn't finished. Answer the question."

You smirk. "Yes it is. The Room of Release isn't used unless a captive is destined to leave the facility. In fact if I recall correctly passing that threshold," you jerk your thumb back at the archway you passed through, "is quite literally the final step a captive takes. By bringing me here you've already declared that I am free of whatever taint you found in my predecessor.”

Gant glowers at you. “And how would you know such a thing?”

“Because your apprentice asked you about this room a few years ago right before you went spelunking in my cranium. You brought your thoughts along with you, as you have at other times. I must say, do you really think it's appropriate to regard Inquisitor Calex like that? I’m not sure she would reciprocate.” You throw a wink towards the one Gant called Janelle and turn to walk out the only other passage, stunned silence in your wake. Right before the exit you turn and look back.

“Given your decision to free me, I’ll indulge your question. My motivation is simple. You erased all memory of my progenitor’s name. I intend to ensure that you will never forget mine.”

You turn and walk outside, your seneschal beside you barely suppressing a smile, and leave the Inquisition behind. A pair of massive adamantine doors creak in protest as gears that have not been used in centuries turn and release you from the only home you've known. Outside you are somewhat dismayed to find no bright sunlight great you and your newfound freedom. Instead your first steps as a free man are into the darkness of the void, and your first breaths are of processed air tinged with ozone.



The doors close behind you. As you depart you’re reasonably sure you hear the words “Did he just…?” before the adamantine slams shut and bolts lock in place. You look up, unsure of your location, and turn to Cornelius. "Footfall," the old man says, "specifically the great Statue of the Emperor. Incidentally the Inquisition would prefer you keep that knowledge to yourself." You laugh. “The Inquisition can fellate an Ork for all I care. What’s next?”

Cornelius presses a comm bead pressed against his temple. A gun cutter adorned with the crest of the Prosper dynasty arrives a few moments later. The space craft settles and a massive human made walks down the access ramp, his form made even more gigantic by the crimson power armor adorning his body. If you hadn’t seen holos of a true Astartes before you would assume he was one of the Space Marines, but the Prosper crest on his chest plate and friendly smile face mark him as merely human. “I’m Rast, Lord Prosper,” the giant says with a respectful bow, “head of security and responsible for your protection. I would ask that you hurry, as the Inquisition has indicated we have less than a minute before the defensive protocols activate and we are purged from their skies.”

You nod and enter the gun cutter. Inside the walls of the entrance passage are lined with rows of heavily armed men wielding hellguns. Each wears carapace armor adorned in the crimson and gold livery of your dynasty. Every man nods respectfully as you pass, the confines of the entry way preventing a more formal acknowledgement. Even through the protection of the dampeners you feel the vessel accelerate as soon as the ramp seals shut. Cornelius walks behind you. “Lord, your quarters are ahead. I’ve taken the liberty of laying out some things for you. I hope you find them to your liking.” You glance back at your seneschal, curious. “How did you know I would be free?” Cornelius responds quietly. “I did not.” You nod with a newfound level of appreciation, and enter your quarters. Against the back wall you see an immaculately crafted and detailed set of carapace armor displayed on a rack. A power sword and plasma pistol are displayed beneath it, and various other trappings have been laid out with care. You pass through the threshold and stop as a dais comes up in the center of the room. A cover retracts to reveal something that should not exist.



The weapon appears to be made of gold, but shines with an iridescent sheen that no terran metal is capable of. Cornelius audibly gasps as he sees it, and Rast assumes a posture as if to prepare for an attack. You step forward and lift the weapon from the cradle. It’s impossibly light and fits your hand perfectly. You look back at the others, eyebrow raised. Rast is the first to speak. “I have personally swept this room daily. Scanned it every augury imaginable, lest your foes exploit your absence to place something here. That dais has eluded every inspection.” Cornelius nods in agreement. “I assume you know what you hold in your hand, Lord Prosper?”

You smirk. “Of course I do. Tempest. A weapon crafted during the Dark Age of Technology, and personal sidearm of my progenitor. Powerful, incredibly efficient, and nearly as accurate as a long las. What’s I’m curious about is what it’s doing here.”

