JV Finale / Part One / Dramatis Factions
"The most dangerous minds sense it’s growing presence, the omens and the leads, and like vultures they arrive from all corners of the sector and beyond to find it, to destroy it, to claim it, to decide the faith of Berdia, the Planet and the entire sub-sector! Rogue Traders, Facilitators, Star Striders, Magoi, and the agents of the Inquisition will battle out the outcome in a secret war of importance beyond the understanding of man."
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The Syndicate
“Faciliator” Styg, Viktor
Syndicate Agent (unknown family ties, suspected consigliere level master)
Inner Circle sanctioned Investigation team leader, Blunt, Class Alpha Arbites target (137 counts), known to employ psykers and mercenaries.
Not all decision on Ragoos are made by planetary officials (some say that very few actually).
Syndicate makes a major player in this planets political field, some doubt that they can even affect the whole sector if they want to. Syndicate has it's hands on everything, trade, politics, PDF, faith, cults and of course on the Ragoos precious nutrition farms. The organization can offer anything man desires, money, power, goods or something you can't find anywhere else. The syndicate can also enforce their will on important people if they want to either by bribe or extorcion, they can have anyone they need to do their bidding. Syndicate works on the hives every level, noble houses fight for their cause in political arenas, where syndicates agents whisper their aims from the shadows for their public representatives. Lower levels the hive gangs sold stims, drugs and other illegal items supplied by the syndicate. Also some the hives guilds are on syndicates pay roll, working as their factories to produce goods for the trade. Syndicate is lead by group of powerful men called the inner circle.
One of the agents who works for the syndicate is Viktor Styg. He's known as facilitator, a consigliere and a captain and by many other names. Viktors job is to make things happen as the syndicates pleases. Be it to collect dirt on noble mans nightly hobbies or to negotiate a deal with a hive gang to distripute syndicates stims. Viktor has the subtle skills to talk to a noble and the threatning aura to make street mugger respect him.
The recent events on Ragoos has made the inner circle a bit interested about situation as the unrestliness at the lower levels is disturping the drug sales. Angry mobs are turning to vigilantism and executing drug dealers, the noble houses power struggle has tightened and lots of recourses have to be put into maintaining status quo. Factories have been put under juristiction of PDF to produce equipment for them. Cults are ignoring syndicates orders and perfoming wild rituals to enforce the chaos and mayhem. Viktors current employer Orgho Wharts has asked Viktor to look into the matter. Orgho is obnoxious character, fat pig of a man answering only to the inner circle and sneaking his way into to the circle itself. Viktor would gladly get rid of the bastard and maybe even take his place in the syndicates hierarchy. It was mostly thanks to Viktor that Orgho had made it that far.
Orgho hasn't given Viktor the access to the usual recources. He says that whole thing will be over in few weeks and doesen't realy matter the syndicate that much, which puzzels Viktor. He has gathered intell of his own, and he knows that something big is about to happen, and that it's not safe to venture into the lower levels without proper equipment at the given time. Has Orgho realised Viktors desire to dispose of him, is Orgho sending him to die in some random gunfight in the lower levels or atleast to fail in given task thus stripping him of his rank and removing the immideat threath opposed by him.
Luckily for Viktor he's intel has shown that there is something down there that's making all this fuzz, something big and he means to have it and use it to get rid of Orgho.
Now Viktor has spent few weeks in the lower sections gathering clues with his team. He's predictions have come true. There is indeed something down here. The cults have gone mad about it, the big gangs are also after it, he has even seen signs that the ordos might be involved. Fortunate for him he was able to pull some strings in order to gather up his team.
Vargo Biel has been long time with Viktor. Allways following him from his shadow, never saying much. He's Viktors right hand man, he can make his dirty work happen. Vargo was his enforcer, usefull on in negotiations to to frighteng and to assasinate to opposite side if the negotiations went wrong.
