Session 1: Gathering of the Lost
General Summary
The Ashen Saint broke warp at the Mandeville Point at the edge of the Pelone system. The cruiser shook with the final quakes of its hellish transit and the impact of battle debris as it scored the hull. It had taken far longer to reach Pelone than it should have and the ship had made many reentries into real space on the way. Since the opening of the Great Rift, any warp journey was treacherous and the Navigator had informed the Cannoness Preceptor of the loss of the escort ships in transit. Only true faith in the God Emperor had seen them through with only a few superficial scars to show for it.
Hulks drifted past the Ashen Saint as it made its way towards Pelone and the chance to strike at the traitors that poured from the rift daily to attack the faithful. The Sisters of Order of the Sacred Rose were late to the fight but they would bring the Emperor's wrath down upon the heads of the traitors and make them pay for every inch of ground they took. It may be a losing fight for this system but it would provide much needed time for Battle Fleet Euphorian to form up and provide a proper defense.
Hospitaller Jessima Minais prepared with her sisters and boarded a dropship to begin the assault. With a final blessing from Cannoness Preceptor Arya van Heppel, the sisters began their assault to assist the beleaguered Imperial forces of Hive Gideon. Flak bursts filled the air as the Sisters dropped towards the Hive, siege lines and trenches of the enemy visible in the distance. The dropship began evasive maneuvers but the odds were against Jessima. The right wing took a direct hit and caught fire as the pilot yelled to brace. A fellow sister tried to unbuckle herself but was quickly knocked unconscious against the hull. Jessima held on and unbuckled as she applied dressings to the gushing head wound just as the ship crashed inside the hive.
Ovie gReth, for the thousandth time that day, cursed her Throne-damned luck that saw her start looking on Pelone for a new ship and crew. The warp spawned traitors to the Imperium had finally emerged from the Great Rift and immediately overran what little defense the Planetary Defense Forces could put up. Survivors and refugees were now surrounded in Hive Gideon and any hope Ovid had of getting off world was rapidly dwindling. Looking out from the hab block flat she had rented, she could see the panicked members of the hive running in all directions and Astra Militarum squads struggling to keep order, as the shells began to rain down. The scum had finally pushed into artillery range and made her goals that much harder to achieve.
It was time for her to move. She quickly grabbed what little remained to her and exited the hab. As she did, she heard the high pitched whine of something falling. She attempted to get to cover in a nearby alley but ran smack into a group of soldiers and a sketchy looking priest of the Mechanicum. The red robed stranger looked as if it was scanning her and it had taken a tape measure out and was advancing toward her. The Guard Sergeant quickly intervened and took hold of Ovie's arm directing her back to the main road and towards safety as the high pitched noise began to grow louder. "Look out!", a Guardsman cried. A dropship in white livery, in flames and missing a wing, crashed into the middle of the road, turning a dozen civvies into red paste. Never one to have a tragedy go to waste, Ovie made her way to the crash site. Glancing inside she saw a squad of Sisters in various death poses, including one with her head turned sideways. All had gold rosaries on their kit. Ovie quickly moved inside and grabbed what she could. The Sisters obviously didn't need them anymore. A scrabbling from where she had come in told her, the priest had followed her.
"I cannot tell which is alive and dead, they all lack the spark of the Omnissiah." he blurted. At this one of the sisters on the floor stirred. "I may....have a concussion.", she groaned. Jessima sat up and found a Mechanicus priest and a particularly dangerous looking civilian with ship masters garb standing over her. The priest blurted Machine code at her as he moved to help her up. "Sorry, I am designated Gelt Alpha-Mu 36 by the will of the Omnissiah. But for your the sake of your fleshy tongue you may call me Gelt." The Sergeant banged on the outside of the hull, "Lets go Gelt! We have to move!" After a quick prayer to the Emperor for her fallen sisters, Jessima moved with the others back outside. She looked around at the city under siege with its panicked civilians, smoking ruins and scent of fear. A strange purple hue had also taken over the sky, overshadowing the hazy glow of the local star.