“This gun cutter belonged to Prosperity Reigns, Master Prosper. It was the one that carried your mother, and you, away on that fateful day. These quarters belong to you predecessor.”

You pause, trying to remember. A fleeting vision of metal decks, screams, and running flashes before your vision turns purple and searing pain ravages your mind like a hot poker to your skull. You clench your teeth and close your eyes, allowing the psychic pain to subside, and swear. You shake your head clear and wave away the others. “Just another reminder of the care of my previous hosts, give it a moment.” You stand up straight and will the pain away, instead focusing on the technological perfection in your hand. It was worth more than some planets.

Rast pauses, listening to his comm bead, and then speaks. “We’ve left the perimeter of the statue just in time. We were painted by about twenty lascannons on low power; you must have left an impression.” Cornelius catches himself laughing and you suppress a smile as you adorn your armor and equipment. “Cutter defenses are active,” Rast continues, “we’re away.”

You run your hand over your bare skull, feeling callouses where the Inquisition’s tools rubbed against your flesh, and look at the others. “What’s next? Where are we going?”

Cornelius and Rast look at each other, then back to you. “That’s up to you, Lord Prosper. However your predecessor left you one other gift. A ship.”

You scowl at Cornelius. “I’m not in a joking mood Cornelius. Prosperity Reigns hasn’t been seen for decades. Even the hint of her presence would bring about the Inquisition’s wrath.”

“Yes, Lord, but that’s not the only ship the dynasty owns.”

“There are no other ships, none that you have told me of at least.”

“Yes I did Lord. You know of it well, and you know precisely where it is.”

You think, careful to avoid any memory of your progenitor. You look up at Cornelius. “If you’re talking about Terra’s Resurrection, I must remind you that she crashed upon the world that the progenitor found his Halo Device.”

Cornelius nods. “Yes, Lord, she did. And the last thing the previous master of the Prosper dynasty did before his treachery was allocate a considerable sum of resources towards her exhumation.”

“How considerable?”

How much did the progenitor spend?

A. 70%
B. 60%
C. 50%
D. 40%
E. 30%

Note – The value you select will have two effects. The first is that it will determine the value of the ship. The second is that it will determine the remaining resources of your dynasty.

Vote: http://goo.gl/cMaUgb
Results: http://goo.gl/CwuoWF

Asehujiko
Apr 6, 2011
70%
Biggest ship, bestest ship.

Hot Dog Day 80
Jun 23, 2003
How much did the progenitor spend?

A. 70%


Go big or go home.

Mr Apollo
Jan 1, 2013
A, the only fitting amount for a ship named Terra’s Resurrection. Although we should change it to Prosperity's Resurrection.

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon

Mr Apollo posted:

A, the only fitting amount for a ship named Terra’s Resurrection. Although we should change it to Prosperity's Resurrection.

Nothing saying you can't.

HiHo ChiRho
Oct 23, 2010

60%

frajaq
Jan 30, 2009

#acolyte GM of 2014


50%, nothing too risky or too shabby :goleft:

Kai Tave
Jul 2, 2012
Fallen Rib
I voted A for two reasons.

1). Big, fancy ships are cool.

2). A big, fancy ship isn't the end goal of Rogue Trader, it's simply a means to an end. The goal (along with pride, vengeance, whatever) is to make fat stacks of cash. Starting with more money defeats the purpose of that (not entirely, you can always have more) and I think it's more interesting to start our rise to power with (comparatively) minimal resources to throw around at the beginning. The big, fancy ship will give us a leg up to be sure, but we still need to go out there and seize our fortune, and this gives us even more incentive to do so.

frajaq
Jan 30, 2009

#acolyte GM of 2014


Well yes but we could also use that extra money at the start to buy practical things like customized best quality carapace armor with the image of an unique Imperial Saint for each of our elite troops (with their detailed stories and glories engraved on them), or a Baneblade covered in diamonds.

frajaq fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Jan 31, 2015

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Waci
May 30, 2011

A boy and his dog.
We do need a Baneblade covered in diamonds, but we can get one later. First, we need the biggest boat we can get, so that we can start making money.

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