Celena was unsanctioned psyker raised by the syndicate. Viktor hasn't worked with her before, but he has met some of her kind at his line of work. She was clad in weird white bodyglove covered in hexagrammic wards. On her head she wore white scarf that blindfolded her, but still somehow she was abel to see. She kept to herself most of the time reading a book she carried everywhere it's pages inscibed with series of arcane text that made Viktor feel unwell if he stared them for too long. She would come in handy if it was true that the ordos were involved.
Karl Glean was Viktors recent foundings. Karl was heavily build man who knew his job well, it wasn't usual to find his kind of brute who could keep his head sober as Karl did. To Viktor's knowledge Karl didn't use any illegal stuff which was the problem with he's kind of guys usually. Karl spent his cash on brothels, not just anyone but on the ones that let you do anything, Viktor didn't want to know what Karl did there. But Viktor was yet to find anyother than Karl who had that good aim with autocannon.
Vys was low life thief who had been on the run because of his gambling debts. Viktor trakced him down and saw the potential in his skills with security and cocigators. So Viktor paid Vys's debts, and now Vys worked for him.
Han Riker was mercenary whom Viktor had hired for the assigment. Han was ex-guard by the looks Viktor thoughed, worn camoflouge suit and rattling carpace armour. He's choice of arms was boltgun which was no guard issue. Thou bit worn, he's equipment was expensive which gave out that he was good at his work.
Jamal was hired from gang that worked for the syndicate. He was a basic grunt from the streets, but he knew his way around in the lower levels, which made him valuable to Viktor.
Few days ago Viktor got his hands into classified a pic-record with help of Vys, now he started to see the pieces moving.
Harker
Inquisitor Harker, Calliber Johann
Ordo Xenos, Ordos (Unknown), Suspected Radical (x)
Psyker, Martial minded, employs brute force.
A solitaire figure stood in a ruined doorway, gazing into the murky gloom. His eyes roamed over the harsh landscape of the city ruins as his mind sank deeper into the darkness of his core, searching for the strength to carry on for just a day longer.
Emperor, hast thou forsaken me?
Calliber Johann Harker, Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus, considered this question over and over while seeking to assert his faith in the God Emperor of the mankind. But the familiar calm of the Emperors presence seemed to elude his best efforts to find it.
Have I crossed over already? Am I now that which I abhor?
There was no need to turn around to sense the presence of the unholy thing close by. The daemon host stood silent behind him, waiting… always waiting. It had been unusually calm for the past days. The seemingly constant tuck of the connection between the man and the daemon was gone. The daemon host had felt subdued and quiet after it had ripped the knowledge from the mind of the cultist priest, revealing the place where the Jade Vessel was to be found. Perhaps it knew that the Inquisitor was now closing on the heart of the mystery and it wanted to get there as eagerly as the Inquisitor did?
Still, Harker was grateful for the brief respite from the daemons constant testing of the bond. He knew it wouldn’t last long.
The rest of the retinue stood farther back in the room, wary of the daemon host. It felt like a miracle that they had stayed with the Inquisitor so long, despite the corrupting presence of the unholy thing that the Inquisitor had invited into the world. It was the proof of their unwavering loyalty to the Inquisitor.
Eduard Navarro, the interrogator and right hand of the Inquisitor had sworn to follow him to the very pit of hell if that was where the Inquisitor would be going. And looking at the desolate landscape before him, perhaps that was not too far-fetched an image after all.
May the Emperor bless you, my friend.
Eva Kosutic, the arbitrator, had stood with the Inquisitor almost as long as Navarro had. She was fiercely loyal and could almost fool the Inquisitor into thinking that she feared nothing the future might throw before the small retinue. But Harker could sense the mounting terror inside the woman. The presence of the Host gnawed constantly at the minds of the people around it and only the strongest willed could stand it this long.
Courage.
Nicodemus Quarth, the priest of the ecclesiarch, already showed the strain of his rapidly fraying faith as he fought the doubts bubbling in his mind. Was he still doing the Emperors work? Or was the abomination of the Daemon hosts construction been a mortifying mistake after all? The priests struggle to keep his faith was mirrored in Harkers own battle against his doubts.