The Guard squad took all three of them several blocks west to a Guard command post. Jessima moved to help the wounded at the local medicae while Gelt, the Sergeant and Ovie went to the command tent. The radio inside began to light up with chatter from the fleet high above engaged with the Chaos ships. A mighty boom rings out as ship breaks the atmosphere and descends in flames towards the hive. The great ship slammed into the ground a kilometer distant from the city walls but such was its speed that it carved a deep furrow in the ground and plowed through the wall as it nothing was there. The group attempted to take shelter but visibility was nothing due to the dust and debris. The ship coming to rest was just the beginning, as the surrounding buildings began to succumb to the damage caused by hours of bombardment and the shock of a void ship crashing into the city.
A dust covered Sergeant emerged from the debris cloud, and grabbed onto Gelt and Ovie. "We have to get out towards the ship! Its the only way!" "A simple matter" Gelt pronounced in a monotone. He tinkered on a control panel and suddenly flew forward towards the crashed ship as if on invisible string. Ovie looked with shock at the sudden movement by Gelt but was equally surprised when a robed figure grabbed her and the Sergeant by the shoulder and shoved them towards the ship. "Move!" shouted the figure. The air suddenly became chilled with frost forming on the ground as the figure began to move far faster than was natural.
Jessima arrived at the hole in the bow of the destroyer just as the hab unit finally began to collapse, sealing the entrance behind her in a cloud of dust. She found the group waiting for her with a new addition, a robed figure. After catching their breath, the Sergeant began to question the robed figure. Fig Ortellius of the Ortellius Navigator House introduced themselves. They were trapped in the city, now she would need this group to escort her to safety.
Gelt informed them they were in a Cobra-class Destroyer in the torpedo room. The best solution would be to head towards the bridge before heading to a hanger bay. Gelt leads the way and the group readies their weapons. After a brief period of the time, they come to the main access down the spine of the ship. Its a grand procession way lined with statues to the Emperor and his saints. All have been defaced with strange symbols and words that shift and move when the group attempts to read and glance at them.
The group find a medicae ward off the main processional way. 3 mummified bodies are found strapped to the beds inside. Jessima examines them and finds they are missing limbs, with one slices open at the chest, and one with a slash across the neck. Gelt emerges from the ward stuffing something large underneath his cloak while Fig comes out with a few dirty needles in hand. Gelt goes to the cogitator and manages to download information about who was here. The medical records date from 15 Terran standard years ago. In the main ICU ward, a large tank is found, broken from the inside. Gelt identifies it as a stasis pod. Suddenly Fig gasps. She senses something. Life forms are boarding the ship and they are more every minute. There is also something on the bridge.
As the group makes their way towards a lift to the bridge, a group of cultists attacks. A battle ensues, but suddenly a figure twice the height of anyone else in the group emerges. He quickly dispatches the remaining cultists with blasts from his duel bolt pistols while Fig reaches out with her hand to the remaining cultist attempting to escape. As frost coats the ground, the cultists head erupts in a fountain of blood. Jazz hands and dancing follow from Fig as the group stares in disbelief.
The huge figure quickly moves to one of the dead cultists. He removes a piece of flesh from the head and eats it. As the huge figure turned and revealed himself to be a member of the Adeptus Astartes , he saw Jessima and stood to attention. "Sir!" he barked. He marched over and saluted her. Jessima, just a novitiate herself, found this extremely odd. The Space Marine was missing parts of his armor and it bore no markings for rank or chapter except for a faded letter "L" on his chest plate. The Marine isn't sure of his name or rank. "He may...have a concussion." said Jessima. As she examined him, he was also missing some augmetics from the back of his skull and had many scars although this wasn't uncommon. Gelt examines the augmetics and noticed that he has definitely suffered a head injury.
The group continues on towards the bridge, the new member in tow. Once they reach the bridge, they find the former captains withered husk still seated in his command throne. The power is on up here and Gelt heads towards the astrogation cogitator to download more data. Two floors below this command level, an armored figure stands. His is adorned with spikes, chains and a large chain axe. Heretical symbols adorn his armor and he stands silently watching the waves of cultists invade the city. L waves the group back away. After the download is complete, the quickly make their way back down the lift and towards the hanger bay. More cultists attack and the group sets a bomb as they board an available dropship and fly to safety. The detonation after renders the ship unusable.
The group observes as they fly over the city the beginning slaughter as Chaos invades.
Rewards Granted
10 EXP
Fig Ortellius
Gelt Alpha-Mu 36
L Ennicus
Jessima Minais
Ovie gReth
Report Date
20 May 2021
Primary Location
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