Strength, brother.
Velvet, the last remaining combat servitor, seemed to be content standing in the presence of the Host. How Harker envied the simple mind of the servitor and her utter faith in her master. There was no doubt in her eyes, no regrets, just simple, patient obedience.
Chastity Kross, the hard bitten bounty hunter that Harker had hired to guide him through the underworld of the great hive, stood even further back from the Host. She did not like the situation at all, but Harker could admire her moral fiber. She had taken his coin and now she would stay with him all the way to the end. She was a woman of her word.
What more could ask of you?
Harker turned back towards the doorway and contemplated the situation again. He was so close now; he could almost feel it in his hands.
The Jade Vessel.
Inquisitor Gauer (Operating under special Condition)
Ordos Helican, Ordo Hereticus – previously a Witchhunter of the Ministorum.
Prefers to operate in the shadows with his band of brothers: guard, hive gang, etc. Political agenda unknown, Blunt
Shaddes Offe Greye
Mutant King Norev Gaah
Suspected psyker (Gamma level?) - some suspect untouchable. Powerful new player, identity unknown, Arbites Class Beta target. // Cross reference, Inquisitor Veron Haag - ROGUE, Extermis Diabolicia... +++ security clearance inadequate +++
Suspected Private Army of mutants – re. “Children of Contempt”
As the day before, and those before it, a deep, mustard hued mist hung around the endless rusty hacks of the east end. A huge bulky twist galloped towards the epicenter of this excuse of a Hive Sector. After him came two others, inhumanely thin, twisted even for twists sort of twists. And a Twist with a long pointy hat and no left arm. Then a group of four, or rather three carrying something that looked like a fourth.
Fething feth - where are they all going? He knew of course, but why? Gevlan cursed his deformed back that ached after the long stalk, and then slipped into the night, moving with stealth and swiftness totally unexpected of his appearance.
The old Theatrum was a huge, rotting carcass of armaplas and steel gridwork, punctured by a massive support structure of the hive above. There was something organic about the place, something that reminded Gevlan of Magidor Gamma, and the Endoskel Forests. What a campaign that had been.
He could see the dribble of twists feed the mammoth building through the gateways that appeared well guarded. He didn’t need them of course, he knew all the ways in and out, like he did everywhere within day march of the old barracks that he still considered his home, post... home.
Inside the sense of scale was disorienting. Particularly when surveyed from the western audit balcorium, full 70 yards higher than the floor beneath. The place was packed with twist. Gevlan made a passing snorting sound, that made for laughter, a place packed full of twists always made for twisted viewing. He started walking down the memory lane again, the Hubberian Twist wars ... a quick hush in the crowd brought him back to present with a pause a lone, skeletal figure appeared on stage, moving with other worldly grace, almost like gliding over the aged tiles. He was glad in gleaming black metallic armor and a long dark grey cape of nothingness hung from his gaunt shoulder guards to form a stark contrast to his pallid white, skull of a face. Teal pipes and tubes fluttered where his chin and ears should have been. Gevlan decided the skull face was the most twisted of the twists, even if he wasn’t really a twist.
A tiny twist with a head three times too big appeared behind the shadowy cape, seemingly adamant to gain certain distance from mr. Master Twist . Then Skullface spoke. Or Gevlan heard him speak, for there was no way to tell if his mouth was moving. Or if he had a mouth. It occurred to him he shouldn’t hear him anyway from the distance.
He was a master orator, as the total silence of the twist audience underlined. Gevlan could feel his heart beating as the message started to sink in. His beardy mouth started to form a smile, but that smile died on his lips and his heart missed a beat. A cold metal ring was pressed dead centre against his spine - dozens of simultaneous thoughts jarred his brain - a Thor, or Mars Pattern assault shotgun, or possibly a compact boltgun; how did someone, something, ambush the scout chief like this? who had a piece like that in the twist lands?... After what felt like all of his utterly dull last week, with his nightmares imposed on, he could feel the pressure lighten, then detach. Gevlan turned slowly, keeping his lascarbin pointed on the floor. The twist looked bad. Tall with sinewy muscularity, grey skin with pointy metal dispensers poking out and a crudely painted white face - Gevlan couldn’t tell in the loom, but it looked like the feth had stiched his mouth shut with something thick and caked in crimson. And the Thrice Damned Feth wore yellow rain boots. This was death incarnate. In yellow boots. Sick Feth.
A Second figure peeked from the door of the shadowy balcorium, she was a goddes - and announced matter of factly that the boss wants a word. Gevlanhad a pretty good idea who that Boss might be. He slowly made for the door, somewhat comforted by the presence of the young lady and the fact they let him keep all of his weapons. Passing the door he dared a quick glance at the lady again, but to his horror this side of her face was a lump of burned scar tissue, and a sickly yellow lidless eye that emitted light and made the scar tissue glow horridly in a mustard hue.
Cult of Snarling
“Sectar”, “Red Master”, “Discipline of Wrath”,
Master of the Pact of the Snarling. Cult leader – Alpha Priority Ordo Target (Malleus, Hereticus).Class Alpha Arbites target (7234 counts) Believed to have been a Lieutenant of “the Voice”. Suspected connections to a being classified as the TWIN.
Inquisitor Arshaben Revtych,
unknown Ordo – a radical xanthite, currently un-accounted for, and under a conclave scrutiny (“as absent”) for acts deemed heretical by the declaration of Inquisitors Rosebaum, Harker and Sigmundson. Listed as non psyker, but known to employ powerful psychic powers (possible Alpha Level)
Inquisitor Lord Lugo Frostschein,
Ordos Terran, Ordo Malleus, Amalathian (Lord Inquisitor)
“Scourge of Phalix - Flame of Righteousness”
Rumoured to have served as the =I= representative of High lords of terra.
a powerful pyromaniac psychic, Strong connections to the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Ministorum
Cardinal Von Erhman, Rudolph
Eccentric, retired clergyman with a big following and some merit in prosecuting “The Voice”. Forced to retire – (details withheld by the Ministorum.)
Hive Guardian - Sire Nilsson
“Great Dane”, “The Shot”, “Tin Man Dane”, “Dolly”
Bombastic operator who answers directly the Mayor of Berdia, Sire Nilsson is a Hive Legend. Extremely well equipped with unlimited credit from the top he goes to battle with custom built servitors from the Arhus System.
We are
Legion
They needed to find him and find him they did. Didn’t feel that way now, did it. It was fething cold, the humidity of the earlier thunder rains was whisked around by the brisk sea wind flowing through the forgotten docklands. The full moon cast a pale, icy glare that froze the shadows of the stand off.
There he was, in rugged civilian clothes, armed with a brace of pistols, Sgt. Jargassor, whom all needed to find - the least of their concerns now.
The entire hunt team had their retinas transfixed on the massive being next to him. A dozen weapons of different make pointed at him for what little difference it made. Standing two and a half meters, a god of war, clad in a huge suit of armor the color of night, the giant stared back, immoveable like a statue, yet radiating explosiveness like an unstable flux core reactor.
The wind turned only to punctuate the stalemate.
‘I am Alpharius, We are Legion‘ The giant announced in a distinctive, flowing, silky, yet authoritarian voice.
Karskin Commandos (unknown induction)
+++ CLASSIFIED +++ MAGENTA +++
(M:I:A)
Rogue Trader Krikham
Full Inter Sector Trading Charter, 142th Generation.
Arms Dealer, Exotic and Rare, Luxury, One offs.
Prior Ordo investigations – accusations three counts Xenotrade, suspect dealings with Death Cults.
Ragoos Arbites - discrepancies in tithes.